Gene Stallings facts for kids
Stallings in 2009
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| Personal information | |
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| Born: | March 2, 1935 Paris, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Paris |
| College: | Texas A&M (1953–1956) |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| As head coach:
Championships:
Awards:
As assistant coach:
As player:
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| Head coaching record | |
| Career: | 97–61–2* (college) 23–34–1 (NFL) |
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Eugene Clifton Stallings Jr. (born March 2, 1935) is a famous former American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University from 1954 to 1956. He was part of a special group of players called the "Junction Boys". Later, he became the head coach at Texas A&M from 1965 to 1971.
Stallings also coached in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals from 1986 to 1989. He then coached the University of Alabama football team from 1990 to 1996. His 1992 Alabama team had an amazing season, winning all 13 games. They beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl and were named the national champions. Gene Stallings was also a member of the Board of Regents for the Texas A&M University System. He was added to the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2011.
Contents
Gene Stallings' Early Life
Stallings was born in Paris, Texas. He went to Paris High School. There, he played end on the football team. He played alongside Raymond Berry, who later became an NFL star.
In his junior and senior years, Stallings was the captain of the football, basketball, and golf teams. He was recruited to play college football at Texas A&M University. His coach there was Raymond George.
College Football Career
At Texas A&M, Stallings was part of the famous "Junction Boys". This was a group of players coached by Bear Bryant. In 1956, he helped his team finish with a 9–0–1 record. They won their first Southwest Conference championship since 1939. Stallings earned his degree in Physical Education from Texas A&M in 1957.
Coaching Football Teams
Gene Stallings had a long and successful career as a football coach. He coached at both the college and professional levels.
Assistant Coach Roles
In 1957, Stallings started his coaching career at Texas A&M. He was the freshman coach for his old team.
In 1958, Stallings joined Coach Bear Bryant again. This time, he was an ends coach at the University of Alabama. He was part of two Alabama teams that won national championships. These wins were in 1961 and 1964. He became the defensive secondary coach in 1961. The next year, he was named defensive coordinator. In 1964, he also became the assistant head coach.
Head Coach at Texas A&M
After helping Alabama win the 1964 national title, Stallings became the head coach at Texas A&M. He was only 29 years old. He coached the Aggies for seven seasons. His record there was 27 wins, 45 losses, and 1 tie.
In 1967, the Aggies won the Southwest Conference. This was Stallings' only winning season at A&M. At the end of that season, Texas A&M beat Alabama and his old coach, Bear Bryant, in the Cotton Bowl. Bryant even carried Stallings off the field after the game! Stallings was let go from A&M after the 1971 season.
Coaching for the Dallas Cowboys
In 1972, Stallings joined the Dallas Cowboys. He worked as Tom Landry's secondary coach. He stayed with the Cowboys for 14 seasons. During this time, he helped them win Super Bowl XII.
Coaching the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals
In 1986, Stallings became the head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. He coached the Cardinals for four seasons. His record was 23 wins, 34 losses, and 1 tie. He was the coach when the team moved to Arizona.
In 1987, the Cardinals made a huge comeback. They were losing 28–3 in the fourth quarter but won 31–28 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history at the time. In 1988, the Cardinals had another big comeback. They were down 23–0 against the San Francisco 49ers and won 24–23. Stallings resigned from his coaching role with the Cardinals at the end of the 1989 season.
Head Coach at Alabama
Stallings returned to Alabama as head coach in 1990. His first team finished with a 7–5 record. In 1991, his team had a great 11–1 record.
In 1992, Stallings' team had an amazing season. They went undefeated in the regular season. They won the first-ever SEC Championship Game against Florida. This gave Alabama its 20th conference title. They then beat Miami in the 1993 Sugar Bowl to finish with a perfect 13–0 season. They were named the national champions!
His 1993 team won another SEC West Division title. In 1994, Stallings' team went 11–0 in the regular season. They won their third straight SEC West Division title. Alabama finished the 1994 season with a 12–1 record. They won the Citrus Bowl against Ohio State.
During his time at Alabama, the team faced some challenges with NCAA rules. This led to penalties like losing some wins and not being able to play in bowl games for a short time. These penalties affected the team for a few years.
In 1996, Stallings' team won ten games. They played in the SEC Championship Game again, but lost to Florida. Stallings announced he would resign at the end of the season. His last game was a 17–14 win over Michigan in the 1997 Outback Bowl. Stallings finished his time at Alabama with an official record of 62 wins and 25 losses.
Life Outside Football
Gene Stallings is known for more than just football. He has also made a big difference in his community and family life.
Family Life and Advocacy
Stallings married Ruth Ann Jack after college. They had five children. Their son, John Mark, was born with Down syndrome and a heart condition. Because of John Mark, Stallings became very involved in helping people with developmental disabilities. He worked to improve their education and quality of life. He and John Mark even appeared in a public service announcement for the United Way.
After retiring, Stallings moved back to Texas with his wife and son. They started a cattle ranch called Hike-A-Way Ranch. John Mark passed away in 2008.
Leadership and Community Work
Stallings has served on many important boards. He was on President George W. Bush's Commission on Intellectual Disability. He also served on the board of Abilene Christian University. Other boards include the Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Association and the Boys and Girls Club of Paris, Texas.
In 2005, Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed Stallings to the Texas A&M Board of Regents. He helped make decisions about the university. His term ended in 2011.
Writing a Book
Stallings co-wrote a book called Another Season: A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son. He wrote it with journalist Sally Cook. The book tells the story of his family's relationship with his son, John Mark. John Mark was a big fan of his dad's career and the Crimson Tide team. He even gave tours at the University of Alabama football building.
After John Mark's death, an updated version of the book was published. Two places at the University of Alabama are named after John Mark Stallings. The Stallings Center helps young children with disabilities. The equipment room in the football building is also named for him. Faulkner University also named its new football and soccer field after John Mark Stallings.
John Mark "Johnny" Stallings touched many lives. He showed everyone that someone with Down syndrome or a disability could make a difference. He became a legend in Alabama for his smile and positive outlook on life.
Awards and Honors
Stallings received many national coaching awards in 1992. He was named the SEC Coach of the Year twice, in 1992 and 1994. In 2000, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M University.
Stallings has also received many awards for his humanitarian work. These include the Arthritis Humanitarian Award of Alabama and the Dallas Father of the Year award.
Stallings has been inducted into many Halls of Fame. These include the College Football Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and Texas Sports Hall of Fame. He also has a school for children with disabilities named after him at the University of Alabama. He hosts a charity golf tournament every year to support it. The playground at the school is called the John Mark Stallings Playground.
Head Coaching Record
College
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M Aggies (Southwest Conference) (1965–1971) | |||||||||
| 1965 | Texas A&M | 3–7 | 1–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 1966 | Texas A&M | 4–5–1 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1967 | Texas A&M | 7–4 | 6–1 | 1st | W Cotton | ||||
| 1968 | Texas A&M | 3–7 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1969 | Texas A&M | 3–7 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1970 | Texas A&M | 2–9 | 0–7 | 8th | |||||
| 1971 | Texas A&M | 5–6 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| Texas A&M: | 27–45–1 | 19–30 | |||||||
| Alabama Crimson Tide (Southeastern Conference) (1990–1996) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Alabama | 7–5 | 5–2 | T–3rd | L Fiesta | ||||
| 1991 | Alabama | 11–1 | 6–1 | 2nd | W Blockbuster | 5 | 5 | ||
| 1992 | Alabama | 13–0 | 8–0 | 1st (West) | W Sugar† | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1993 | Alabama | 9–3–1* | 5–2–1* | 2nd (West)* | W Gator† | 13 | 14 | ||
| 1994 | Alabama | 12–1 | 8–0 | 1st (West) | W Florida Citrus | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1995 | Alabama‡ | 8–3 | 5–3 | T–2nd (West) | 21 | ||||
| 1996 | Alabama | 10–3 | 6–2 | T–1st (West) | W Outback | 11 | 11 | ||
| Alabama: | 70–16–1 | 43–13–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 97–61–2 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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*Alabama had to forfeit some wins and a tie from the 1993 season due to NCAA rules. The team's unofficial record for 1993 was 9–3–1.
‡ The 1995 Alabama team was not allowed to win the conference title or play in a bowl game due to NCAA rules.
NFL
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SLC | 1986 | 4 | 11 | 1 | .281 | 5th in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| SLC | 1987 | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 3rd in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| PHO | 1988 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| PHO | 1989 | 5 | 6 | 0 | .438 | 4th in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| SLC/PHO Total | 23 | 34 | 1 | .405 | – | – | – | |||
| Total | 23 | 34 | 1 | .405 | ||||||
