Virginia native and former Norview High School standout Eddie Versprille passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2018 - just 16 days shy of his 78th birthday.
Versprille was an All-American at Norview High in Norfolk during the 1950's before going on to play College Football for legendary Paul 'Bear' Bryant at the University of Alabama.
From 1961-63, Eddie rushed for 645 yards and two touchdowns on 136 carries. He helped the Crimson Tide capture the National Championship in 1961.
In the 1963 Orange Bowl against Oklahoma, Versprille was Alabama's leading rusher and Coach Bryant lauded him for his play.
"When the going gets tough, he is about the toughest. I think Eddie is the finest linebacker in the Southeastern Conference," Bryant stated of Versprille.
"He is the heart of the Alabama defense and can still be counted on for offense. He logs more all-around playing time than anyone else on the team. If he hadn't played both offense and defense, he would have been another Lee Roy (former Alabama and Dallas Cowboys great Lee Roy Jordan)."
Selected in the 151st overall in the 11th round of the 1964 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Versprille played professionally in the CFL for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
During his playing days at Norview, Versprille earned All-Tidewater honors in both 1958 and 1959. The 1959 Norview team completed an undefeated season, 10-0, to capture their second state title in program history. They won their only other state title four years earlier in 1955.
There were several standout performances in his prep career. One of note was a 33-13 win over the Suffolk High Red Raiders, where Versprille drew praise for his performance that included back-to-back touchdown runs of 64 yards to go with a touchdown pass.
Edward was a resident of Round Hill, Virginia at the time of his passing. His son, Steve, currently serves as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director of the Treutlen Vikings in Georgia. Steve coached as an assistant at Lake Taylor High in Norfolk for more than a decade before heading to Georgia.
Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.
