Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
1969 Peach Bowl Defender Farley Passes Away
June 14, 2019 05:09 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. Dale Farley, a starter on West Virginia's 1969 Peach Bowl championship team, died Thursday morning in Sparta, Tennessee, according to Mountaineer teammate Randy Flinchum.
Farley, 69, was a tremendous three-year performer for West Virginia playing for coaches Jim Carlen and Bobby Bowden. He teamed with All-American middle guard Carl Crennel during his junior year in 1969 to give the Mountaineers the nation's 12th-best defense allowing just 241 yards per game.
West Virginia that year held four opponents to a touchdown or less and produced shutout victories over VMI and William & Mary on the way to a 10-1 record and a 14-3 victory over ACC champion South Carolina in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
Because he played in Crennel's shadows during his sophomore and junior seasons, and then performed during his senior year in 1970 for offensive-minded Bowden, Dale Farley is a name sometimes forgotten in Mountaineer lore.
"He was 6-4, 240, and ran a 4.6 forty and played center on our intramural basketball team," Flinchum recalled this afternoon. "He was just a tremendous athlete and really a good guy."
Yet other than perhaps defensive tackle Jeff Merrow, Farley might have been Bowden's best defensive player at WVU. His late interception against Syracuse in 1970 helped seal West Virginia's big 28-19 victory over the Orange and his absence in the Pitt game earlier that season was a major factor in the Mountaineers' stunning 36-35 loss at Pitt Stadium when the Panthers overcame a 35-8 halftime deficit.
That's the game Bowden has frequently called the "most embarrassing loss" of his coaching career. Farley, the biggest player on WVU's defense at middle linebacker, injured his knee the prior week against Duke and was unable to play against the Panthers.
Consequently, Pitt took advantage of Farley being out of the game by running between the tackles on nearly every play during its second-half comeback.
Despite being overlooked today when the school's best-ever linebackers are mentioned, Farley was named first team All-America by The Sporting News in 1970 and was selected in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins (74thpick overall).
He played one season for the Dolphins in 1971 before being traded to Buffalo, where he joined Mountaineer teammate Jim Braxton with the Bills. Farley played two years there and also spent one season playing for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League before returning to work on his family farm in Sparta.
"I think he might have been in training camp with the Redskins, but after that he returned to Sparta, worked a couple of jobs and did his farming, too," Flinchum said. "He became a gentleman farmer, I'd guess you could say."
According to Flinchum, Farley is survived by his wife Karen, son Brandon and grandson Branson, and was preceded in death by his daughter Brittany.
Farley, 69, was a tremendous three-year performer for West Virginia playing for coaches Jim Carlen and Bobby Bowden. He teamed with All-American middle guard Carl Crennel during his junior year in 1969 to give the Mountaineers the nation's 12th-best defense allowing just 241 yards per game.
West Virginia that year held four opponents to a touchdown or less and produced shutout victories over VMI and William & Mary on the way to a 10-1 record and a 14-3 victory over ACC champion South Carolina in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
Because he played in Crennel's shadows during his sophomore and junior seasons, and then performed during his senior year in 1970 for offensive-minded Bowden, Dale Farley is a name sometimes forgotten in Mountaineer lore.
"He was 6-4, 240, and ran a 4.6 forty and played center on our intramural basketball team," Flinchum recalled this afternoon. "He was just a tremendous athlete and really a good guy."
Yet other than perhaps defensive tackle Jeff Merrow, Farley might have been Bowden's best defensive player at WVU. His late interception against Syracuse in 1970 helped seal West Virginia's big 28-19 victory over the Orange and his absence in the Pitt game earlier that season was a major factor in the Mountaineers' stunning 36-35 loss at Pitt Stadium when the Panthers overcame a 35-8 halftime deficit.
That's the game Bowden has frequently called the "most embarrassing loss" of his coaching career. Farley, the biggest player on WVU's defense at middle linebacker, injured his knee the prior week against Duke and was unable to play against the Panthers.
Consequently, Pitt took advantage of Farley being out of the game by running between the tackles on nearly every play during its second-half comeback.
Despite being overlooked today when the school's best-ever linebackers are mentioned, Farley was named first team All-America by The Sporting News in 1970 and was selected in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins (74thpick overall).
He played one season for the Dolphins in 1971 before being traded to Buffalo, where he joined Mountaineer teammate Jim Braxton with the Bills. Farley played two years there and also spent one season playing for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League before returning to work on his family farm in Sparta.
"I think he might have been in training camp with the Redskins, but after that he returned to Sparta, worked a couple of jobs and did his farming, too," Flinchum said. "He became a gentleman farmer, I'd guess you could say."
According to Flinchum, Farley is survived by his wife Karen, son Brandon and grandson Branson, and was preceded in death by his daughter Brittany.
Cam Cook | March 30
Monday, March 30
Coach Jay Boulware | March 30
Monday, March 30
Coach Rich Rodriguez | March 30
Monday, March 30
Rick Trickett | March 24
Tuesday, March 24
