University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Football Legends - UNLV
September 02, 2004 | Football
Sept. 2, 2004
 Paul Naumoff |
 Willie Gault |
The University of Tennessee football legends for the season opener against UNLV Sunday night at Neyland Stadium are Paul Naumoff, a hard-hitting linebacker from the 1960s, and Willie Gault, a wide receiver from the late 70s and early 80s, who was a threat to score whenever he touched the ball as a wideout or in the kicking game.
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Naumoff earned All-America honors as a linebacker in 1966. After playing defensive end in 1965, he moved to linebacker in the spring of 1966 and didn't miss a beat.
The 1966 Vols gave up 89 points in 11 games and set the stage for the SEC title that would follow a year later in 1967. He was part of the Vol linebacker tradition that began with Frank Emanuel and continued on through the years, through to Kevin Burnett and Kevin Simon on the Vols squad today.
Naumoff roamed from sideline to sideline making plays, none bigger than a head-on stop of Syracuse's Larry Csonka in the 1966 Gator Bowl. Along with tight end Austin Denney, he captained the 1966 squad.
Willie Gault came to Tennessee in 1979 from Griffin, Ga., and made his first catch as a Vol a TD grab against Utah. A fan favorite, he was as dangerous in the kicking game as he was as a wide receiver. He is No. 1 in school history on kick returns and had five kickoff returns for touchdowns over the course of his career.
An equally dominating performer in track, Willie Gault earned All-America honors in both sports. He was a member of the 1980 and 1988 Olympic teams.
Both played professionally, Naumoff from 1967 through 1978 with the Detroit Lions and Gault with the Chicago Bears (1983-87) and the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-93).
Naumoff lives in Knoxville and works in sales with the Bluegreen Company in the Knoxville area, while Gault lives in Los Angeles and is an actor and producer.
