Coach

Whom Do You Think was the Best Ever Football Coach for
Port Arthur High School/Thomas Jefferson High School

NAME	CLASS	BEST EVER "YELLOW JACKET" FOOTBALL COACH
Tom Hughes		I played for Coach Tomlin and he was a good football coach and an interesting man. He was the only person I knew that could walk on his hands from one end of the old TJ gym to the other. That is a sight I can never forget. But I would have to say that Tom Dennis was probably the greatest football coach at TJ over the years.
James Lewis	1962	I always liked Smitty Hill as one of the best, but there have been several excellent coaches.
Sherrie McDonald-Reid	1965	I always liked Smitty Hill Also
Anne Lofton-Newcomer	1961	Coach Underwood stands out in my mind as one of a kind! He was not only a great coach, but a kind and supportive teacher to all students. The boys in our class (61) had a lot of stories, but their respect for him and his expertise was never in question! My dad, Ed Lofton, was a rabid Jacket fan.....he thought Coach was a great defensive coach but had a fit when Coach would prefer to strongarm the ball right through the middle of the line rather than throw a pass! We all loved him for his support of TJ's Hussars and Band even though marching "on his field" was "iffy!"
Shelby Pierce	Jan 1951	The names of coaches at TJHS that come to mind are Tom Dennis* and John Tomlin. There are not many that played for Coach Dennis that are still around to comment, but he was a legend at TJHS and in the State of Texas during his many years as head coach. I played under Coach Tomlin during the Frank Eidom era in 1948, 49 and 50 and feel the same way about him. I, along with many of his former players, would say that we learned a lot about football, leadership, competition and life in general from him. I think that experience had a major positive impact on shaping my life and I remember it vividly.
Betty Harris-Dunnam	1959	I was a student at TJ during the years of 1956-59. Underwood was our coach...and could he ever pack the Field House and plan a pep ralley that literally raised the roof. We went to State our senior year and he had us believing everyone sent us telegrams (even the teams we defeated) wishing us good luck and the State Trophy. For some odd reason it was believable at the time...but now I realize it was him! Our team was picked to finish somewhere near the bottom but instead we made it to the State playoffs...due mainly to his knowledge and ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy. Gradually it seemed in the following years his favorite plays were 3 yards and a cloud of dust. No one can stay at the top for long...at least in Texas.
Randall Guillory	1965	The four football coaches that were mentioned were an asset to the city of Port Arthur. Tom Dennis was the coach in the early days of Port Arthur football. Tom Dennis was the coach at Port Arthur which won the state championship in 1944 defeating Highland Park who had Doak Walker on their team. Bud Tomlin was an excellent football coach in the late 40's and early 50's but he had little support from the school district but Bishop Byrne was a winner when they got him. Since I lived close to Bishop Byrne I use to see a lot of their home games when I was small. Port Arthur was in their prime while Clarence Underwood was the coach from 56 thru 65. He was there when I graduated in 65. He always believed if Port Arthur had three points they should win because the opponent should not score. His teams in 57, 59 and 60 lost to the football state champions while he was the coach. If Port Arthur would of believed in passing the football these teams would of been more successful. Smithy Hill brought Port Arthur back from the dark days while he was the coach beginning in 66. Ronnie Thompson who was not mentioned guided Port Arthur from 79, 80 and 81 after nine years of losing. Mike Owens has not been mentioned yet but he did everything to get Port Arthur to their glory days but the school district was always against him. All of these men were a benefit to the city of Port Arthur. The young men who played for these football coaches were the winners in their young lives.
Dennis Hollander	1961	They were all great coaches and legacies of our beloved Thomas Jefferson High. If I had to pick just one -- it would be Smitty Hill. He was an inspiration to me during my days at TJ and taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. He inspired in me the trait of giving all you had to anything worth doing in life. I will always be grateful to Smitty for his guidance and determination that helped me to become the type of man that hopefully he would have been proud of.
Patricia Smith-Gordon	1960	Coach Underwood -- Football games and a winning team are one of my best TJ Memories. Port Arthur has always been a football town. Coach Underwood and staff carried on the tradition.
Fred Schneider	1966	I played for C. E. "Buckshot" Underwood for three years, including his final season of 1965-66. As a member of the "Headhunters" defense we lived the truth that if the opponent didn't score they couldn't beat you. Coach Underwood instilled hard work and honest effort in us and we feared his anger. But we ALL respected him because he gave his life to us, a little every day. His methods were not flawed and he never gave up on us. We owed him more.
Mark Theriot		Ronnie Thompson, he brought back the tradition of TJ football and put one of the best high school teams of all time on the field in 1980. They just failed to win state
Brooks Porter	1958	I agree with the above comments about our football coaches. But, I suggest that the best coach at TJ over the years would be the assistant football coach, Pete Pense. He was also the head basketball coach. In 1957 his team won the State Championship and in 1958 he went to the State Finals. In addition to influencing his players in athletics, he stressed scholarship. For example, of the 12 players on TJ’s 1957 State Championship team, 11 graduated from college. Of those 11, four went on and got their doctorates

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Hill	Underwood	Dennis	Tomlin	Thompson	Owen