Appalachian Figures
Boyd Davis Clay grew up in Hohenwald (Lewis County), Tennessee, and became a standout lineman at DuPont Highin the Nashville area before heading to the University of Tennessee. Decades later, The Tennessean included him in its “Nashville’s next 50 greatest high school football players,” a nod to the reputation he built before college.
Neyland’s tackle in the letter-winning years
Clay lettered under Robert Neyland in 1937, 1938, and 1939. Contemporary Tennessee game programs and UT’s Volunteer yearbooks from the late 1930s list him on those squads and include team rosters and portraits that document his role.
The 1939 front: unscored upon
Tennessee’s 1939 regular season finished 10–0 without allowing a point, a historic run that ended in Pasadena on January 1, 1940, with a 14–0 Rose Bowl loss to USC. Newspaper coverage from the time often paired the Volunteers’ tackles as “Abe Shires and Boyd Clay,” underscoring how that duo framed Tennessee’s front. A New Year’s Day preview headlined “Clay Back in Form” called him “the big Vol tackle,” noting he would be ready to face the Trojans.
Drafted into the pros
Clay entered the NFL in 1940 with the Cleveland Rams, selected in the 11th round. (Draft-slot note: the Pro Football Hall of Fame ledger lists him at No. 95, while UT’s internal draft list notes No. 105. Contemporary summaries generally follow the Hall of Fame number.)
Four seasons with the Rams
Clay played four seasons for Cleveland—1940, 1941, 1942, and 1944, with wartime service interrupting his career in 1943. Major databases differ slightly on totals, so the safest summary is: 34–36 games played, with 5 starts. His most vivid box-score moment came in 1940 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, when he tackled Davey O’Brien in the end zone for a safety.
War service and afterward
Like many players of his generation, Clay served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He died in 1978 in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. For exact vital details, researchers can obtain official certificates via Tennessee State Library & Archives guidance.
Why he matters
Clay’s story runs from Lewis County sandlots to DuPont High and into Neyland’s legendary Tennessee fronts. He was on the field during the last NCAA regular season in which a team went unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon, then carried that toughness into the early Rams and wartime service.
Sources and Further Reading
University of Tennessee Digital Collections — football programs & yearbooks: https://digital.lib.utk.edu/
Colorado Historic Newspapers — “Clay Back in Form” (Jan. 1, 1940): https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/
Pro Football Archives — 1940 Cleveland Rams materials & box scores: https://www.profootballarchives.com/
UT Athletics — 1939 season results & Rose Bowl listing: https://utsports.com/
Pro Football Hall of Fame — 1940 NFL Draft listing: https://www.profootballhof.com/
UT Sports — All-time Tennessee NFL draft picks: https://utsports.com/
Pro-Football-Reference — Boyd Clay player page: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?search=Boyd+Clay
NFL.com — Boyd Clay profile: https://www.nfl.com/players/
The Tennessean — “Nashville’s next 50 greatest high school football players”: https://www.tennessean.com/
Tennessee State Library & Archives — birth & death certificate access: https://sos.tn.gov/tsla
National Archives — WWII Navy muster rolls (Record Group 24) & guidance: https://www.archives.gov/ and https://historyhub.history.gov/