WVU Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted: 1998

Written by Greg Walker

Carl Crennel was a three-year starter at middle guard from 1967-69. He captained the 1969 team that defeated South Carolina 14-3 in the Peach Bowl, winning most valuable player honors by anchoring a defense that did not yield a touchdown to the Gamecocks.

For the season, the Mountaineer defense limited the opponents to just 10 points per game. The 1969 team finished 10-1 and ranked No. 20 in the final polls. Under Coach Jim Carlen, the Mountaineers posted records of 5-4-1 (1967), 7-3 (1968) and 10-1 (1969) for a 22-8-1 mark during Crennel's career.

The Lynchburg, Va., native (who did not play organized football until his junior year of high school) was named a first team All-American by Playboy magazine in 1969, second team by the Associated Press in 1967 and 1969 and third team by the AP in 1968.

He played in the 1970 Hula Bowl. Crennel is a member of the WVU football all-time team and was the 1969 John Russell Award winner.

Selected by Pittsburgh in the ninth round of the 1970 NFL draft, he played one season with the Steelers before embarking on a successful career in the Canadian Football League.

He played a combined 11 years with the Winnipeg Bombers, Montreal Alouettes, Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He played on three Grey Cup teams and was an Eastern all-star in 1973, 1978 and 1979.