A single-wing running back at the University of Tennessee, J.B. Proctor came to MT in 1949 with the dream of continuing as a running back. But Coach Charles "Bubber" Murphy had other ideas, switching Proctor to a new position. "He not only became our quarterback," said Murphy, "but he ran the option as well as anybody I ever saw. J.B. was our placement punter because he was so good at putting the ball out of bounds inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He was a real smart, all-around player."
A Nashville native and graduate of Pearl Cohn High School where he played football with MT teammates and fellow Hall of Famers, Maxi Arnold and Max Runion, Proctor was a multi-talented athlete. An accomplished infielder and pitcher for Blue Raider baseball, he also played on MT's emerging golf team under the coaching of fellow Hall of Famer, E.K. Patty.
