Funeral set for Neil Clabo, former Tennessee punter who played in Super Bowl

Funeral arrangements have been set for Neil Clabo, a Knoxville native who played football at

and in the NFL.

Clabo, 71, died on July 10 after suffering with Alzheimer’s, according to a Facebook post by his sister, Jill Clabo Sams.

Funeral service for Clabo will be held at 4 p.m. on July 23 at Rose-Mann Mortuary chapel, located at 6200 Kingston Pike in Knoxville. There will be light dessert reception at the funeral home following the service.

Burial will be at 10 a.m. on July 24 as Asbury Cemetery, located at 5100 Asbury Cemetery Road in Knoxville.

"Neil was one of a kind – always had a smile on his face, usually a golf club in his hand and a dip in his mouth," Jill Clabo Sams said in a Facebook post. "Neil truly enjoyed his time here on earth. He loved his friends and family immensely and would give you the shirt off his back. My comfort lies in the fact that I’m sure that my mom and dad were there with open arms to greet him."

Neil Clabo's football journey from Knoxville to NFL

Clabo was a homegrown football product and member of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

He was an all-state player at Farragut High and then played running back and punter at UT, where he lettered in 1972-74.

Clabo had a powerful leg as a punter. In 1974, he led the SEC with a 43.1 yards-per-punt average to garner first-team All-SEC honors. His career average of 41.72 yards per punt ranks 10th in Vols history.

Clabo was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 10th round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Vikings, averaging 39.9 yards per punt and earning All-Pro second-team honors as a rookie.

Clabo played in Super Bowl XI, where the Vikings lost 32-14 to the Oakland Raiders. He punted seven times in that game.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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