Vassallo: Johnny Neumann – Soaring to Even Greater Heights

Johnny Neumann

Johnny Neumann recently accomplished what few athletes ever attempt. He returned to college to complete his degree at age 62 and graduated at age 65.

Johnny’s history at Ole Miss is one of a kind. We caught up with the basketball legend this past week to discuss his past, present and future. For those too young to have witnessed Johnny’s greatness as a player, Johnny Neumann led the nation in scoring while in Oxford – the only Ole Miss player ever to accomplish this incredible milestone.

HottyToddy.com: Johnny, congratulations are in order. Welcome to the world of alums.

Johnny Neumann:  Thank you, Steve.  It had been a goal of mine that I put off way too long.

HottyToddy.com: Johnny, what was it like attending class with kids young enough to be your grandkids?

Johnny Neumann:  Well, Steve, it will be a few years before my only grandchild, Ilyees, who is seven years old, will be ready for college.  As far as relating to today’s college students, it wasn’t that difficult.  As a coach I have spent most of my life in the company of college age athletes.

HottyToddy.com: Was there a major adjustment for you to adapt to the technologies of the 2010 decade?

Johnny Neumann:  I have spent the last 30 plus years traveling all over Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.  I suspect you are as likely to encounter advanced technology in Cologne, Dubai, or Bejing as you are in Oxford.

HottyToddy.com: What a post graduation gift to see your photo hanging from the rafters at The Pavilion at Ole Miss. Your thoughts when you saw this?

Johnny Neumann:  That was a special evening.  The Ole Miss community has been wonderful to me and my family since my return.  In the last year I have been named to the Ole Miss Hall of Fame and will be inducted into the SEC Legends Team in March. I will always be grateful for the kindness I have been shown here in Oxford.

HottyToddy.com: Although your career as a player was fantastic, your coaching careerprobably exceeded this. I never thought of you as a coach in 1971. Is this a correct evaluation?

Johnny Neumann:  I think all successful college athletes and certainly pro athletes think about life after playing.  Coaching is the logical transition.  What most players don’t know is how hard coaching is and how few players are equipped to be successful at it.

HottyToddy.com: Back to your recent academic success, tell our readers about your GPA.

Johnny Neumann:  Few of my friends or relatives would have believed I would maintain a 3.7 GPA these past few years.  That is one of the differences between my 20-year-old self and my 65-year-old self.

HottyToddy.com: You have always found a way to reinvent yourself. What comes next for one of the greatest shooters in college basketball history?

Johnny Neumann: I would like to coach again or do something else sports related.  However, I am open to any career that would keep me in touch with the community.

HottyToddy.com: We have heard that ESPN has a significant interest in your story?

Johnny Neumann:  I have had some preliminary contacts, but nothing is certain.  It’s probably too early to speculate on if or when a project will get the green light.

HottyToddy.com: Do you think anyone will average 40 points again for a season (Johnny accomplished this even prior to the 3 point shot)? 

Johnny Neumann:  Records are made to be broken.  Certainly, the three point shot increases the probability.  If the shot clock is reduced from 30 to 24 seconds, I think it will happen.   I would love to see it done again in my lifetime.

HottyToddy.com: Your career at Ole Miss was like a fleeting star. Do you have regrets that your initial college experience was so brief?

Johnny Neumann: Of course.  However, my dad’s heart attack left me with few options.  More time in college might have helped my pro career.  For sure, a college degree would have helped my post playing career.

HottyToddy.com: What advice or memorable phrase can you extend to today’s players?

Johnny Neumann:  According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pro athlete in the US makes $43,370 a year, the average medical doctor, $187,200, and there are 50 doctors jobs for every pro athlete job.  Stay in school.

HottyToddy.com: What have you learned outside of the classroom that has made you a better and wiser individual during the recent return to academia?

Johnny Neumann: Never be too proud to ask for help.  I would not have made it to this point without the generosity of so many people. Never be too afraid to try doing something new.  I have made an effort to seek out the advice of the smartest people I could find and then followed that advice.  Never give up.  I have had many days when I thought I couldn’t go on.  However, thanks  to family, friends, and Faith, I made it through.

HottyToddy.com: What college game ranks number one in your mind today?

Johnny Neumann: t would have to be my 63 point game against LSU in January 1971, a nationally televised game called by NBA legend Bob Petit.  The game made me one of only three players to score 60 points or more against a NCAA Division I team.

HottyToddy.com: Having traveled the world including most of Europe and beyond, returning to Oxford had to be a reality shock. It is said you can never go back. Is this a fair assessment?

Johnny Neumann:  Thomas Wolfe aside, you can go home again. While it is true places and people change, it would be a mistake to think that going home is always a negative experience.  I suspect that those of us who have traveled the world appreciate Oxford and the university community even more.

HottyToddy.com: Johnny, is there a message you can convey to your Ole Miss family as you plan your future?

Johnny Neumann: I believe that the friends I have made here in Oxford will be my strongest advantage as I face the future.  Wherever I go and what ever I do, I am confident that Ole Miss values and lessons will see me through.

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.

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