The first play at Houck Stadium

Southeast's Max Neville ran back the opening kickoff 75 years ago.

As far as longevity goes, Houck Stadium doesn't have a thing on Max Neville.

Thursday night's season opener against Southern Illinois will mark the 75th anniversary of Houck as the home of Southeast Missouri State football.

And the athlete who fielded the opening kickoff during the stadium's dedication game, played Oct. 3, 1930 against those same Salukis?

None other than the 97-year-old Neville, a Central High School graduate who still calls Cape Girardeau home. Neville is scheduled to be introduced prior to Thursday's historic contest.

"I'll be 98 Dec. 18," said Neville with a sly grin. "I've always had pretty good health. I think I've lived a pretty clean life. I never smoke, and I never really drank much."

Although a few of the details are a bit sketchy -- the man is, after all, only a little more than two years shy of 100 -- Neville still remembers quite a bit about that opening game and opening kickoff.

Nearly 75 years ago, in early October, brand-new Houck Stadium was ready for official introduction as the home of Southeast football. It was constructed at an original cost of $150,000.

Southeast and regional rival SIU hooked up in that contest, played in front of more than 6,000 fans. The Salukis kicked off to begin the game, and the ball came to Neville.

"When that came down and I caught it, I said 'Max, don't drop it, it's the first kickoff.' I was nervous, but I ran about 40 yards and they hit me," Neville said, smiling. "I only weighed about 140 pounds, about what I weigh now."

Neville recalled that "we lost the game" -- SIU prevailed 12-6 -- and he remembered all the hoopla surrounding the opening contest in the brand-new stadium.

"That was a big event, you bet it was," Neville said. "We had a big crowd. It was a fabulous stadium for that time."

Neville, who has been widowed for almost 30 years -- he has a son who lives in Zalma and a daughter who lives in the Chicago area, along with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren -- was a standout athlete at Central High School before heading to Southeast.

"I played a lot of sports in high school, but only football in college," said Neville, a halfback at Southeast. "I got to run the ball quite a bit. I think I was pretty shifty; I changed directions pretty good."

Neville, who was born in Southern Illinois but moved to Cape Girardeau with his family when he was about 15, spent a considerable portion of his adult life selling insurance in the St. Louis area.

"I lived in St. Louis about 25 years, but I always liked Cape, and I came back here," he said.

Neville lived on his own until about two years ago, when he moved into the Lutheran Home. He gets around with the aid of a walker, but appears spry as ever and certainly looks considerably younger than his age.

"I like it here," said Neville, who added with a devilish grin, "I don't think you could beat it, for a man in my condition, with all these pretty girls."

The staff and residents of the Lutheran Home appear to get as much a kick out of Neville as he does from them. Tuesday afternoon's visit with a reporter ended with him regaling a small group with several songs.

"He's our entertainer," said Pam Sharp, an employee of the Lutheran Home who had originally encouraged Neville to belt out a few tunes. "He's quite a character."

Nearly 75 years after the first football game at Houck, the venerable old stadium -- aided by various improvements -- still serves as the home for Southeast football.

"It's been around a long time," Neville said.

Neville said he hasn't been to Houck in quite a while -- although he said he follows the football team and other sports through the local newspaper, which he reads daily -- and is looking forward to Thursday's visit.

"If they want me there, I'll go," he said, smiling.

Heck, the way Neville is going, if Houck is still around in about 25 years, don't count him out from showing up for the stadium's 100-year anniversary.

"I may be there, you never know," he said, laughing.

Noteworthy

• As part of Houck's 75th anniversary, the first 3,000 fans entering the stadium Thursday will receive 75th anniversary mini-footballs. There will also be free Marshall Faulk bobbleheads and 2005 Redhawks football schedule magnets.

Also, there will be a pre-game tailgate party just south of the stadium sponsored by Hardee's and Kohlfeld Distributing, beginning at 4 p.m.