Greek News
Alpha Delta Phi Football Star’s Story Featured in Sports Illustrated
The nine page feature story in the November 7th issue of Sports Illustrated is on the brief life of one of Williams College's football greats, Mike Reily, whose number 50 jersey will be retired at the school's November 12th Homecoming game. Reily was a three-year starter at center and a third team small college All-American who was popular on campus and president of the Alpha Delta Phi chapter. He was struck by Hodgkin's disease after his junior football season but fought back to co-captain his team as a senior. After graduating in June of 1964, he lived just 41 days after his graduation from Williams. After his final football game, his coach and the team equipment manager decided to pack his three game jerseys in a box. Over the next 47 football seasons, five more head coaches and six more equipment managers quietly honored the fact that there was no number 50 on the squad.
In October of 2010, several of Mike Reily's teammates wondered why his name was not included on a list of the school's all-time greats on Williams' football website. Several athletic department people got involved and an assistant coach, along with the current equipment manager, spotted an old cardboard box on a shelf in the equipment room and checked it out. The torn box, which was taped up, had writing on the box, in two places, saying FOOTBALL #50 DO NOT ISSUE. It was determined that Williams had never retired a football jersey number and the contents revealed that the jerseys had been worn by Reily. With the contents of the box resolved, the athletic department decided to honor Reily's memory this fall by retiring their first jersey and establishing the Michael Meredith Reily '64 Award for the football player who, in the estimation of his teammates and the equipment manager, best exemplifies the qualities of performance, leadership and character.
