Parkersburg native Alfred Earle “Greasy” Neale was one of West Virginia’s best all-around athletes. At West Virginia Wesleyan College, he starred in football, basketball, and baseball. After graduating in 1915, he coached the football team while still playing on it.

Neale played pro football with the Canton Bulldogs alongside Jim Thorpe and won a World Series ring as an outfielder for the 1919 Cincinnati Reds. Neale coached football at several colleges, including West Virginia University (1931-33), Yale, and the University of Virginia.

He experienced his biggest success in coaching the Philadelphia Eagles from 1941 to 1950, winning two NFL championships. Neale invented new football strategies, such as the "naked reverse," and emphasized the importance of a strong defense. He was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 1969.