Alfred Dewey "Sonny" Neff (1922-2020) grew up on West Church Street in Slatington, the son of Alfred Neff (1898-1992) and Elizabeth Schaffer née Hughes (1898-1975).
He attended Slatington High School from the fall of 1936 to the spring of 1940. In the 1940 Slatington High School yearbook, he was named Best Athlete (with Doris Hughes) and Best Mannered (with Gloria Rauch). In high school he played basketball (guard), baseball (first baseman) and football (quarterback and back). I found it interesting that his goal in life was "to become a history teacher."
Just a reminder that Slatington was no powerhouse athletic factory in those years. Neff's senior year in football, the 1939 season, Slatington finished 1-8, including a loss to Palmerton on Thanksgiving Day by the score of 40-0. Slatington only scored 59 points that entire season. In the lone win against Whitehall, Neff threw a TD pass, and in the Stroudsburg game a week later, Neff ran for one TD and caught a pass for another TD. The 1939-40 Slatington basketball team was not much better, finishing with a 2-16 record.
For the school year 1940-41, Neff attended Mercersburg Academy where he starred on the football team.
In the fall of 1941, he entered Moravian College where he got off to a fast start with the Moravian football team. The Morning Call header read, "Slatington Boy Is Moravian Star, Al Neff Up among Leading Scorers of Lehigh Valley." As a fullback, he already had three touchdowns and three extra points in just a few games. "It was Al's last-minute interception and 35-yard run for a touchdown which enabled the Moravian eleven to defeat Lebanon Valley on Oct. 3." (The Morning Call, 28 October 1941)
Photo credit: The Morning Call
Neff did not immediately finish his studies at Moravian, as he entered the army in 1942. He served in the US from December 1942 to August 1944, and then in Europe until he was discharged in December 1945.
After the war he continued his studies and football career at Moravian, graduating in June 1948 with his bachelor's degree. He later also earned a master's degree from Lehigh University.
He taught history in the East Penn School District from 1953 to 1984.
From 1953 to 1967 he was an Emmaus High School football coach, first as an assistant and then as head coach from 1963 through 1967. The 1967 Emmaus team was undefeated in the Lehigh Valley League and 9-1 overall. Neff's overall coaching record was an impressive 32-17-1.
Photo from 1968 Emmaus yearbook, Neff left and assistant coach Polster to right
In 1995 Neff was inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Lehigh Valley Chapter.
He married Helen Anderko (1922-1992), and they had a son and daughter.
Neff was inducted into the Northern Lehigh Ring of Honor in 2011 along with Cathi Evans (my sister), Jack Follweiler Jr., Ivan Weiss, Stephen Hluschak Jr. and Bo Tkach. (https://www.nlsd.org/athletics-a0/ring-of-honor/ring-of-honor-inductees/2011-inductees)
This was the announcement that accompanied his induction:
Al graduated from Slatington High School in 1940. He participated in Basketball, Baseball, and Football where he was an outstanding halfback. Al received 11 total varsity letters in his career. Al was the captain of Football, Basketball and Baseball in his senior year. He continued his education and football career at Moravian College where he was a standout running back. Al's playing days were cut short when he answered the call to duty from 1942 through 1945. During World War II he was wounded and then returned home. He returned to Moravian as a kicker on the Football team after his tour of duty. Al graduated in 1949. After college he took a job at Emmaus High School as a teacher and an assistant coach. After ten years as an assistant coach, Al took over the head coach position and produced a 32-17-1 record and two Lehigh Valley League Championships in five years, capped by a 9-1 season in 1967 that featured a perfect 7-0 LVL slate and the school's first outright football championship. Al was inducted into the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1996.