Tully’s Run
Nov 26 | Football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In a series that dates back to the country's first college football game in 1869, Rutgers and Princeton have shared plenty of moments on the gridiron. The all-time series features 71 matchups, including the historic 6-4 victory for RU to give it claim to the "Birthplace of College Football" moniker.
Bill Tully, a three-time football letterwinner at fullback who passed away this past summer at the age of 81, owns a piece of the rivalry thanks to his exploits during one of the Scarlet Knights' most memorable victories in the series. Tully was atop the depth chart when RU traveled to Princeton on Sept. 24, 1960 to face the Tigers in front of 30,000 strong at Palmer Stadium.
In a game marked by line play and continuous defensive stops, it was Tully who broke the scoreless drought eight minutes into the third quarter. Tully sprang free on a quick-opening trap play and dashed 83 yards into the end zone to give RU a 7-0 lead.
The Home News Tribune's Jimmie Fleming said the run "brought everyone in the stadium to his [and her] feet. It happened so fast that Princeton was caught flatfooted until Tully burst through the secondary and ran a straight and true course to the goal line."
Tully finished with 10 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown to help Rutgers to a 13-8 victory over its rival, the first of eight wins during John Bateman's inaugural season as head coach. It was the third consecutive victory for the Scarlet Knights in the series, as RU held a four-game winning streak against the Tigers from 1958-61.
According to Edwin Stier, a former teammate of Tully at Bloomfield High School and a Rutgers alumnus who was in attendance that afternoon, the run exemplified everything about the way he approached not only football, but life.
"I can still see him running down the field," Stier said. "But beyond that, he was a great team player. When the new coach took over, he ran a completely different offense that required players with a different skill set. Bill stepped aside, played different positions and did whatever the coaches asked of him. That's the way he was in life. Just a very humble guy even though he had a star quality about himself. He always wanted to help and support his friends."
The 83-yard scoring dash set a program record for longest rushing play from scrimmage and stood for eight years before Bryant Mitchell produced an 86-yard rush against Delaware during the 1968 season.
With the list of prolific rushers that have competed at Rutgers over the year – which includes Ray Rice, Terrell Willis, JJ Jennings, Bruce Presley and Brian Leonard to name a few – it is impressive that Tully's run is still tied for seventh on RU's all-time list and remains enshrined in the program's record book.
Al Glatz, another childhood friend of Tully and teammate of his as Rutgers, also remembers how impressive the long run was to everyone in attendance.
"The amazing thing about that play was that he did it running from the fullback position," Glatz said. "The ball was snapped up to Bill, who ran up right between the center and the guard hunched over with the ball. He ran right past the linebackers and defensive half backs, and was 10 yards past everyone before anyone knew he had the ball."
Tully accomplished all of this despite being undersized for the position. Listed at 5-10 and 190 pounds, Tully battled through injuries and used his well-known speed to letter under two coaching regimes and finish with three scores during his collegiate career. As a sophomore in 1959, Tully averaged 4.9 yards per carry and closed out his time "On the Banks" laying a foundation for the 1961 team that finished undefeated, a first at the University.
"Bill was extremely fast and had a very quick start," Glatz said. "Bill could beat most people after five, six and seven yards because he had that good start. As a running back, that really helped him."
Tully used the determination that allowed him to be productive on the field to succeed off of it. After he graduated from the University in 1961, he joined the Army before becoming a high school teacher and a football coach at Bloomfield and Ramsey High School. He then changed careers and became a sales icon in the paper industry, where he worked for Westvaco and the James River Corporation.
Later in life, Tully suffered a stroke that disabled one side of his body. Yet his strength carried him through the rest of his time. He remained an avid supporter of the Rutgers football team, and the Scarlet Knight coaching staff gifted Tully a helmet inscribed with his name that was presented to him at his 50-year high school reunion.
Tully left a lasting impression on everyone he met. After bursting through the line and sprinting 83 yards to spark Rutgers to a road victory that September afternoon in Princeton, he also cemented his legacy within the football program here at the State University of New Jersey.
"I knew how quick he was, but it was still an amazing moment when he broke free," Stier said. "Bill was just a Jersey boy who stayed home and played for Rutgers. He was a good, solid guy who pulled off something really extraordinary because of his grit and determination."
Bill Tully, a three-time football letterwinner at fullback who passed away this past summer at the age of 81, owns a piece of the rivalry thanks to his exploits during one of the Scarlet Knights' most memorable victories in the series. Tully was atop the depth chart when RU traveled to Princeton on Sept. 24, 1960 to face the Tigers in front of 30,000 strong at Palmer Stadium.
In a game marked by line play and continuous defensive stops, it was Tully who broke the scoreless drought eight minutes into the third quarter. Tully sprang free on a quick-opening trap play and dashed 83 yards into the end zone to give RU a 7-0 lead.
The Home News Tribune's Jimmie Fleming said the run "brought everyone in the stadium to his [and her] feet. It happened so fast that Princeton was caught flatfooted until Tully burst through the secondary and ran a straight and true course to the goal line."
Tully finished with 10 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown to help Rutgers to a 13-8 victory over its rival, the first of eight wins during John Bateman's inaugural season as head coach. It was the third consecutive victory for the Scarlet Knights in the series, as RU held a four-game winning streak against the Tigers from 1958-61.
According to Edwin Stier, a former teammate of Tully at Bloomfield High School and a Rutgers alumnus who was in attendance that afternoon, the run exemplified everything about the way he approached not only football, but life.
"I can still see him running down the field," Stier said. "But beyond that, he was a great team player. When the new coach took over, he ran a completely different offense that required players with a different skill set. Bill stepped aside, played different positions and did whatever the coaches asked of him. That's the way he was in life. Just a very humble guy even though he had a star quality about himself. He always wanted to help and support his friends."
The 83-yard scoring dash set a program record for longest rushing play from scrimmage and stood for eight years before Bryant Mitchell produced an 86-yard rush against Delaware during the 1968 season.
With the list of prolific rushers that have competed at Rutgers over the year – which includes Ray Rice, Terrell Willis, JJ Jennings, Bruce Presley and Brian Leonard to name a few – it is impressive that Tully's run is still tied for seventh on RU's all-time list and remains enshrined in the program's record book.
Al Glatz, another childhood friend of Tully and teammate of his as Rutgers, also remembers how impressive the long run was to everyone in attendance.
"The amazing thing about that play was that he did it running from the fullback position," Glatz said. "The ball was snapped up to Bill, who ran up right between the center and the guard hunched over with the ball. He ran right past the linebackers and defensive half backs, and was 10 yards past everyone before anyone knew he had the ball."
Tully accomplished all of this despite being undersized for the position. Listed at 5-10 and 190 pounds, Tully battled through injuries and used his well-known speed to letter under two coaching regimes and finish with three scores during his collegiate career. As a sophomore in 1959, Tully averaged 4.9 yards per carry and closed out his time "On the Banks" laying a foundation for the 1961 team that finished undefeated, a first at the University.
"Bill was extremely fast and had a very quick start," Glatz said. "Bill could beat most people after five, six and seven yards because he had that good start. As a running back, that really helped him."
Tully used the determination that allowed him to be productive on the field to succeed off of it. After he graduated from the University in 1961, he joined the Army before becoming a high school teacher and a football coach at Bloomfield and Ramsey High School. He then changed careers and became a sales icon in the paper industry, where he worked for Westvaco and the James River Corporation.
Later in life, Tully suffered a stroke that disabled one side of his body. Yet his strength carried him through the rest of his time. He remained an avid supporter of the Rutgers football team, and the Scarlet Knight coaching staff gifted Tully a helmet inscribed with his name that was presented to him at his 50-year high school reunion.
Tully left a lasting impression on everyone he met. After bursting through the line and sprinting 83 yards to spark Rutgers to a road victory that September afternoon in Princeton, he also cemented his legacy within the football program here at the State University of New Jersey.
"I knew how quick he was, but it was still an amazing moment when he broke free," Stier said. "Bill was just a Jersey boy who stayed home and played for Rutgers. He was a good, solid guy who pulled off something really extraordinary because of his grit and determination."
2026 National Signing Day: Head Coach Greg Schiano - 12/03/25
Wednesday, December 03
Head Coach Greg Schiano Signing Day Press Conference
Wednesday, December 03
Head Coach Greg Schiano Post Game Press Conference - Penn State
Saturday, November 29
Head Coach Greg Schiano Game Week Press Conference - Penn State
Tuesday, November 25
