Joe Yenni (1980) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Joe Yenni

Induction:
1980

Joe Yenni was an outstanding halfback for Coach Reed Green who was an important part of the Southern Miss football team from 1939 to 1941. He was the type of back that was willing to play through pain and found a way to make a contribution to the team even when it looked like there wasn't any way that he could play.
   Yenni's career began on the 1939 Southern Miss team, the first one to live in "The Rock" stadium. Coach Reed Green was in his third season as head coach and he was counting on Yenni to be one of his workhorses out of the backfield and on defense as well.
   Yenni certainly didn't disappoint anyone during the 1939 season as he finished among the squad's leading rusher and scorers, while helping the team to a 4-2-3 mark.
   Although the offense wasn't quite as explosive as some of Green's teams would be in the years to come, this one got the job done, because the defense on that 1939 unit that Yenni was a part of allowed only two opponents to score more than seven points on them and shutout three teams in a row early in the season.
   As the season went a long Green called on Yenni more and more in clutch situations, because he knew the speedy back was versatile enough to catch, throw or run the ball no matter what the situation was.
   After a sensational "rookie" year with Southern Miss Yenni would struggle with a series of minor and major injuries the remaining two years of his career, that severely limited what he could do.
   But he still was a part of the a pair of teams in 1940 and 1941 that combined to win 16 games, loss only four and tie one.
   The 1940 team would race to a 7-4 record and see the team get better and better on offense. That team would score 41 points in a shutout win over Delta State, and 38 points in a 38-6 victory over Spring Hill. On defense the 1940 team had three shutouts on defense and allowed only two opponents to score more than seven points.
   With World War II fast approaching the 1941 Southern Miss team knew that this season might be their last in awhile and they played like there was no tomorrow by posting a 9-0-1 season, with the only blemish on that record a 0-0 tie with Southwestern Louisiana.
   Other than that tie the only other team that even came close to beating Southern Miss was St. Mary's of Texas in the season finale, but that turned out to be a 7-0 victory.
   That was just one of four shutouts the 1941 team would recorded on their way to allowing only 40 points all season.
   Ask those that remember Yenni and they will tell you what an important part of those 1939, 1940 and 1941 teams he was. A leader both on and off the field for Coach Reed Green and a player whose teammates knew they could trust.
   As a player Yenni could be sensational at times, but as a teammate there were none better.