VFL Curt Watson and the Movie "Top Gun"

#1
OneManGang

OneManGang

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#1
Found this jewel wandering around a rabbit hole on Youtube.

Tom Cruise needed a "fam flight" before making the movie "Top Gun."

Blue Angel Curt Watson took him up in Blue Angel #7.

For whatever reason, this site won't let me do a link to Youtube. Hie thee over there and search: Top Gun: The Story Behind Tom Cruise's Flight with the Blue Angels.

Watson was, of course, "The Crossville Comet" of Volunteer fame. A bruising running back, he amassed some 2364 career rushing yards from 1969-71. A replica of his Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawk sits in front of Cumberland County High School.

#31 Curt Watson scores the winning touchdown against Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl. (UT Sports)

curt watson liberty bowl 1971.jpg
 
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#2
#2
Curt is retired from the US Navy & from FedEX (flew for them many years after Blue Angels). Here's a photo of Curt briefing Cruise about the upcoming training flight. Curt & I grew up together in Crossville & remain in contact.
 

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#3
#3
OneManGang said:
Found this jewel wandering around a rabbit hole on Youtube.

Tom Cruise needed a "fam flight" before making the movie "Top Gun."

Blue Angel Curt Watson took him up in Blue Angel #7.

For whatever reason, this site won't let me do a link to Youtube. Hie thee over there and search: Top Gun: The Story Behind Tom Cruise's Flight with the Blue Angels.

Watson was, of course, "The Crossville Comet" of Volunteer fame. A bruising running back, he amassed some 2364 career rushing yards from 1969-71. A replica of his Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawk sits in front of Cumberland County High School.

#31 Curt Watson scores the winning touchdown against Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl. (UT Sports)

View attachment 433070
Click to expand...

Curt Watson was a Blue Angel? Did not know that.
 
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#6
#6
OneManGang said:
Found this jewel wandering around a rabbit hole on Youtube.

Tom Cruise needed a "fam flight" before making the movie "Top Gun."

Blue Angel Curt Watson took him up in Blue Angel #7.

For whatever reason, this site won't let me do a link to Youtube. Hie thee over there and search: Top Gun: The Story Behind Tom Cruise's Flight with the Blue Angels.

Watson was, of course, "The Crossville Comet" of Volunteer fame. A bruising running back, he amassed some 2364 career rushing yards from 1969-71. A replica of his Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawk sits in front of Cumberland County High School.

#31 Curt Watson scores the winning touchdown against Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl. (UT Sports)

View attachment 433070
Click to expand...
My Brother in law was the Naval consultant to the movie crew. Everyone who flew in the movie he trained and all the stuff you saw happened like goose getting killed by the canopy, was stuff he saw coming up thru the ranks.
 
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#8
#8
Tin Man said:
Top Gun: The Story of Tom Cruise’s Flight With The Blue Angels
Edit: I can attest that the video is on YouTube as OMG avers, and it will not be linked in this thread. 🤨
Click to expand...

I didn't find it using that search term. Instead I used "Curt Watson Blue Angels Tom Cruise". It initially showed up as video not available but then cut to Cruise on his crotch rocket. At first, I thought it was a trailer but that turned out to be the start of the short video with Curt.
 
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#9
#9
I worked indirectly with Curt Watson for years at FDX before I realized he had played at Tennessee. Gratefully realized it before he retired and was able to have a couple nice conversations about football. Super great guy and, in my experience, very humble.

His call sign is "Griz" .... long before the Grizzlies were in Memphis, too.
 
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#10
#10
OneManGang said:
Found this jewel wandering around a rabbit hole on Youtube.

Tom Cruise needed a "fam flight" before making the movie "Top Gun."

Blue Angel Curt Watson took him up in Blue Angel #7.

For whatever reason, this site won't let me do a link to Youtube. Hie thee over there and search: Top Gun: The Story Behind Tom Cruise's Flight with the Blue Angels.

Watson was, of course, "The Crossville Comet" of Volunteer fame. A bruising running back, he amassed some 2364 career rushing yards from 1969-71. A replica of his Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawk sits in front of Cumberland County High School.

#31 Curt Watson scores the winning touchdown against Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl. (UT Sports)

View attachment 433070
Click to expand...
Curt was playing with a sprained ankle that night. They don’t come any tougher than he was.
 
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#11
#11
OneManGang said:
Found this jewel wandering around a rabbit hole on Youtube.

Tom Cruise needed a "fam flight" before making the movie "Top Gun."

Blue Angel Curt Watson took him up in Blue Angel #7.

For whatever reason, this site won't let me do a link to Youtube. Hie thee over there and search: Top Gun: The Story Behind Tom Cruise's Flight with the Blue Angels.

Watson was, of course, "The Crossville Comet" of Volunteer fame. A bruising running back, he amassed some 2364 career rushing yards from 1969-71. A replica of his Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawk sits in front of Cumberland County High School.

#31 Curt Watson scores the winning touchdown against Arkansas in the 1971 Liberty Bowl. (UT Sports)

View attachment 433070
Click to expand...
he was a legend even in hs
our family always vacationed a week each year near crossville in the '60s
 
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#15
#15
feathersax said:
Curt is retired from the US Navy & from FedEX (flew for them many years after Blue Angels). Here's a photo of Curt briefing Cruise about the upcoming training flight. Curt & I grew up together in Crossville & remain in contact.
Click to expand...

One of my favorites. When I was in hs, he, Bobby Majors, Stan Trott & others used to hang around Chattanooga a lot. They came one night & played our FCA group in a charity basketball game.

His 190+ yards vs Ga in the rain in Athens is still one of my favorite performances.

Curt missed the Penn State game in ‘71 due to a broken rib but played in the Liberty Bowl ( his last as a Vol). My how times have changed.
 
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#16
#16
feathersax said:
Curt is retired from the US Navy & from FedEX (flew for them many years after Blue Angels). Here's a photo of Curt briefing Cruise about the upcoming training flight. Curt & I grew up together in Crossville & remain in contact.
Click to expand...

my parents are from crossville, and I was named after him.
 
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#17
#17
Curt Watson was a fraternity brother of mine, he was a country boy at heart. Talking with him before a big game with Ole Miss and asked him if they were going to beat them and his response: Is a pigs ass pork. Unfortunately Steve Kiner LB was asked about Archie Manning and his response Archie who? Ole Miss fans wore Archie Who buttons to the game and Ole Miss beat us 38 to 0.
 
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#18
#18
dmon said:
Curt Watson was a fraternity brother of mine, he was a country boy at heart. Talking with him before a big game with Ole Miss and asked him if they were going to beat them and his response: Is a pigs ass pork. Unfortunately Steve Kiner LB was asked about Archie Manning and his response Archie who? Ole Miss fans wore Archie Who buttons to the game and Ole Miss beat us 38 to 0.
Click to expand...


Awesome thread, thanks for posting OP.

However, I must say, in all my 59 years in the hills and hollers of east by-god Tennessee, I have never heard "is a pig's ass pork?"

It will, however, be featured heavily in my conversations henceforth. :p
 
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#19
#19
Saw him fly with the Angels at McGee-Tyson in about’75. He flew the 6 plane ( A-4 ) if I remember correctly. Great football player.
 
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#20
#20
My late VFL uncle ran the Crossville Airport for years …. Maybe owned it but not quite certain enough to make that Definitive of a statement.

Either way I grew up around Franklin but this particular uncle was a boss hog inCrossville!! I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Watson on several occasions at my uncles boat house, the Crossville airport, and countless tailgates over in G3.
 
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#21
#21
In that photo Cruise looks like he just stepped off the set of The Outsiders. All he needs is some chocolate cake on his face.
Nice VFL story though.
 
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#22
#22
sgtwebb1 said:
Awesome thread, thanks for posting OP.

However, I must say, in all my 59 years in the hills and hollers of east by-god Tennessee, I have never heard "is a pig's ass pork?"

It will, however, be featured heavily in my conversations henceforth. :p
Click to expand...

LOL, same here.........
 
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#25
#25
jarhead said:
In that photo Cruise looks like he just stepped off the set of The Outsiders. All he needs is some chocolate cake on his face.
Nice VFL story though.
Click to expand...

Wasn't he in some weird fantasy movie, "Legend?" His hair was shorter than that in the Outsiders. Definitely a different look for him.
 
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