Charlie Guy, Jr.

05/23/2010 NAVYLAX.ORG by Buddy Garland USNA '84

Saturday morning, May 22nd, while a number of lacrosse teams were preparing for upcoming NCAA Quarterfinal match-ups and the USNA Class of 2010 was preparing for graduation, the Navy Lacrosse Alumni felt a twinge in our hearts as one of the greats finished the race.

Charlie Guy Jr. '46 (born Charles Howgate Guy Jr.) was Navy's first Schmeisser Award winner as the nation's best Defenseman in 1945….and started a tradition that has carried on to 8 fellow Schmeisser winners: 

Stanley "Swede" Swanson '54, John Raster '55, Mike Coughlin '64 (won in '63), Jim "Soupy" Campbell '64, Pat Donnelly '65, Carl Tamulevich '68, Greg Murphy '70, and Jake Lawlor '75 and……numerous All American defensemen like Phil Ryan '50, Neil Reich '61, Fred Lewis '62, John Padgett '69, Karl Schwelm '71, Steve Soules '76, Steve Hincks '78, Ernie Styron '80, Mike McLaughlin '81, John Korn '82, Joe Papetti '85, Nick Ammatucio '88, Shan Byrne '89, Sean Donnelly '92, Kevin Caradona '93, Chad Donnelly '00, Chris Stebbings '03, Mitch Hendler '05, Jordan DiNola '08 and Andy Tormey '09.

Although, Charlie was following in the footsteps of great Navy defensemen that began with 1st Team All America selections Zeus Soucek '23, Royce Flippin '26 and Art Spring '30 (Flippin and Spring are National HOFers), Charlie brought his own brand of toughness to both the football field and the lacrosse field.

Charles H. Guy Jr., born in Pittsburgh, PA 2/5/24, the son of an All-Pro football player, approached every contest with a give no quarter attitude.

(Charlie Guy Sr. played pro football from 1920-25 and was an All-Pro center with Cleveland in 1923 - also playing QB, FB and G).

Charlie exuded confidence and discipline and had little time for small talk. If you stepped on the field, you better be strapped on, because Charlie was going to go full-speed on every play.

After being selected as an All America pick in 1944 (what would have been his 3rd class year), Charlie went on to be chosen as a 1st Team All America pick and the Schmeisser winner in 1945, in what would have been his junior year.

In the World War II era, many midshipmen were commissioned after 3-3 1/2 years, as was the case with Charlie. So, the nation's best defender began defending our country instead of Navy's lacrosse opponents in 1946.

Charlie served our nation as part of the Underwater Demolition Teams in the Navy, but he could not stray from lacrosse for long. After being pursued by the University of Virginia, Charlie agreed to serve as the Head Men's Lacrosse Coach, while also assisting the football coach and wrestling.

Charlie was the first full-time coach at UVA and he led the Cavaliers to their first winning season in 1949, going 7-4. They followed that campaign with an 8-3 record in 1950, beating the likes of North Carolina, Syracuse, Penn State, Rutgers, and Loyola, while dropping a heart-breaker in 2OT to Maryland.

Charlie's UVA teams only played Navy once (in 1949) and after dropping a 13-2 decision, Virginia decided that they would wait a while before scheduling Charlie's old team again.

Once Charlie was asked about those early days of Virginia lacrosse and he said that he wasn't sure if he was hired more as a lacrosse coach, or because he could help the football team.

Charlie commented:

Football was a big deal. Lacrosse was not at that time. But I will say they got their money's worth out of me. I was also the freshman wrestling coach, and they gave me a month off in the summertime so I went door-to-door and sold Encyclopedia Brittanicas."

That ethos characterized Charlie Guy '46 - no time to waste - do something good.

Mike Gottleib '70, Brian Lantier '65, Jim Lewis '66 tell wonderful stories about Charlie's exploits playing for the Navy Old Goats at the Vail Shootout in the SuperMasters Division (40+).

Brian writes:

Charlie deserves National HOF recognition for being the oldest player (70) in the Vail Shootout (for Navy's Old Goats of course), and certainly the oldest player ever to have drawn a penalty for unnecessary roughness in any level of lacrosse!!! God bless you Charlie, we'll never forget you, and we'll surely miss you.

Along those lines, I played in an Alumni game on Dewey Field (yes, we used to hold very humble gatherings in the fall on Dewey Field - 25-35 guys officiated by Coach Meade and Kerry O'Shanick) where Charlie Guy played defense with a wooden shaft and a Brine Superlight 2 head with almost no pocket.

It was the fall of 1997, and I cut down to the crease as a midfielder and Charlie Guy '46 picks me up.

I looked at him and asked: How old are you?

He scowled (looking down at me from his 6' 3" perch) and said: What do you care?

I replied: I don't want to tell anyone that I cut on an old guy.

He shoved me and said: Do whatever you want!

That was Charlie Guy. Give no quarter - take no quarter.

The next time I saw him was when we opened the Bilderback-Moore Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in 2006.

Before the Hopkins game, over 200 alumni players went onto the field to be recognized and share in the festive atmosphere of opening the Hall of Fame, forming the tunnel for the team to come out and hopefully beating Hopkins.

I stood next to Charlie, (who it seemed had grown another inch or two in the intervening 9 years) and asked him what he thought of the stadium.

He replied: They better win. Two years in a row, losing by one goal. That can't happen today.

I was surprised that Charlie followed the team so closely, but I was singularly impressed with his resolve. He said it the way, well, the way Coach Meade says it. He fully believed that the Navy team was better than Hopkins - and we should win.

I'm sure that he was disappointed with the 9-8 loss that day, and especially with the flaky circumstances that led to the final minutes of the game and the outcome.

Later that year, NAVYLAX was able to take part in honoring Charlie for both his athletic exploits at Navy (Charlie came to Navy to play football, but obviously picked up lacrosse, and lettered in wrestling during his midshipman years), as well as his coaching contributions at Virginia, Maryland and Hopkins.

A December 1, 2006 website post documented our efforts to have Charlie Guy '46 elected to the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame.

Charlie H. Guy Suggested For The Lacrosse Hall of Fame - December 1, 2006

Buddy Garland (Navy '84) has recently begun to drum up support for Charlie H. Guy to be recognized by the Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

NAVYLAX strongly supports honoring Charlie Guy '46 for his outstanding contribution at Navy, including winning the Schmeisser Award in 1945 as the best defenseman in the country, as well as his contributions at UVA.

Isn't it interesting that one of Charlie's players was inducted into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1975, while Charlie has not been inducted. The NAVYLAX Recognition Committee is committed to correcting these oversights at the national level.

If you are interested in helping with this effort, please consider joining the NAVYLAX Recognition Committee.

Although, we have not succeeded to date, we have helped to get a Navy Lacrosse player into the National Hall of Fame every year for the past 4 years. Charlie's candidacy is still quite worthy, although the HOF has not demonstrated an inclination to honor players who played before 1960.

In hindsight, it feels good to know that we supported Charlie while he was still alive. Even though external recognition did not affect Charlie Guy '46, I'm sure that he was glad to know that his fellow alumni thought well of him. Carl Tamulevich '68 and Tommy Hagan '69 were two of his strongest supporters in addition to the aforementioned Mike Gottleib '70, Brian Lantier '65 and Greg Murphy '70.

Charlie Guy '46 was a humble man.

In an interview with Charlie for Lacrosse Magazine, Editor Bill Tanton documented the following quote from Charlie:

We won in lacrosse because I had some wonderful players. Bobby Proutt was my captain in 1949 and he was first-team All America. In 1950 Billy Hooper was my captain. He made first-team All America on attack. He became the first Virginia player inducted in the Lacrosse Hall of Fame (in 1975).

By 1955, Charlie moved to Tampa, FL and jumped into the business world - insurance and investments. He aggressive and disciplined attitude served him well in business and he became quite successful financially.

Charlie was always very generous - donating to charitable causes and supporting the Navy Lacrosse, Football, and Wrestling teams every year with substantial donations. His passion for life was reflected in everything he pursued.

Charlie Guy '46 was a fine example of the Navy Lacrosse spirit and tenacity. He loved to sacrifice for the guy next to him and he was very proud to be from the Naval Academy.

A tribute to Charlie's life can be found at:  Charles H. Guy - Tribute  

Charlie Guy '46, we're going to miss you.

Go Navy!!