Hank Lauricella played as a single-wing tailback from 1949 to 1951, graduating in 1952 with a major in finance. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Princeton’s Dick Kazmaier. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 17th round (number 202) and played one season as halfback for the Dallas Texans.
In 1951, the year the VOLS won the national championship, Lauricella was a unanimous All-America selection. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2005. He has also been inducted into the Tennessee and Louisiana Sports Halls of Fame. At UT he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.
He returned to Louisiana, where he became the general partner of Lauricella Land Company. He served as Louisiana State Representative from 1964 to 1972 and as a state senator from 1972 to 1996. Very active in civic endeavors, he was on the board of commissioners of the New Orleans Port Authority, board member of the New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, and president of the New Orleans World Trade Center.
The lettermen’s room in Neyland Stadium is named the Lauricella Center for Letter Winners in honor of Hank Lauricella and his wife, 1953 UT graduate (education) Betty Valker Lauricella, who was a Torchbearer, vice president of Kappa Delta, vice president of the Women’s Student Government Association, chairman of Torch Night, outstanding junior of Mortar Board, and was crowned Miss University of Tennessee, Homecoming Queen, and Barwarmin’ Queen.