Gate 17 of Neyland Stadium (there are 26 gates in all) is designated as the Don Weller Gate. It is named for Chattanooga retired police officer Don Weller, who played one season on the UT freshman team before leaving UT to join the marine corps, where he served as a crew chief and .50 caliber gunner on a Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter.
Weller’s 11-month older brother, Joe, played football for Duke and suffered a severe ankle injury that made him ineligible for military service. Joe Weller says Don’s two tours in Vietnam were one for him and one for Joe. Joe went on to serve 14 years as CEO of Nestlé and was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis. When his brother Don learned of the diagnosis, he insisted upon donating a kidney. Joe Weller determined to make a gift to help with Neyland Stadium renovations and asked that his brother receive the recognition. In September 2010, Don Weller made his first entrance to the stadium through the gate that bears his name.