Jess Claiborne Neely (January 4, 1898 - April 9, 1983) was an American football player and a baseball and football coach. He was head football coach at Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) from 1924 to 1927, at Clemson University from 1931 to 1939 and at Rice University from 1940 to 1966, compiling a career college football record of 207-176-19. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1971. Neely was also the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama (1929-1930), at Clemson (1932-1938) and at Rice (1945 and 1948), tallying a career college baseball mark of 109-108-5.

Neely played football at Vanderbilt University from 1920 to 1922 under head coach Dan McGugin. He was captain and halfback of the undefeated 1922 team, and its best passer. Neely belonged to the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Although the Commodores expected a "hard game against the university rivals", Vanderbilt shut out Tennessee 20-0. All three Commodore touchdowns came from passes by Neely to Gink Hendrick. Neely's long first-quarter pass hit Hendrick, who ran 25 yards for the touchdown. In the second quarter Hendrick ran to the 4-yard line on a pass from Neely, and the first half ended with Vanderbilt in possession at the Tennessee one-foot line. Hendrick caught another 30-yard touchdown pass from Neely in the fourth quarter. Two weeks later the Commodores lost 56-6 to one of Auburn's greatest teams, Vanderbilt's worst defeat since its 83-0 loss to Georgia Tech in 1917. The Commodores had only one first down, and never moved the ball beyond their 40-yard line. Neely was one of Vanderbilt's few stars, blocking well and passing Vanderbilt's only touchdown to Hendrick in the end zone. In a "thriller from the start," the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated Vanderbilt for the first time on November 6, 1920 by a score of 14-7. A forward pass from Doc Kuhn to Neely gave the Commodores their sole touchdown. The following week, "expecting one of the greatest football games of the year", Vanderbilt had a difficult practice schedule before its game with the Virginia Cavaliers; Virginia and Vanderbilt tied, 7-7. Early in the game, Vanderbilt mounted a swift offense, with Neely throwing Hendrick a touchdown pass. That season, Vanderbilt opponents gained less on punt returns than they did against any other team in the South because of coverage by Percy Conyers and Neely.

What teams did he play against?
Vanderbilt shut out Tennessee 20-0.