John, known as "Colonel Jack", organized the Company E of the 20th Tennessee Regiment during the American Civil War.

[2] His brother, Bill Neely, Jr., was a captain and All-Southern end on the undefeated 1910 Vanderbilt football team.

The First Fifty Years: A History of Middle Tennessee State College recounts Neely's days playing for Middle Tennessee State Normal School: Jess Neely, a brilliant half-back and a handsome man on the campus, is remembered for his popularity among members of the opposite sex and for an incident that occurred just prior to a football game with Southern Presbyterian in Clarksville.

He climaxed the pre-game, locker-room exhortation with a soaring call for courage and deathless allegiance to "dear Ol' Normal."

Neely was greatly affected by the words of his coach for he leaped to his feet and, roaring like an angry bull, led the team in a rush to the doorway opening to the field.

He misjudged the extremely low entrance, and his head received the full impact of the strip of wall above the doorway.

[7] Two weeks later the Commodores lost 56–6 to one of Auburn's greatest teams,[8] Vanderbilt's worst defeat since its 83–0 loss to Georgia Tech in 1917.

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.

Neely helped score one of four second-quarter touchdowns with a 55-yard pass to end Tot McCullough, and had a 25-yard punt return in the second half.

[17] After a run by Frank Godchaux, Lynn Bomar bucked over the line for the touchdown[16] and Rupe Smith made the field goal.

For its seventh game, Vanderbilt faced the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) champion Georgia Bulldogs at home.

The game, the highlight of Vanderbilt's season, was described by The New York Times as an "important clash"[19] and would determine the SIAA champion.

Rupert Smith sneaked behind Ryan; he rushed to recover the 25-yard onside kick, jumping up to get the ball off a bounce from the Bulldogs[22] and racing for a 15-yard touchdown.

Vanderbilt finished its season against Sewanee in "the muddiest game in its history";[13] the Commodores were reportedly knee-deep in mud and water,[24] with the players unrecognizable.

[25] The game was scoreless until the fourth quarter, when Sewanee fumbled the snap on a punt; the punter was smothered by the Commodores' Neely, Godchaux and Wade for a safety.

[27] According to The Commodore, the school yearbook, in a 1921 game against Southwestern Presbyterian University the team scored a world record 13 runs in one inning with two out.

The Tennessean reported: Neely singled as did Kuhn; Neil fanned but Thomas got his third straight hit and both tallied.

Thomas was safe on an error and Big Tot McCullough picked one over the right field fence, clearing the sacks--but oh, what's the use?

[29] The Wolverines completed their first pass (from Doug Roby to Paul Goebel), setting in motion a change in field position which placed them inside the five-yard line.

[31] Bomar spent much of his day tackling Michigan runners,[37] and Neely was a battered, bruised captain playing hard despite his injuries.

It worked to some extent, with Texas losing yards and ending up at the 17-yard line;[39] Franklin Stacy then kicked a field goal.

[46][47] At the end of the season, he was on Walter Camp's list of players worthy of mention, and Vanderbilt compiled an 8–0–1 record.

After Neely graduated from Vanderbilt with a law degree in 1924, he began his coaching career at Murfreesboro High School in Tennessee and ran a farm-loan business.

[54] In the 1940 Cotton Bowl, Neely's Tigers upset Frank Leahy's Boston College Eagles.

Dicky Moegle had broken free on a run when he was tackled by Tommy Lewis, who had come off the sidelines from Alabama's bench.

[62] After the 1966 season he returned to Vanderbilt as athletic director, and received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award the following year.

Jess convinced Sam Fleming, who was involved at that time in a $30 million campus fundraising project, that he could get the McGugin Center built and called on his friends among those the late Alf Sharpe, to help him.