As the University of Tennessee celebrates the 100th anniversary of Neyland Stadium this fall, it has placed statues of four pioneering black Vol football players outside the stadium.
In an initiative by first-year athletic director Danny White to recognize Tennessee’s progressive accomplishments by some of its black football players in Southeastern Conference history, the school has honored Condredge Holloway, Tee Martin, Lester McClain and Jackie Walker.
Mr.
Holloway was the first black quarterback to start for an SEC team in 1972, while Mr. Martin was the first black quarterback to lead an SEC team to a national championship in the 1998 season.
Mr. McClain, meanwhile, was the first SEC black player to score a touchdown as a wingback in 1968 (and the first black varsity player in UT history), and Mr. Walker, a linebacker, was the first black SEC player to make All-American in 1970 and was also the first black to captain an SEC team in 1971.
The statues were dedicated on Sept. 2 in a private ceremony before the Bowling Green game. Among those attending were Mr. McClain, Mr. Holloway, and former coach and athletic director Doug Dickey, among others.
Mr. Walker is deceased, although his brother, Marshall, was there, and Mr. Martin coaches wide receivers with the Baltimore Ravens.
Funding for the small monuments had come in part with the help of former UT coach Bill Battle, who enjoyed a successful career licensing products after leaving UT.
The statues – which are located near the major Gate 21 outside the northwest corner of the stadium and are accessible when a game is not being played -- were made by sculptor Brian Hanlon, who created them at his New Jersey studio.
Appearing to have been inspired at least in part from famous action or promotional photographs, the lifelike statues do not appear to look in the faces exactly like the players, at least those of the more fan-familiar Mr. Holloway and Mr. Martin.
But they do possess a “forever young” look that might appeal to the Tennessee faithful remembering when these popular players were college-age stars.
Tennessee had begun playing black football players slightly earlier than most Southeastern Conference teams, especially those from the deeper South. But by the early 1970s, all SEC teams began having multiple contributing black players.
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