Tennessee unveiled statues for four Tennessee football legends and SEC trailblazers outside of Neyland Stadium on Thursday morning ahead of tonight’s 2021 season opener against Bowling Green.
The plans to inshrine Lester McClain, Tee Martin, Condredge Holloway and Jackie Walker were announced last month. Besides being just great and storied football players at Tennessee, the group all helped break down racial barriers in their time in Knoxville.
Lester McClain was the first African-American football player at Tennessee and became the first African-American to score a touchdown in the SEC, catching a pair of touchdowns in a 1968 win at Georgia Tech. Here is the SEC legend’s statue.
Tee Martin was the first African-American to quarterback an SEC team to a National Championship, helping lead the 1998 Vols to a perfect 13-0 record and the first ever BCS National Title. Here is the current Baltimore Ravens receiver coach’s statue.
Condredge Holloway was the first African-American to start at quarterback for a SEC team. Holloway turned in a storied career throwing for over 3,000 yards and running for over 900 yards. Here’s the two-sport star’s statue.
Jackie Walker was the first African-American All-American in SEC history turning in a pair of spectacular seasons where he recorded 258 tackles and 11 interceptions. Here’s the late linebacker’s statue.
The enshrining comes on the day that Tennessee begins its 100 football season at Neyland Stadium. Outside of Gate 21, the four trailblazers legacies will be honored forever.
Tennessee plays host to Bowling Green at 8 p.m. ET Thursday night. The SEC Network will broadcast Josh Heupel’s Tennessee debut.
