Tennessee football returns to Neyland Stadium for the first time this season when they host Austin Peay for an instate matchup.
While the Vols will cruise past their FCS foe on the field, they’ll do it in new uniforms that helps honor a program legend. Tennessee is wearing smokey grey uniforms with orange shoulders on the jersey for the 51st anniversary of Condredge Holloway making his first start for Tennessee.
Holloway’s 1972 start against Georgia Tech made him the first African American to start at quarterback in the SEC. While Holloway never wore the grey uniforms Tennessee is wearing Saturday, the Vols’ away uniforms during his career had the same orange shoulders.
“We’re celebrating Condredge Holloway and what he represented here at the University of Tennessee and what he meant in this league and across America,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said earlier this week. “First class starting quarterback in the SEC. Someone who represents himself, his family and stands for everything that’s good in college football.”
On top of breaking racial barriers, Holloway was a storied two-sport star at Tennessee. The Huntsville, Alabama native starred on the diamond at Tennessee but became a legendary SEC figure on the football field.
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In his three-years as Tennessee’s starting quarterback, Holloway threw for 3,102 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 966 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
The ‘Artful Dodger’s best season was 1973 when he threw for 1,149 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for 433 yards and four touchdowns.
“He’s been around our program,” Heupel said Wednesday. “A couple years ago we got a chance to honor him with a lot of the individuals that meant so much to Tennessee and to this league with their statue unveiling outside of our stadium. He’ll be around our program here at the end of the week— he and his family— so really excited about that.”
Kickoff between Tennessee and Austin Peay is at 5 p.m. ET Saturday night. The SEC Network+ is streaming the game.
2 Responses
My freshman year at UT was 1970, and I graduated December ’73. Condredge and his teammates meant so much to us then, and they still do today. It will be fun to enjoy the memories this weekend of those specisl days.
I really like all the new uniform combos and how they just break them out for special occasions Holloway is a special person and deserves the attention.I would love to see them do a Davie Crockett uniform buckskin and orange would look great I think .