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Legendary Tennessee football player, coach Johnny Majors dies
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:26 am
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:26 am
quote:
Johnny Majors, a legendary coach for the Tennessee football team and member of the College Football Hall of Fame, has died. He was 85.
Jackie Sherrill, a longtime friend of Majors' who worked on staff with him at Pittsburgh, confirmed the news with Majors' family.
In 16 seasons as Tennessee's coach from 1977-92, Majors compiled a 116-62-8 record.
He began his playing career with the Vols in 1953, joining the team as a single-wing tailback. He was named the SEC Player of the Year in 1955 and 1956.
quote:
Majors rushed for 549 yards and seven touchdowns and passed for 552 yards and five touchdowns, leading Tennessee to a 10-1 season in 1956 and an SEC championship. He finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, losing out to Notre Dame's Paul Hornung.
He was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.
Majors got his first head coaching gig in 1968, hired on by Iowa State. In four years at the helm, he led the Cyclones to a 24-30-1 record.
In 1973, he left to become coach at Pittsburgh andwon a national championship in 1976 with a perfect 12-0 record. He received national coach-of-the-year honors following that season.
In 1977, he returned to Knoxville as Tennessee's head coach. Over a 15-year career, he led the Vols to three SEC championships (1985, 1989, 1990). He also won the Sugar Bowl in 1986 and 1991.
He was inducted into the Pittsburgh Athletics Hall of Fame.
LINK
This post was edited on 6/3/20 at 8:27 am
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Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:27 am to AHM21
Man Pat Dye and Johnny Majors in the same week. I was born in 1983, so my early memories of UT football are with Coach Majors.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:29 am to AHM21
shite. Bad week for SEC legends.
RIP
RIP
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:29 am to AHM21
Everyone is dying in 2020. So sorry to hear this ...
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:33 am to BossBailey345
Daym what a bad week for the SEC, RIP
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:33 am to AHM21
Man it is sad to see these coaches from the 80s and early 90s passing away. They were the SEC when I was growing up.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:34 am to AHM21
Wow. So sorry for all our Vol fans out there. RIP Coach Majors.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:35 am to CapstoneGrad06
Yeah, sad to lose so many SEC legends. RIP
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:38 am to AHM21
My grandfather and CJM were freshmen together at UT in 1953. Neyland’s final recruiting class. He called our house when he heard my grandfather died to offer his condolences. That was out of the blue. He did not have our home number, so he went out of his way to get it from someone else. I also wrote him a couple of different times just to talk about his memories since i do not have much in the way of artifacts from that time, and my grandfather died when i was very young. He called and talked with me for over an hour both times. He did not have to do that. He was always to kind to me. I never got caught up in all the Majors vs. Fulmer crap because both men were nothing but kind to me personally in my interactions with them.
This post was edited on 6/3/20 at 8:42 am
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:41 am to AHM21
Not another one
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:45 am to NDonahue
It always amazed me that two back to back UT coaches played at high schools in the same small county 22 miles from each other.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:54 am to Auburn80
quote:
It always amazed me that two back to back UT coaches played at high schools in the same small county 22 miles from each other.
Not only that, but the combined tenure was 1977-2008, 31 years
We went from having 2 coaches in 3 decades to 4 coaches in 11 years.
RIP Johnny
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:54 am to AHM21
A little Johnny Majors trivia...Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man, Fall Guy...etc) was a huge fan of Johnny Majors when he was a teenager (he grew up near the state line in Middlesboro, Kentucky). When he became an actor, he changed his name from Harvey Lee Yeary to Lee Majors because he admired Johnny so much.
About a month ago, a friend of mine made a video of Johnny reading his children's book (Little Orange t). Johnny Majors reading Little Orange T - Facebook Watch As far as I know, this is the last video recording of Johnny.
About a month ago, a friend of mine made a video of Johnny reading his children's book (Little Orange t). Johnny Majors reading Little Orange T - Facebook Watch As far as I know, this is the last video recording of Johnny.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:54 am to AHM21
RIP to a true gentleman and beloved rival.
Another sad day.
Go Vols and War Eagle from a truly passionate fan.
Another sad day.
Go Vols and War Eagle from a truly passionate fan.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:57 am to footswitch
quote:
RIP to a true gentleman and beloved rival.
Another sad day.
Go Vols and War Eagle from a truly passionate fan.
Well said.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 9:20 am to paperwasp
I was really hoping he'd make it to the Pitt game we have scheduled. I'm sure both schools had plans to honor him during that game. Now, it will unfortunately be a memorial game instead of a more celebratory one.
And 2020 can go frick itself.
And 2020 can go frick itself.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 9:44 am to madmaxvol
I recorded an interview with Johnny in March for a national podcast that got shelved due to Corona bullshite. I’m working to get it out this afternoon. Helluva guy.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 10:00 am to AHM21
Another Tennessee player that was robbed of the heisman trophy.
His late 80s teams are my first memories of Tennessee football
His late 80s teams are my first memories of Tennessee football
Posted on 6/3/20 at 11:59 am to AHM21
I was thinking about the SEC coaches of the 80's (Dye and Major's passing brought it to mind).
I can't believe that Watson Brown is only 70.
Galen Hall is still alive and kicking...
Vince Dooley is nearly 90 and still around.
Ray Perkins is currently a volunteer HS football coach.
Fran Curci is still around
George MacIntyre...died in 2016
Billy Brewer...died in 2018
Jerry Claiborne died in 2000
Emory Bellard...died in 2011
Bill Arnsparger...died in 2015
These guys provided a lot of memories for me as a kid. I hate to see them all passing away. They helped make SEC football what it is today.
I can't believe that Watson Brown is only 70.
Galen Hall is still alive and kicking...
Vince Dooley is nearly 90 and still around.
Ray Perkins is currently a volunteer HS football coach.
Fran Curci is still around
George MacIntyre...died in 2016
Billy Brewer...died in 2018
Jerry Claiborne died in 2000
Emory Bellard...died in 2011
Bill Arnsparger...died in 2015
These guys provided a lot of memories for me as a kid. I hate to see them all passing away. They helped make SEC football what it is today.
Posted on 6/3/20 at 12:22 pm to AHM21
Rest in peace Coach Majors and prayers to his family. He and Tom Landry are the first two coaches I remember as a kid.
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