News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club November 25, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
First year head coach, Butch Jones, will be our featured speaker this Monday. Prior to Tennessee, Jones had compiled a 51-27 head coaching record at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. Prior to becoming a head coach, Jones also spent time as an assistant at Central Michigan, Rutgers and West Virginia. Jones is proving to be a great recruiter and ambassador for Tennessee football. He is an energetic and passionate person and we look forward to hearing his thoughts on the season and the future of Tennessee football. We appreciate his support of the club and sending an assistant to speak every week.
This will be our last meeting this year as Archie Manning is not able to make it. He does intend to come next year. We have had a great year of speakers and thank Jeff Hagood for an incredible job. This might have been our best overall slate of speakers. Thank you for being part of the club and helping support the high school athletes, coaches, and referees.
We also will be honoring Gabriel Harris as the recipient of the LaTain McGhee Scholarship Fund. Please welcome him and help us support the LaTain McGhee Scholarship Fund.
This week’s yesterday hero: Ron McCartney.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club November 18, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is former Ole Miss and Arkansas head coach, Houston Nutt. Nutt spent the majority of his head coaching career at Arkansas. He compiled a 75-48 record with the Razorbacks that places him second place on Arkansas’ all-time win list. The Razorbacks went to a bowl game in the first six seasons under Nutt. Prior to Nutt’s arrival, the Razorback’s had been to two bowls in the previous eight years. The Razorbacks will most fondly be remembered for fumbling the ball late in the game to give Tennessee the chance to continue their quest for the 1998 National Championship. Nutt currently works for CBS as a college football analyst.
We will be honoring Billy Ratliff as our yesterday’s hero.
Next week’s Speaker: Coach Butch Jones.
Go Vols!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club November 11, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Current University of Tennessee basketball coach, Cuonzo Martin, will be our program this week.
Martin attended Purdue University where he played for Coach Gene Keady. Even though he battled knee injuries, Martin had a good career at Purdue. He was known for his defensive ability, but was a good three point shooter as well. In a Sweet 16 game against Kansas, Martin shot 8 for 13 from three point range. He still shares the school three-point record. He left school 4th all-time for three point shots made. He also still holds the school record for the most consecutive games played at 127.
Martin was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 1995 NBA draft. Over the next few years, Martin played for a short time in the NBA, CBA, and then in Italy. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and never played again. After his chemo and his cancer was in remission, Martin returned to Purdue to earn his degree.
From 2000-2008, Martin was an assistant coach for Purdue under Keady. In 2009, Martin became head coach of Missouri State. Over a three year period, Martin lead them to their first regular season conference title and a 26-9 record.
In March of 2011, Martin was named head coach of the Tennessee Vols and guided the Vols to a number 2 finish in the SEC for the 2011-2012 season. Last year he managed a 20-13 record and a 5th place finish in the SEC. Please join us in welcoming Coach Martin.
We will be honoring Robbie Franklin as our Yesterday’s Hero.
November 18th speaker: Former Ole Miss and Arkansas coach, Houston Nutt.
Go Vols!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club November 4, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is College Hall of Fame head coach, Pat Dye. Dye compiled an impressive record of 153-62-5 as a head coach of East Carolina, Wyoming and Auburn. He was Auburn’s head coach from 1981 through 1992. He also served as the athletics director from 1981-1991. Bo Jackson and Tracy Rocker were some of Dye’s best players. Dye is known for being an enthusiastic speaker so it should be a great program. We look forward to seeing you.
We will be honoring Scott Galyon as our yesterday’s hero.
Next week’s Speaker: Basketball Coach Cuonzo Martin.
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club October 28, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is former National Championship and Hall of Fame head coach, Lloyd Carr. Carr coached at Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. During that time, he compiled a 122-40 record, 5 Big Ten titles and the 1997 National Championship. He is a Neyland Award winner, has a 19-8 record against top 10 opponents, and was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2011. However, his greatest achievement was that he was born in Tennessee (Hawkins County). We will see you on Monday to hear Lloyd Carr.
We will be honoring Shazzon Bradley as our yesterday’s hero.
Next week’s Speaker: Pat Dye, former Auburn Coach.
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club October 21, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
What a game on Saturday! You will be excited to hear from Tennessee’s offensive staff this week. We are pleased to be able to hear insight from the offensive coaches as they look back at South Carolina and prepare for Alabama. I’m sure Coach Majors will be keeping a low profile so that he won’t have to fill in at the last minute. We appreciate him stepping up to the plate and sharing some great stories.
We also want to thank Michael Greene for helping out on the social media for our club. He and Charles West are tweeting on behalf of the club. Michael is also in charge of Facebook and doing an outstanding job.
I am very excited to let you know that we have our new website up and running. Johnny Durden has done a fantastic job of reworking the site and made it much more user-friendly. We are still working on a few more details, but please visit www.knoxqbclub.com. We can’t thank Johnny enough for the work he has put into this on behalf of the club.
We will be honoring Frank Foxx as our yesterday’s hero.
Next week’s Speaker: Lloyd Carr, former Michigan coach
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club October 14, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
You will be excited to hear from Tennessee’s defensive staff this week. We are pleased to be able to hear insight from the defensive coaches and the challenges they face. We will be able to learn which players have impressed them, which have improved the most, and which areas do we need to get better. We are thankful that we have a current administration that appreciates the Knoxville Quarterback Club and takes the time to let the assistants come and speak.
We will be honoring Judge Tim Irwin as our yesterday’s hero. Irwin was na offensive tackle for the Vols and spent 14 years in the NFL.
Next week’s Speaker: Tennessee Offensive Staff
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club October 07, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
You will be excited to hear our own Hall of Fame player, Bob Johnson, this week.
Taken From UT Sports Bio Page:
In a position that rarely commands attention, center Bob Johnson left UT as one of the most decorated athletes in school history. Doug Dickey’s first recruit struggled making snaps his first year after moving over from the tackle position, but rebounded to garner All-America status in 1966.
As captain of the 1967 Vols, Johnson lived up to his preseason hype by earning his second consecutive All-SEC and All-America nods with unanimous votes. Johnson was awarded the Jacobs Trophy, given to the SEC’s best blocker, and The Birmingham Touchdown Club named him the SEC’s Most Outstanding Lineman. In addition, Johnson finished sixth in the Heisman voting as a center.
Off the field, Johnson earned 1967 Academic All-America and was named the National Football Foundation’s Scholar Athlete. Johnson spent his senior year as vice president of his class while majoring in industrial engineering.
After graduating, Johnson won the National Football Foundation Post-Graduate Scholarship to attend Harvard’s School of Business. But Johnson stuck with his love and became the first draft choice of the expansion Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, the third pick overall. Johnson spent 12 seasons with the Bengals and served as captain each year with the exception of his last, when he came out of retirement to snap. His No. 54 is the only retired jersey in Bengals history.
Johnson was named to the 1960s All-SEC Team and the SEC Quarter Century Team in 1974. College Football Hall of Fame chapters in Cincinnati and East Tennessee gave Johnson the Distinguished American award. In 1993, he was one of six former players to earn the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award.
We will be honoring All-American receiver Larry Seivers as our yesterday hero.
Next week’s speaker: Tennessee Defensive Staff
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club September 30, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Please welcome CBS Sports analyst, Tony Barnhart, as our speaker this week. Barnhart will provide a lot of insight into Georgia, the SEC, and college football. After graduating from Georgia in 1976, Barnhart worked for the Greensboro News and & Record. He now is the college sports editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and hosts “The Tony Barhart Show” on CBS. Please join us on Monday at Calhoun’s on the River.
We will be honoring Patrick Lenoir (offensive lineman from 1987-1991) as our yesterday hero. Lenoir’s brother, John Lenoir, was killed in the September 11th attack at the World Trade Center. Patrick was able to run through the T with the team on September 10th 2011 to honor the victims of the attacks.
Next week’s Speaker: Bob Johnson, Hall of Fame.
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club 23 September, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is former Ohio State head coach, Jim Tressel. Tressel spent 15 years at Youngstown State and compiled a 135-57-2 record and won four Division 1-AA National Championships and lost another two. In 2001, Tressel was hired to replace John Cooper at Ohio State. From 2001-2010, Tressel led the Buckeyes to a record of 94-22 (12 wins from the 2010 season were vacated). His teams finished first in the Big Ten seven times, played in three BCS National Championship games and won the 2002 National Championship. Ohio State also played in eight BCS bowls (including national title games) out of the ten years he coached.
In 2011, Ohio State can under scrutiny for rules violations that resulted in his resignation and vacating wins. Tressel did beat Michigan 7 straight years and had an overall record of 8-1 against the Wolverines. Tressel worked as a consultant for the Indianapolis Colts from 2011-2012 and now works for the University of Akron.
We will be honoring 1988 All American and Butkus Award Finalist, Keith DeLong as our Yesterday’s Hero.
Next week’s Speaker: Tony Barnhart, CBS Sports and Georgia expert.
Thank you!
Jonathan Johnson
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club 16 September, 2013
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is former Florida head coach, Ron Zook. After graduating from Miami University, Zook immediately went into coaching at the high school level. He worked himself up into the collegiate level and coached at Cincinnati, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Florida. He served at Florida from 1991 through the 1994 season. At that time, he left to coach as an assistant in the NFL.
Following the departure of Steve Spurrier, Zook became head coach of the Gators from 2002-2004. After his stint at Florida, he became head coach of Illinois from 2005-2011. He now works as a football studio analyst for CBS and is a Business Development Officer for a bank in Florida.
We will be honoring 1962 Co-Captain Paul Tilson as our Yesterday’s Hero.
Next week’s Speaker: Jim Tressel, former Ohio State coach.
News from the Knoxville Quarterback Club 9 September, 2013
This is a reminder that the 62nd year of the Knoxville Quarterback Club will be kicking off its first meeting on Monday, September the 9th at Calhoun’s on the River from 11:45 to 1. Come be a part of the club as we honor yesterday’s hero, high school athlete of the week, and recognizing an outstanding official of the week. Jeff Hagood has done an excellent job again this year of booking some outstanding speakers. We will have Ron Zook, Jim Tressel, Lloyd Carr, and other great speakers this year. We will even have the offensive and defensive staffs come and speak as well. If you don’t like the speakers, then you will sure to be entertained by Jeff’s introductions, Jesse Smithey’s humor and Tim Bush’s pick-of-the-week.
First year head coach, Butch Jones, will be our featured speaker this Monday. Jones has compiled a 51-27 head coaching record at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. Prior to becoming a head coach, Jones also spent time as an assistant at Central Michigan, Rutgers and West Virginia. Jones is proving to be a great recruiter and ambassador for Tennessee football so please come and welcome him.
September 16th: Ron Zook (Florida)
