November 20th, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is the new University of Tennessee Athletic Director, Dave Hart. Hart is considered one of the most respected administrators in the country. He spent 13 years as the Florida State Athletic Director. While at FSU, he was heavily involved with the expansion of the ACC to include Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College. Hart also was integral in the growth of the FSU women’s athletic programs, enhancing facilities, and having winning programs. In 2008 Hart went to work for Alabama as an assistant to Athletic Director Mal Moore. Hart played basketball for Alabama under Coach C.M. Newton. Please come and meet our new Athletic Director.
November 28th: Fisher Deberry (Air Force)
Go Vols!
November 14th:
The Knoxville Quarterback Club LaTain McGhee scholarship’s first recipient, Alexa Carroll, will be introduced at our November 14th meeting. LaTain McGhee was a long time member of KQBC. For many years he was a football official with the Knoxville Football Officials Association and the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association. He was a voice for Friday night football. He held his family, community and church in high esteem.
Please join us in welcoming Alexa and our speaker Cuonzo Martin on November 14th. This meeting will give us an opportunity to grow our scholarship fund.
November 6, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
Our speaker this week is former Vol Quarterback, Erik Ainge. Ainge played for the Vols from 2004-2007. As a freshman, he threw 17 touchdowns in 9 games. He split time with fellow freshman Brent Shaeffer. He was injured in the Notre Dame game where Rick Clausen came in as quarterback.
Ainge battled injuries throughout his career at Tennessee, but still achieved success. As a senior, Ainge threw for 3,522 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was drafted in the 5th round of the draft by the New York Jets.
Ainge has been public with his addiction to drugs that started at an early age and the control it had on him. He battled it through Tennessee as well as with the Jets. In June of 2011, Ainge retired from the NFL.
Oct. 30, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
We welcome the 25th President of the University of Tennessee, Joe DiPietro, as our speaker on Monday. DiPietro was the Chancellor of the UT Agriculture Department from 2006-2010. Prior to that, he was the Dean of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida. It will be interesting to hear his views on the athletic program and conference expansion.
Next week: Erik Ainge
Go Vols!
October 23, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
We are pleased to welcome Knoxville’s own, Chad Pennington, as our speaker on Monday. Chad was a star quarterback at Webb School before he went on to Marshall University. Chad completed a stellar career at Marshall with a 13-0 record and three straight MAC Championships. In 1999, he was 5th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. Chad also excelled in the classroom and was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
In the 2000 NFL draft, Chad was chosen with the 18th overall pick by the NY Jets. He has played 10 years in the NFL and won the Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2006 & 2008. He also finished second to Peyton Manning for the 2008 MVP award. With a career completion percentage of 66%, Chad is the all-time leader for all quarterbacks with at least 1500 attempts.
Chad was traded to the Miami Dolphins and is currently taking the year off to recover from an injury. He is working as an analyst for Fox Sports.
Next Week: Joe Di Pietro UT President
Schedule Change: Erik Ainge and Dave Hart needed to switch dates. It has been corrected on the website.
November 7th: Dave Hart UT Athletic Director
November 21st: Erik Ainge former UT Quarterback
October 9, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
We look forward to welcoming former LSU Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Cannon, as our speaker on Monday. Cannon won the Heisman Trophy in 1959. While at LSU, Cannon led the Tigers to their first National Championship. In 2008, Cannon was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1959, Cannon was involved in a play, known as “The Stop”, that is part of Tennesse tradition. Early in the 4th quarter, LSU scored to trail 14-13. They decided to go for two. Cannon ran the ball and was met by Wayne Grubb, Charley Severance, and Bill Majors short of the goal line and Tennessee went on to win 14-13. Cannon still insists that he got in. We look forward to hearing his recollection of the play.
Next week: Former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer
October 2nd, 2011
Dear Quarterbacker,
We look forward to seeing you Monday at Calhoun’s on the River. Mark Schlabach from ESPN will be our speaker. Mark joined ESPN.com in 2006 as an analyst of college football and college basketball. Prior to ESPN, Mark worked for the Washington Post for two years. Prior to the Post, he worked for nine years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering the University of Georgia. Having spent nearly 20 years covering college football and authoring six books, Mark should be able to give us good insight across the landscape of college football.
Speaker for 10 October: Billy Cannon (Heisman Trophy winner from LSU)
Beat the Bulldogs!
September 25th, 2011 Newsletter
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Dear Quarterbacker,
R.C. Slocum is our speaker on Monday. He was recently presented the 2011 General Robert Neyland Award. Slocum never had a losing season at Texas A&M and is their winningest coach in A&M history with a 123-47-2 record (only losing 12 games at home in a 14 year period). He also is a member of the Texas Hall of Fame.
Slocum came to A&M when the school was under heavy NCAA sanctions and tasked with cleaning up the program. In 2002 he made the below statement.
I wouldn’t trade winning another game or two for my reputation as a person. I’ve said from day one I’m going to do things the way I think they should be done. There were those who said, `If you don’t cheat, you’re pretty naive. You can’t win that way.’ Well, we’re going to find out. That’s the way we’re going to do it. I can walk away and look myself in the mirror and say, ‘We did it the right way.’
October 3rd speaker: Mark Schlabach (ESPN)
Go Vols!
September 18th, Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
It was a tough game in Gainesville, but I’m looking forward to seeing this young talent mature and come together. I’m glad they showed some fight in them and kept working until the end.
R.C. Slocum is our speaker on Monday. He was recently presented the 2011 General Robert Neyland Award. Slocum never had a losing season at Texas A&M and is their winningest coach in A&M history with a 123-47-2 record (only losing 12 games at home in a 14 year period).
Slocum came to A&M when the school was under heavy NCAA sanctions and tasked with cleaning up the program. In 2002 he made the below statement.
I wouldn’t trade winning another game or two for my reputation as a person. I’ve said from day one I’m going to do things the way I think they should be done. There were those who said, `If you don’t cheat, you’re pretty naive. You can’t win that way.’ Well, we’re going to find out. That’s the way we’re going to do it. I can walk away and look myself in the mirror and say, ‘We did it the right way.
September 26th speaker: Mark Schlabach (ESPN)
Go Vols!
September 11th, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
It’s Gator week! This is a reminder that the Knoxville Quarterback Club will be having its first meeting on Monday at Calhoun’s on the River from 11:45 to 1. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to our weekly meetings and Tim Bush’s Pick n’ Win segment, yesterday’s hero, honoring the high school athlete of the week, and recognizing an outstanding official. Jeff Hagood has done an excellent job again this year with booking some fantastic speakers.
This week Bobby Johnson will be our featured speaker. Bobby was most recently head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores. He was at Vanderbilt from 2001-2010. In 2008, he led Vanderbilt to its first winning season since 1982 and its first bowl victory since 1955. Prior to Vanderbilt, he was the head coach of Division I AA Furman Paladins from 1994-2001. In his last season with Furman, he led them to the IAA National Championship game.
Go Vols!
September 5th, 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker,
What a great way to start the season! I think we showed we didn’t have a lot of “fair weather fans” with a good size crowd that stuck around to support the Vols home opening win vs. Montana.They will look forward to a tougher test against Cincinnati this weekend and continue to show that the Vols are improved and the dark days are behind them.
Please continue to send in your membership applications and plan on being in attendance for our first meeting next Monday, September 12th, at Calhoun’s On the River. Jeff Hagood has continued to line up excellent speakers with Bobby Johnson (former Furman and Vanderbilt coach) leading us off. This will be a great time to honor the high school athletes, coaches, referees, and yesterday’s heroes. We look forward to seeing you there.
Go Vols!
August 20th 2011 Newsletter
Dear Quarterbacker;
It is that time of year again! Our team has been popping pads and competing for positions on the depth chart for the past several weeks and only have two more weeks to go before running through the T to begin the 2011 season!
Head Coach Derek Dooley’s 2nd squad will be an exciting one, with young talent at every position. Many of our youngsters made up the core group of starters a year ago. So, while young, they are battle tested and eager to show improvement from last year. A Freshman and Sophomore dominated roster, this team will be improving week to week as they display their talents in the best conference in college football.
The Knoxville Quarterback Club has been working hard to bring to you a great lineup of speakers for the 2011 season. While still a work in progress, we have lined up several former coaches such as Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt), RC Slocum (Texas A&M) and Fisher Deberry (Air Force). In addition, our very own Coach Dooley and newly appointed basketball coach Cuonzo Martin will be guest speakers as well. Throw in former NFL, Marshall University and Webb standout Chad Pennington and you get the picture. Quite a lineup…and we are not finished!
In honor of the late and beloved LaTain McGhee, long time board member of our club, we have awarded the first LaTain McGhee Scholarship to Hardin Valley Academy’s Alexa Carroll. Alexa was chosen for her commitment to academics, athletics (cheerleading) and community service. Congratulations to Alexa on being the first recipient of this award and for being a great role model in honor of LaTain.
Our first meeting will be Monday, September 12th at Calhouns on the River with Bobby Johnson kicking off the speaker season. Buffet will open at 11:30AM, and the program will begin at noon.
I look forward to seeing all of you there. Let’s get ready to do some Grizzly hunting! Can you believe it?…it’s almost Football Time in Tennessee!
Go Vols!
