Tennessee honors Condredge Holloway with new uniforms for Austin Peay game
The Tennessee Volunteers have a proud history, and one of its proudest moments lives with former QB Condredge Holloway. The UT signal-caller broke the color barrier in 1972 by becoming the first Black quarterback in the SEC to start a game. Saturday, the Vols will be honoring number seven with a modern touch on a […]
The Tennessee Volunteers have a proud history, and one of its proudest moments lives with former QB Condredge Holloway. The UT signal-caller broke the color barrier in 1972 by becoming the first Black quarterback in the SEC to start a game.
Saturday, the Vols will be honoring number seven with a modern touch on a classic uniform.
The uniforms are a part of a multi-year series announced last year by the university, where the Vols will wear grey uniforms for the 2022-2025 seasons, at least. Tennessee wore grey last season – the first time since 2017 – in Baton Rouge as the Vols trounced LSU 40-13. The win improved the Vols record in the Nike Smokey Grey uniforms to 4-1 all time.
The 2023 version combines the classic look of the orange-shouldered jerseys from Holloway's playing days with the grey helmets, jerseys, and pants. It also includes orange leggings and orange shoulders. The Vols previously threw back to the early 1970s-era jerseys in 2004, wearing all-white uniforms with orange shoulders in the opener against UNLV.
Holloway said previously that he appreciated Bear Bryant telling him that Alabama wasn't ready for a Black quarterback. Fortunately for Holloway and the Tennessee football program, former head coach Bill Battle didn't share that feeling. Holloway shattered the color barrier in Knoxville in 1972 by becoming the first Black quarterback to start an SEC game in Tennessee's 34-3 win over Georgia Tech. The Vols went 10-2, defeating #10 LSU in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
That was just the first step in a storied career for number seven. Holloway went 25-9-2 from 1972-1974, leading the Vols to Bowl two bowl wins and a top 10 final ranking in 1972. He would go on to a lengthy career in the Canadian Football League, throwing for over 25,000 yards in a 13-year career. He was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 1999. Tennessee honored Holloway and three other Black Tennessee football pioneers – Lester McClain, Jackie Walker, and Tee Martin – with statues outside the Gate 21 plaza at Neyland Stadium in September 2021.
Now, Milton will look to carry the banner of the number seven this fall, with a very fitting uniform on his shoulders.
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