I didn't either. I was listening to "Big Orange Sunday" a few weeks back. Doug Mathews has had Bud Ford on quite a few times. He is the former SID and a great historian. Has quite a few great story's and if you can pull up the podcasts from this summer - in spite of all the doubt going in in the world, there are a few gems there. .
In one of the shows, Bud Ford talked about how Majors was so proud of Lynchburg and how he'd take guests there and just ride around showing his favorite places. I knew his roots were down around Huntland, but didn't realize Lynchburg was really where he considered home. Didn't his Dad coach football at the high school there? Someone help out on that.
Then I saw a picture of the grave of his Dad and figured that's where Johnny is going to end up.
I grew up in Huntsville, and Mom was from Tullahoma, so I have passed through Lynchburg a thousand times over the years. I never knew he Majors plot was there and have been looking for a day off to make a sojourn, and went on up the road to the Oak Hill cemetery in Tullahoma to my Mom's family plot. What else to do on a rainy Sunday??
Shirley did coach at Lynchburg. He was a barber and was convinced by some players and local businessmen to take the job. My dad was one of those players. The Majors family lived 2 doors down from my dad's family. The recruiters got together $100 to persuade Shirley to take the job. He later moved to Huntland where he fielded a state championship team with Johnny as the star. As a side note, my grandfather and dad took Johnny to his first UT game.