Bobby Majors is a legend

[esarmstrong]

So says the powers that be who are a part of the SEC championship game. Today he gets a day in the sun as the "legend of the game" from UT.

As a very young fan, I saw my first UT game in 1968. Bobby Majors came to UT and was there from 69-71 so naturally, I have much more first hand experience watching him than his older brother, Johnny.

Bobby Majors was a part of one of UT's greatest teams, the 1970 squad that set an NCAA record for interceptions and turnovers in a single season. Tim Priest led that group and is the career leader in interceptions, but Bobby Majors was a major contributor to that group.

Bobby Majors did much more than play great defense. He was a special teams workhorse. He had an amazing knack for returning punts and kickoffs. Bobby Majors was far from the fastest, quickest or strongest player on the field. He just had that knack that comes with someone with great football instincts. Somehow he made seemingly more athletic players miss and before you knew it he would be standing in the end zone.

He saved his greatest performance for the season finale in 1971 against Penn State. Penn State came into the game undefeated and untied. They had Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris and were being touted heavily as a National Champion contender. We had lost two games that season: Auburn (10-9) and Alabama (32-16). We were a good team, but we were challenged offensively.

To further add to the drama of the day, UT was having a Majors day celebration prior to the game. Bobby came out before the game in his uniform and appeared with his dad and the Majors family. Then when the game started he proceeded to play the game of his life in his final home game as a Vol. He had over 200 yards in returns, including a punt return for a touchdown. Someone needs to make a movie about it, right?

In much the same way that Condredge Holloway was Michael Vick before there was a Michael Vick, Bobby Majors was Charles Woodson before there was Charles Woodson.

This year he is up for consideration and induction into the College Football Hall of fame along with two other former greats from UT: Willie Gault and Paul Naumoff. Here's to hoping he gets in.

 

[Jax_Vol]

Probably the very first Vol player that I can actually remember his style of play. He was smooth back there in the secondary amd returning punts. I tried to be like him in the backyard football games.

My next Vol hero after Bobby was the bare footed kicker....early Saturday morning triva question...what was his name?

 

[esarmstrong]

Probably the very first Vol player that I can actually remember his style of play. He was smooth back there in the secondary amd returning punts. I tried to be like him in the backyard football games.

My next Vol hero after Bobby was the bare footed kicker....early Saturday morning triva question...what was his name?

Ricky Townsend. Where is he today?

 

[JAEvans24]

So says the powers that be who are a part of the SEC championship game. Today he gets a day in the sun as the "legend of the game" from UT.

As a very young fan, I saw my first UT game in 1968. Bobby Majors came to UT and was there from 69-71 so naturally, I have much more first hand experience watching him than his older brother, Johnny.

Bobby Majors was a part of one of UT's greatest teams, the 1970 squad that set an NCAA record for interceptions and turnovers in a single season. Tim Priest led that group and is the career leader in interceptions, but Bobby Majors was a major contributor to that group.

Bobby Majors did much more than play great defense. He was a special teams workhorse. He had an amazing knack for returning punts and kickoffs. Bobby Majors was far from the fastest, quickest or strongest player on the field. He just had that knack that comes with someone with great football instincts. Somehow he made seemingly more athletic players miss and before you knew it he would be standing in the end zone.

He saved his greatest performance for the season finale in 1971 against Penn State. Penn State came into the game undefeated and untied. They had Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris and were being touted heavily as a National Champion contender. We had lost two games that season: Auburn (10-9) and Alabama (32-16). We were a good team, but we were challenged offensively.

To further add to the drama of the day, UT was having a Majors day celebration prior to the game. Bobby came out before the game in his uniform and appeared with his dad and the Majors family. Then when the game started he proceeded to play the game of his life in his final home game as a Vol. He had over 200 yards in returns, including a punt return for a touchdown. Someone needs to make a movie about it, right?

In much the same way that Condredge Holloway was Michael Vick before there was a Michael Vick, Bobby Majors was Charles Woodson before there was Charles Woodson.

This year he is up for consideration and induction into the College Football Hall of fame along with two other former greats from UT: Willie Gault and Paul Naumoff. Here's to hoping he gets in.

Great post here, I wish I could have seen him play.

 

[Jax_Vol]

Ricky Townsend. Where is he today?

Very good. Absolutely no idea. As a 10 year old, I spent many an hour kicking balls over the clothes line with my bare foot. I would use the clothes pins to mark the edges of the goal posts. lol

 

[esarmstrong]

Very good. Absolutely no idea. As a 10 year old, I spent many an hour kicking balls over the clothes line with my bare foot. I would use the clothes pins to mark the edges of the goal posts. lol

Are you sure you didn't grow up in Cleveland, Tennessee?

 

[bigorange61]

My dad took me to a "meet and greet the Vols" type thing back in 1971. It was at a grocery store/shopping center in Morristown, Tennessee. I met Bobby Majors and Curt Watson, and got their autographs. As a ten year old kid, I thought these guys were bigger than life. Been hooked on the Vols ever since.

 

[VOODOOVOL]

Ricky Townsend
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[Condredge]

Bobby Majors threw out the first pitch to open our Little League season in 1972. As the catcher for the defending champs, I got to catch it. I was at both Penn State games - the one referenced and the opening game the next year under the lights (first time). Bobby was great. That whole era was.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Saw and met him during his PG year at Castle Heights....He was a fanastic DB with a field vison that cannot be taught....Throughout years at UT would visit with him with a friend...He was All Vol....Best game I saw him play was his final game vs Penn State....

Penn State had Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris in their back field. Franco Harris was the first and only player I ever saw use a successful and forceful stiff arm on B Majors....He drove his head down to the ground text book....Majors got the best of them in returns.....By that alone I knew that Franco Harris was the real Deal....

I think they use to give cars away at the end of the game because he ended up with a new Corvett Sting Ray....I cannot remember what the deal was but it was part of the sponsorship program.....

 

[Jax_Vol]

Are you sure you didn't grow up in Cleveland, Tennessee?

Uh, no. I grew up in Manchester, TN. Ended up in Winchester. Am I sounding like you?

This is kinda wierd...one of my grandfathers was names Estes Armstrong...very similiar to your screen name.

Twilight zone stuff here...!

 

[Sudden Impact]

He had another great game we beat AL 41 to 14 he had a punt return for a touchdown...

He had great Vision....Somebody referenced the turnovers....That defense was awesome they had 3 or 4 mid air fumbles returned for TDs that year to boot.....

 

[Coastypop]

So says the powers that be who are a part of the SEC championship game. Today he gets a day in the sun as the "legend of the game" from UT.

As a very young fan, I saw my first UT game in 1968. Bobby Majors came to UT and was there from 69-71 so naturally, I have much more first hand experience watching him than his older brother, Johnny.

Bobby Majors was a part of one of UT's greatest teams, the 1970 squad that set an NCAA record for interceptions and turnovers in a single season. Tim Priest led that group and is the career leader in interceptions, but Bobby Majors was a major contributor to that group.

Bobby Majors did much more than play great defense. He was a special teams workhorse. He had an amazing knack for returning punts and kickoffs. Bobby Majors was far from the fastest, quickest or strongest player on the field. He just had that knack that comes with someone with great football instincts. Somehow he made seemingly more athletic players miss and before you knew it he would be standing in the end zone.

He saved his greatest performance for the season finale in 1971 against Penn State. Penn State came into the game undefeated and untied. They had Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris and were being touted heavily as a National Champion contender. We had lost two games that season: Auburn (10-9) and Alabama (32-16). We were a good team, but we were challenged offensively.

To further add to the drama of the day, UT was having a Majors day celebration prior to the game. Bobby came out before the game in his uniform and appeared with his dad and the Majors family. Then when the game started he proceeded to play the game of his life in his final home game as a Vol. He had over 200 yards in returns, including a punt return for a touchdown. Someone needs to make a movie about it, right?

In much the same way that Condredge Holloway was Michael Vick before there was a Michael Vick, Bobby Majors was Charles Woodson before there was Charles Woodson.

This year he is up for consideration and induction into the College Football Hall of fame along with two other former greats from UT: Willie Gault and Paul Naumoff. Here's to hoping he gets in.

Great post...... As Bob Hope would say "Thanks for the memories..."

 

[GreyhoundMan]

I remember that first Penn State game very well - I was a college freshman (at ETSU but still a hardcore Vol fan!) so three friends and I drove down that morning from Elizabethton to see the game - it snowed the night before but turned into a beautiful day. ABC was there and had a camera on a platform hanging over the bleachers at the open end of the horseshoe just above where our seats were. We eventually sneaked up in that cleared out section, stretched out and watched Conrad Graham return an interception for a TD. Great game, great day, great memories. Go Vols!

 

[Jax_Vol]

I remember that first Penn State game very well - I was a college freshman (at ETSU but still a hardcore Vol fan!) so three friends and I drove down that morning from Elizabethton to see the game - it snowed the night before but turned into a beautiful day. ABC was there and had a camera on a platform hanging over the bleachers at the open end of the horseshoe just above where our seats were. We eventually sneaked up in that cleared out section, stretched out and watched Conrad Graham return an interception for a TD. Great game, great day, great memories. Go Vols!

Didn't JoePa say that he would never return to play at Tennessee unless the game was played at night. And so that it what lead to the installation of the nights and Penn State returned to play again.

I may have that story really mixed up bad.

 

[Tallman]

I was at UT at the same time as Bobby Majors. He had the best natural instincts of anyone I have seen. Wish we could find someone like him today.

 

[esarmstrong]

The best compliment I can pay him is to say that Bobby Majors was the best "football player" I ever saw play at UT. I don't know what it was about the guy, but he was just a great football player. He played safety and returned kicks, but he would have excelled at any position on the field. Like I said in my OP, he wasn't the fastest, the biggest, the strongest; he was just a great football player.

 

[esarmstrong]

Uh, no. I grew up in Manchester, TN. Ended up in Winchester. Am I sounding like you?

This is kinda wierd...one of my grandfathers was names Estes Armstrong...very similiar to your screen name.

Twilight zone stuff here...!

:loco:

The whole kicking-field-goals-barefooted-over-the-clothes-line hits way too close to home with me.

 

[CurtWatson31]

So says the powers that be who are a part of the SEC championship game. Today he gets a day in the sun as the "legend of the game" from UT.

As a very young fan, I saw my first UT game in 1968. Bobby Majors came to UT and was there from 69-71 so naturally, I have much more first hand experience watching him than his older brother, Johnny.

Bobby Majors was a part of one of UT's greatest teams, the 1970 squad that set an NCAA record for interceptions and turnovers in a single season. Tim Priest led that group and is the career leader in interceptions, but Bobby Majors was a major contributor to that group.

Bobby Majors did much more than play great defense. He was a special teams workhorse. He had an amazing knack for returning punts and kickoffs. Bobby Majors was far from the fastest, quickest or strongest player on the field. He just had that knack that comes with someone with great football instincts. Somehow he made seemingly more athletic players miss and before you knew it he would be standing in the end zone.

He saved his greatest performance for the season finale in 1971 against Penn State. Penn State came into the game undefeated and untied. They had Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris and were being touted heavily as a National Champion contender. We had lost two games that season: Auburn (10-9) and Alabama (32-16). We were a good team, but we were challenged offensively.

To further add to the drama of the day, UT was having a Majors day celebration prior to the game. Bobby came out before the game in his uniform and appeared with his dad and the Majors family. Then when the game started he proceeded to play the game of his life in his final home game as a Vol. He had over 200 yards in returns, including a punt return for a touchdown. Someone needs to make a movie about it, right?

In much the same way that Condredge Holloway was Michael Vick before there was a Michael Vick, Bobby Majors was Charles Woodson before there was Charles Woodson.

This year he is up for consideration and induction into the College Football Hall of fame along with two other former greats from UT: Willie Gault and Paul Naumoff. Here's to hoping he gets in.

#44 One of my all time favorites. Love that era of Tennessee football. Great childhood memories for me as well.

 

[esarmstrong]

I was at UT at the same time as Bobby Majors. He had the best natural instincts of anyone I have seen. Wish we could find someone like him today.

When we start looking for that guy we need to check and see if his dad is/was a legendary college coach and if he was the youngest of 4 brothers who all played football at a high level before him.

Bobby had to have benefited immensely from growing up around the game the way he did.

Edit: 5 brothers. Forgot about Larry.

 

[utvolkyle06]

I remember that first Penn State game very well - I was a college freshman (at ETSU but still a hardcore Vol fan!) so three friends and I drove down that morning from Elizabethton to see the game - it snowed the night before but turned into a beautiful day. ABC was there and had a camera on a platform hanging over the bleachers at the open end of the horseshoe just above where our seats were. We eventually sneaked up in thatcleared out section, stretched out and
watched Conrad Graham return an
interception for a TD. Great game, great
day, great memories. Go Vols!

I am also from the Betsy area went to Hampton Johnny Mills one of the best WR in UT history he, myself, Brent Dugger, Ben Dugger, Billy Pike and others played lots of tennis and sand lot football in the TA Dugger school yard.

 

[esarmstrong]

I remember that first Penn State game very well - I was a college freshman (at ETSU but still a hardcore Vol fan!) so three friends and I drove down that morning from Elizabethton to see the game - it snowed the night before but turned into a beautiful day. ABC was there and had a camera on a platform hanging over the bleachers at the open end of the horseshoe just above where our seats were. We eventually sneaked up in that cleared out section, stretched out and watched Conrad Graham return an interception for a TD. Great game, great day, great memories. Go Vols!

That game was won by Tennessee's defense and special teams. Majors' kick returns either resulted in or set up easy scores for our challenged offense and the Conrad Graham intercepted fumble was one of two defensive touchdowns that day. IIRC Jackie Walker returned an interception for a TD.

This game stands as a strong testament to the importance of special teams to the success of a football team. Without it we lose this game.

Wish our present day coach would find some way of giving renewed emphasis to this phase of the game.

 

[GreyhoundMan]

I've heard that story too - not sure if it's true but it sounds good, anyway.

 

[volfan2024]

So says the powers that be who are a part of the SEC championship game. Today he gets a day in the sun as the "legend of the game" from UT.

As a very young fan, I saw my first UT game in 1968. Bobby Majors came to UT and was there from 69-71 so naturally, I have much more first hand experience watching him than his older brother, Johnny.

Bobby Majors was a part of one of UT's greatest teams, the 1970 squad that set an NCAA record for interceptions and turnovers in a single season. Tim Priest led that group and is the career leader in interceptions, but Bobby Majors was a major contributor to that group.

Bobby Majors did much more than play great defense. He was a special teams workhorse. He had an amazing knack for returning punts and kickoffs. Bobby Majors was far from the fastest, quickest or strongest player on the field. He just had that knack that comes with someone with great football instincts. Somehow he made seemingly more athletic players miss and before you knew it he would be standing in the end zone.

He saved his greatest performance for the season finale in 1971 against Penn State. Penn State came into the game undefeated and untied. They had Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris and were being touted heavily as a National Champion contender. We had lost two games that season: Auburn (10-9) and Alabama (32-16). We were a good team, but we were challenged offensively.

To further add to the drama of the day, UT was having a Majors day celebration prior to the game. Bobby came out before the game in his uniform and appeared with his dad and the Majors family. Then when the game started he proceeded to play the game of his life in his final home game as a Vol. He had over 200 yards in returns, including a punt return for a touchdown. Someone needs to make a movie about it, right?

In much the same way that Condredge Holloway was Michael Vick before there was a Michael Vick, Bobby Majors was Charles Woodson before there was Charles Woodson.

This year he is up for consideration and induction into the College Football Hall of fame along with two other former greats from UT: Willie Gault and Paul Naumoff. Here's to hoping he gets in.

I agree. The entire Majors family is legend starting with dad Shirley. As a young boy I went to an orange and white game with my dad and got his elbow or knee pad after the game. The older days and ways seemed so different and better.

 

[Boca Vol]

Playing Penn St. the last game of the year. That had to be pretty cool!

I caddied for Conrad Graham back in 2000 when I lived in Charleston and worked at Kiawah Island.