John Graham Vowell (February 27, 1895 – November 17, 1963) was an American football player for the Tennessee Volunteers, of the University of Tennessee.[1] He was the school's first All-American.[2] Vowell was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for 2017.[3]
 Vowell c. 1921 | |
| Tennessee Volunteers | |
|---|---|
| Position | End/Fullback |
| Class | Graduate |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 27, 1895 Martin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died: | November 17, 1963 (aged 68) Tennessee, U.S. |
| Weight | 184 lb (83 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Tennessee (1914–1916; 1921) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early years edit
John Graham was born on February 27, 1895, in Martin, Tennessee, to John A. Vowell and Emma Floyd Wilson.
University of Tennessee edit
1914 edit
Vowell played mostly at end and was a member of the 1914 SIAA champion Vols; the program's first championship of any kind. He scored three touchdowns in that season's final game against Kentucky.[1][4]
1916 edit
Vowell scored the winning touchdown in the victory over Vanderbilt in 1916 immediately dubbed the upset of the season.[5] He was selected All-Southern in 1916,[6] a year in which he was captain and helped lead the Volunteers to an 8–0–1 record and a share of the SIAA championship. Walter Camp placed Vowell on his All-America third-team. His older brother Morris Vowell was a tackle on some of the same teams. Graham and his family worked in the lumber business.[7]
1921 edit
Vowell came back in 1921, and was given a gold watch by Knoxville fans.[8]
Florida edit
He retired to Florida in 1954.
References edit
- ^ a b Davis, Parke H. (1916). "National Stars of the Gridiron". St. Nicholas:An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks. 43: 58–59 – via Google Books.
- ^ Organ, Mike (November 1, 2016). "5 ex-Vols, 3 ex-Commodores in 2017 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame class". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "5 Vols Named To Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame's 2017 Class". University of Tennessee Athletics. November 3, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ "Athletics". The University of Tennessee Record. 18 (5): 65–68. 1915 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Defeat of Vandy Was Big Surprise". The Charlotte Observer. Out-Door Sports (section). November 13, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved March 29, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^
"All-Southern Football Team As Picked By Sport Writers". Augusta Chronicle. December 3, 1916 – via Newsbank.com.
- ^ "Vowell & Sons, Inc. History".
- ^ "Knoxville Fans Present Watch Graham Vowell". The Tennessean. December 4, 1921. p. 13. Retrieved November 9, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
