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Tennessee football’s top 10 seasons with Johnny Majors

ByCaleb Calhoun|
Johnny Majors, Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers stands with his team during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 10 November 1990 at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Notre Dame won the game 34 - 29. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
Johnny Majors, Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers stands with his team during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 10 November 1990 at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Notre Dame won the game 34 - 29. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
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Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images
Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images

1. 1956 (Johnny Majors’ role: Player)

10-1 (6-0); SEC Championship; Sugar Bowl; No. 2 AP and Coaches

We started this list with Johnny Majors’ first season as a player under Bowden Wyatt. Well, now we have to end it with his final season as a player. Tennessee football had set the stage for its arrival post-Robert Neyland thanks to that first year, and this would be that season.

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The Vols started things off with a game against the Auburn Tigers, whom they hadn’t played since 1939. It marked the beginning of a rivalry that would be played annually for 36 years, and Majors did his part to lead them to a dominating 37-7 victory.

A week later, UT beat the Duke Blue Devils 33-20. Then they beat the Chattanooga Mocs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Maryland Terrapins and North Carolina Tar Heels. At 6-0, they were ranked No. 3 in the nation, and Majors was in the midst of an All-American campaign. Then came the game of the year.

UT traveled to Atlanta to face the No. 2 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Vols were led by Wyatt, an All-American who played for Neyland, and GT was led by Bobby Dodd, another All-American who played for Neyland. So it was a battle of Neyland proteges. Well, a great passing drive by Majors in the third quarter and then a defensive stand led to a 6-0 win for the Vols.

That was the highlight of the season, but UT made sure to not have a hangover against the No. 19 ranked Ole Miss Rebels the next week, and they won that game 27-7. After that, they beat the Kentucky Wildcats and Vanderbilt Commodores to finish the regular season 10-0.

Many people felt the undisputed SEC Champions had a claim to the national title, but the Oklahoma Sooners won it. Majors, who was an All-American, had 549 rushing yards, 552 passing yards and 12 total touchdowns. He led the team in passing, rushing and punting but finished second in the Heisman voting to Paul Hornung of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Majors’ was severely robbed that year, as ND went 2-10. Things were made worse when the Vols lost the Sugar Bowl 13-7 to the Baylor Bears. So this was mirrored by the 1997 season, when another UT legend, Peyton Manning, was robbed of the Heisman after winning the SEC Title and then lost his bowl game.

However, at this time, bowl games were exhibitions. Tennessee football still had an elite season, and it was the best the Vols ever had with Majors. It was the one that established him as a legend on Rocky Top, so it tops this list.

For more posts remembering Johnny Majors’ accomplishments on Rocky Top as a player and coach for Tennessee football, please click here.

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