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]

Graham Vowell
Vowell c. 1921
Tennessee Volunteers
PositionEnd/Fullback
ClassGraduate
Personal information
Born:(1895-02-27)February 27, 1895
Martin, Tennessee, U.S.
Died:November 17, 1963(1963-11-17) (aged 68)
Tennessee, U.S.
Weight184 lb (83 kg)
Career history
CollegeTennessee (1914–1916; 1921)
Career highlights and awards

Early years

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John Graham was born on February 27, 1895, in Martin, Tennessee, to John A. Vowell and Emma Floyd Wilson.

University of Tennessee

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1914

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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

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Vowell about 1916

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

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Vowell came back in 1921, and was given a gold watch by Knoxville fans.[8]

Florida

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He retired to Florida in 1954.

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "5 Vols Named To Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame's 2017 Class". University of Tennessee Athletics. November 3, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  4. ^ "Athletics". The University of Tennessee Record. 18 (5): 65–68. 1915 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "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.  
  6. ^   "All-Southern Football Team As Picked By Sport Writers". Augusta Chronicle. December 3, 1916 – via Newsbank.com.
  7. ^ "Vowell & Sons, Inc. History".
  8. ^ "Knoxville Fans Present Watch Graham Vowell". The Tennessean. December 4, 1921. p. 13. Retrieved November 9, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
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