The Tennessee Docs

by Michael Vanelli

Did you know there was a UT football team in Memphis that went undefeated for 3 straight years from1921 -1923 defeating some of the top college teams in the country?

They were students at the UT Medical School in Memphis. The idea was launched as a fundraising effort for the Medical School. Some, but not all, of the players had prior college football experience before entering Medical school.

There humble beginnings began in 1920. Lacking funds to hire a coach, a junior dental student by the name of J.A. Crannan assumed the responsibilities of coach and captain. From this humble beginning the mighty University of Tennessee Doctors gridiron team grew.

From 1920 – 26 these Docs cut a path of destruction through college football outscoring opponents by 500-44. They played on an improvised football field in the outfield of Russwood Park. Their first time big name opponent in 1921 was Ole Miss who the Docs beat 24-6 before a crowd of 4500. Season tickets were $7 and the Docs wore the colors of Orange and White like their counterparts in Knoxville.

Eight games were played in 1921 and the Docs went 8-0 and were scored upon only twice.The 1922 season was a continuation of the phenomenal success of Western UT football led by coaches Bill Brennan and George Tandy and once again were undefeated. The final game of the 1922 season was against the Doctors-Wabash of Indiana Purdue. UT Docs won 14-7.                                                                                     

The 1923 season again was and undefeated season On October 27, 1923 the Docs defeated #1 ranked Carson Newman College at Shields-Watkins Field in Knoxville by a score of 7-0. The game was called Parsons vs Doctors and gave a chance for the much larger eastern UT to watch their western counterparts. The following were regulars on the 1923 team Leake, Payne, C. Ford, H. Ford, King, Liggett, Mune, Sanders,Raines, Doak, Cecil McLaughlin and Phil White.

Their final year in 1926 the Docs lost to top ranked Army 14-0 at Ft Benning, GA. One of the Army’s coaches was identified in a Memphis paper as Major Eisenhower.

Their achievements during the three years undefeated was an unparalleled accomplishment by any college team at that time.

And now you know.

References:

• The UT Docs, Steve Pike WKNO TV
• Lost Memphis, Laura Cunningham
• Mugwump UT Knoxville Student Newspaper Dec 1923
• Volopedia – Tennessee Doctors Football Team