Few athletes can make the claim that they were captain of their high school, college, and pro teams. Ray Graves can. And, he was also a legendary head football coach. A Knoxville native and graduate of Central High School, Graves played football at UT from 1939 through 1941, on teams that compiled a 28-4 record and won two SEC championships. He then went on to play professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1942 and 1943. But that was just Graves’ playing career. His coaching career is perhaps even more impressive and began as a UT assistant in 1944 and 1945. Graves then became an assistant coach under Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech from 1947 to 1959, a time when the Yellow Jackets were among the elite of college football. He finally became a head coach at the University of Florida from 1960 to 1969, fielding first division teams in eight of his ten seasons and leading his squads to five bowl appearances. Graves’ 1966 quarterback, Steve Spurrier, won the Heisman Trophy, and the great coach produced eleven All-Americans. As athletic director, 1960-1978, he led one of the South’s leading all-round athletic programs, winning the SEC all-sports crown four years in a row. After leaving Florida, Graves worked as vice president of public relations for George Steinbrenner Enterprises for eight years before retiring. The proud member of various halls of fame, including the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, Ray Graves’ place is secure in the rich history and tradition of college football.
