It’s a good thing that Joe Majors was a great athlete. As the second son of the “First Family of Tennessee Football,” Joe had the unenviable position of following his older brother, All-American John Majors. Luckily for parents Shirley and Elizabeth Majors, Joe starred on the playing field as well. His football career began at Huntland High School in Franklin County, where he played for his father. Opting not to follow in his brother’s footsteps, Joe enrolled at Alabama instead of UT, and soon transferred to Florida State, where he set several passing records and was honorable mention All-American his senior year, 1959. Perhaps the only time in her entire life that mother Elizabeth Majors did not know for whom to root was when Joe and Florida State came to town. His team beat younger brother Bill’s Volunteers in 1958, and that same year, Joe led Florida State to a 17-6 victory over archrival Miami. After college, Joe Majors played for the original Houston Oilers, starting at safety in the franchise’s inaugural game. A fine football career behind him, Joe Majors went on to an equally impressive legislative career, serving in the House of Representatives, and then becoming a lobbyist in 1971, a job he still holds today. Like his siblings, Joe Majors has fond memories of his father, Shirley, who would take the kids everywhere to see the best games. He credits his father with instilling in him the fundamentals of football, and you can bet that Joe and all the other Majors boys came ready to play.
