University of Tennessee Athletics
Six VFLs Selected For Tennessee Sports HOF
October 27, 2015 | General
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee football greats Conrad Graham and Lester McClain, UT track legend Missy Kane and the Vol football brothers George Canale, Frank Canale, and Whit Canale will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame at its 50th anniversary Induction Banquet on Saturday, June 17, 2016, at the Omni Nashville.
The inductees were announced on Oct. 24 and include posthumous inductions for Tennessee Titan great Steve McNair and Baylor Golf Coach King Oehmig. Additional inductees include Conrad Graham, University of Tennessee All-America defensive back; Missy Kane, University of Tennessee middle distance runner and bronze medal Olympian; Mike Taylor, UT-Martin football player and current SEC football official; Ernest Gray, All-America wide-receiver from the University of Memphis and NFL star; Mike Curb, legend in automobile racing; Joe Biddle, longtime middle Tennessee sport writer; and Lester McClain, first African American football player at Tennessee.
The Hall also chose the football Canale Brothers from Memphis. In all, six brothers played football in the SEC at Tennessee (George, Frank and Whit) and Mississippi State (Justin, Billy and Conn).
In addition the Hall will induct Milligan College legend and coach Duard Walker as the Lifetime Achievement Inductee.
The Sports Hall of Fame, which held its first induction banquet in 1966, has as its goal to enshrine successful teams and individuals who display sportsmanship, good character and success, creating a legacy for others to follow. The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Museum is housed the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, a 501-C3 pays tribute to all those who have made an impact through sports in Tennessee. The Hall subscribes to the principle that sports serve society's highest ideals by educating youth through sports. It promotes the virtues of competition, fair play, friendship, solidarity, mutual understanding and respect for human dignity. The best way to honor our sports legends is to pass this legacy down to future generations.
Conrad Graham- Football
Conrad Graham was a three-year starter in Tennessee's secondary during a time which the Vols boasted one of the best pass-coverage defenses in history. Three of the defensive backfield members earned All-America status, including Graham his senior year of 1972. Graham left Tennessee third on the career pass interceptions list with 15. He collected 293 return yards in his three years and scored three touchdowns off turnovers. He led the Vols his junior and senior years in interceptions. His All-America year of 1972 saw him pick off seven passes, ranking him fifth on the season pass interceptions list when his career was over. As a sophomore, Graham was part of a secondary that intercepted a school record 36 passes. Drafted 8th round by the Chicago Bears.
Missy Kane- Track
Missy, Nashville native, graduated from The University of Tennessee in 1977 as a captain of the nationally ranked women's track team. Missy started as a walk on but quickly rose as a leader for her team helping they win 4th place at the AIAW championships and a 4th place 3200 relay finish in 1977. Missy stayed in Knoxville and taught and coached at Knoxville's Central High school, before returning for grad school at UTK. Like a true competitor, Missy kept running and placed 3red at the USA Championships and qualified for international Meets. In 1984 at the US Olympic Trials she ran her best time of 4:06 and qualified for the US Olympic Team. She ran in the games and fell just short of the finals. After her national attention, she return as a UT Cross Country Coach and was named SEC coach of the year in 1990 along with an SEC title.
Lester McClain -Football
Lester McClain, born in Nashville and attended Haynes High school and Antioch High School in Antioch, Tennessee. He later became the first African American to ever play in an SEC varsity football game for Tennessee when they played Georgia on September 14th, 1968 under Head Coach Doug Dickey. In his three years at Rocky Top (freshmen were ineligible to play varsity prior to the 1970's), the Nashville native caught 70 passes for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns, while rushing 10 times for 123 yards and two scores. In 1970, McClain led the Big Orange in kickoff return yards, bringing eight kicks back a total of 168 yards. He was selected in the ninth round of the 1971 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears. Lester currently owns a State Farm insurance agency in Nashville.
Canale Brothers-Football
If college or professional football fans remember Whitfield "Whit" Canale or his brother Justin Canale, they probably live in the area surrounding Memphis, Tenn. Even as pro players, Whit briefly with the Dolphins and Patriots and Justin in a longer career with the Patriots, Bengals, and in the CFL and WFL, they were not stars, nor "name players," yet held the respect of their teammates and those who knew them. From a family of athletes, the Canales have maintained a place in the history of Tennessee athletics that is enviable and extensive. With three brothers who played football for the University of Tennessee (Whit, Frank and George) and three more that played for Mississippi State University (Justin, Billy and Conn) there is a strong case to support the comment that "They are the greatest football family that ever came out of Memphis."
