JACKSONVILLE — Throughout its proud history, the University of Tennessee football program has won six national championships and appeared in 54 postseason bowl games.
Many players, coaches, and one broadcaster, Lindsey Nelson, have been inducted into bowl game Halls of Fame.
This installment chronicles Volunteers in the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame. Those men include College Football Hall of Fame coach Doug Dickey and former Tennessee running back James Stewart.
Dickey appeared in four Gator Bowl games as a player and coach with UT and the Florida Gators.
As a quarterback for the Gators, Dickey led his team to a 14-13 victory against Tulane.
In 1966 as Tennessee’s coach, he guided the Vols to an 18-12 victory over Syracuse and culminated an 8-3 season.
In 1969, after guiding Tennessee to a Southeastern Conference championship, Dickey coached in the Gator Bowl in which Tennessee lost to SEC foe Florida, 14-13.
That would be Dickey’s final game as Tennessee’s coach as he left to take over at his alma mater in Gainesville shortly after the game.
Dickey coached Florida in the 1975 Gator Bowl as Maryland beat the Gators, 13-0. He was inducted into the hall in 1994.
Dickey was later athletic director at UT.
Stewart, who hails from Morristown, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1994 Gator Bowl, leading the Big Orange to a 45-25 victory over Virginia Tech.
Stewart scored three rushing touchdowns and ran for 85 yards on 22 carries.
He also threw a touchdown pass to Kendrick Jones.
Stewart was enshrined in 1998 and went on to have a solid professional career in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions.
Tennessee appeared in the 2020 Gator Bowl (following the 2019 season that saw the Vols go 8-5). They beat Indiana.
Former Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs (the game’s 2015 MVP) and Phillip Fulmer took part in pregame activities as the bowl celebrated its 75th anniversary.