KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Southeastern Conference’s first Black quarterback, Condredge Holloway, may have never played at UT if it wasn’t for his mother.
Condredge was a triple threat in high school, playing basketball, football and excelling at baseball. He was drafted fourth overall by the Montreal Expos in the 1971 MLB draft.
He was only 17 at the time and his mother wanted him to pursue higher education. So, taking her advice, he turned down a $50,000 bonus from the Expos to play quarterback at UT.
There was plenty of hype upon his arrival on campus.
“We had a freshman game against Notre Dame in November of 1971. People were just trying to figure out who Condredge was. That freshman game drew 30,000 people to Neyland Stadium, which was as big a freshman game as I can remember,” said Tom Mattingly, freelance writer and author.
During his first year at UT, freshmen were ineligible to play varsity football, but history was made on Sept. 9, 1972, when Condredge took the field against Georgia Tech as the first Black quarterback to play in the Southeastern Conference.
“Being a quarterback at Tennessee is hard, regardless of who you are. There was a lot of pressure on him, but he came through and made some plays you really had to see to believe," Mattingly said.
Condredge’s evasive prowess eventually garnered him the nickname of “The Artful Dodger.”
“They couldn't tackle him. He'd get out on the edge and he'd make them miss. There's all kinds of videotape about Condredge making people miss and people grabbing at air to get him down,” Mattingly said.
Condredge led the Vols to bowl games in each of his three varsity seasons. Along with his football career, Condredge was also UT’s first Black baseball player, earning All-SEC and All-American honors as a shortstop.
Condredge was drafted in the 12th round as a defensive back for the New England Patriots in 1975 but opted to go to the Canadian Football League instead.
There, he won two Grey Cup championships, the equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl, with both the Ottawa Rough Riders and Toronto Argonauts, earning Most Outstanding Player honors in 1982.
After his retirement from the CFL, Condredge eventually made his way back to UT as part of the school’s athletic department and left behind a legacy of triumph.
“For 51 years, Condredge was the measuring stick for quarterbacks. I don't know any player, even Peyton Manning, that has the respect from the fan base that Congress does even after 51 years," Mattingly said.
In Saturday's home opener against Austin Peay, the Tennessee Volunteers football team will pay tribute to Holloway by donning special jerseys commemorating the day Condredge took the field as UT's first Black quarterback 51 years ago.
"I think it's high time that Condredge got recognition in front of 100,000 people about what he contributed to UT football and to SEC football,” Mattingly said.
Condredge has been honored by both the Alabama and Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and his UT baseball jersey number has been retired.