Vanderbilt Commodores football

Vanderbilt Commodores football
2009 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
First season	1890
Head coach	7th season, 26–56–0 (.317)
Stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium (capacity: 39,790)
Field	Dudley Field
Year built	1922
Field surface	Field grass
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
League	Division I
Division	East Division
Past conferences	SIAA  (1895–1921) Southern Conference  (1922–1931)
All-time record	551–542–50 (.504)
Bowl record	2–1–1 (.625)
Conference titles	13
Consensus All-Americans	30
Current uniform
File:SEC-Uniform-VADY.PNG
Colors	Black and Gold
Fight song	Dynamite!
Mascot	Mr. C
Marching band	Spirit of Gold Marching Band
Website	www.vucommodores.com

The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores currently play their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium, located in Template:City-state.

History

Early success

Vanderbilt and the University of Nashville played the first college football game in the state of Tennessee in 1890. In 1894 Vanderbilt was among the seven founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Just after the turn of the century, the team enjoyed fairly substantial success, with a composite record of 20-3-2 from 1901-03. Even so, Dan McGugin's arrival as coach from his brother-in-law Fielding Yost's Michigan program in 1904 showed an immediate impact. The 1904 squad outscored its opposition by 474 to four in winning all nine games. McGugin's tenure spanned the years 1904-17 and 1919-34 with a record of 197-55-19 and two national championships.

In 1922, Vanderbilt hosted the University of Michigan to inaugurate Dudley Field. The game ended in a 0–0 tie and figures prominently in the program's history. VU football historian Bill Traughber chronicles the event:

The game between Vanderbilt and Michigan had a carnival-like atmosphere.

Dignitaries and politicians were invited to participate at Dudley Field, the largest football-only stadium in the South at that time. The guest of honor for the dedication game was Cornelius Vanderbilt, the great-great grandson of the university's namesake.

Accompanied by his wife, Vanderbilt arrived at Nashville's Union Station on the morning of the game, his first trip to the city. The day's first event was a luncheon for the young Vanderbilt couple, which was held at the Hermitage Hotel and hosted by Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.

Thousands of Vanderbilt students and alumni met downtown for a parade with Tennessee Governor Alf Taylor riding in the lead automobile. Decorated in orange and black, their automobile began the parade at Twelfth and Broadway, weaving through the side streets to a reviewing stand at the foot of the Capitol Building.

A young, Earnest Albert Craft, born in 1898, employed with the construction team that built the Dudley Field wooden stands was in attendance the day of the game vs. Michigan. Earnest was called on to raise the first American flag during the national anthem. Later, Rev. Earnest Albert Craft would become city councilman of in the West Nashville area and 40 year pastor of Sylvan Park Free Will Baptist Church in Nashville. Clippings of this event are documented in archives of the old Nashville Banner newspaper. A copy of this newspaper account is held today by grandson by adoption, Albert D. Mitchell. Albert, named after E. A. Craft, lives on the west side of Nashville in Bellevue. He was a graduated of Cohn High School and later return to teach and coach at Cohn High School, finally retiring from the Metro Nashville School system in 1989.

1922 was also the year that Vanderbilt entered the Southern Conference as a charter member. The Commodores tied for the conference championship in 1922 and 1923 and continued to finish in the upper half of the conference standings for the next decade.

In 1932, Vanderbilt—at the pinnacle of its athletics dominance in the South—helped found the Southeastern Conference, with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Georgia Tech, and Tulane.

Growing difficulty

However, Vanderbilt football has not won a conference championship since the founding of the Southeastern Conference in 1932. Its last winning season was in 2008 under coach Bobby Johnson. Vanderbilt has competed in four bowl games (see below), with a combined all-time post-season record of 2–1–1. Vanderbilt has finished ranked once, in 1948, when it finished #12 in the AP poll after an 8-2-1 season.

It was in the 1970s and early 1980s that it seemed this trend could be abating, with two of Vanderbilt's post-season appearances coming in 1974 and 1982, and with several near-winning season records.

The last Commodore team before the Bobby Johnson era with a winning record, the 1982 squad (with a record of 8–4), played in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition to the school's third all-time bowl appearance, the 1982 team's season-ending win against Tennessee, in which Vanderbilt quarterback Whit Taylor threw for 391 yards, marked a special season—but a season that proved an exception to years following, when a return to previous levels of mediocrity saw a veritable merry-go-round of head coaches.

From the period 1982 to 2002, when Bobby Johnson was hired, Vanderbilt was led by six coaches, who averaged barely four years per coach.

Recent resurgence

Bobby Johnson was hired in 2002 as the head football coach. At the time, many questioned the University administration's decision to elevate a Division I-AA coach to what some perceive as the nation's premier college football conference, the SEC. Johnson had previously coached at Furman University, a Southern Conference team, leading the Paladins to the Division I-AA title game in 2001, his final year. Vanderbilt administrative officials had pursued and offered the position initially to Gary Barnett and Tyrone Willingham, both of whom had steered small, private universities (Northwestern and Stanford, respectively) to football success. Both turned down the job for different reasons.

The same critics that questioned Johnson's initial hiring also derided the loyalty given to Coach Johnson by the Vanderbilt administration after his first three seasons at the school led to three consecutive 2–9 records. During this time, however, Johnson was continuing to recruit players that had been passed over by major-power schools, but whom Johnson and his staff believed could be molded into SEC-caliber players. Johnson's 2008 team won the Music City Bowl, 16-14 over #24 Boston College. The bowl win, a first since the 1955 Gator Bowl, capped off a 7-6 season, Vanderbilt's first winning record since 1982.

Radical administrative restructuring

Along with this concerted program-development, Johnson joined Vanderbilt's Chancellor E. Gordon Gee and Vice Chancellor David Williams II in creating what the Administration called "a new culture in college athletics" at Vanderbilt. The University Administration, with Johnson's public support, abolished the Department of Athletics as a separate entity within the University's administrative structure, along with the job of Athletic Director -- a first among universities in a major Division I-A athletic conference.

The Administration's loyalty to Johnson, which had paid dividends in his support for the radical changes in administration of the inter-collegiate athletics program also yielded on-the-field results in Johnson's fourth season at the helm of the Commodores.

Increasing Success in the 2000s

In 2005, Vanderbilt finished with a 5–6 record, the program's best finish since 1999. For the first time since 1982, and for the first time in Knoxville since 1975, Vanderbilt defeated its in-state rival, the Tennessee Volunteers, in a 28–24 victory.

All-SEC Quarterback Jay Cutler, the team's offensive captain that season and the offensive player of the year in the SEC, was selected 11th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and named starting quarterback for the last five games of his rookie season.

The pre-game pigskin party, "Vandyville", also took off in the early 2000s, and has become a large staple of the Vanderbilt athletics tradition.

In the 2006 season, Vanderbilt finished with a 4–8 record with sophomore Chris Nickson at quarterback. The 2006 team's peak performance came with a 24–22 defeat of conference rival #16 ranked Georgia at Sanford Stadium, the first time Vanderbilt had ever defeated a ranked opponent on the road. The team came within seconds of defeating Arkansas and Alabama in consecutive weeks.

Vanderbilt fans approached the 2007 season with considerable optimism, given the return of many experienced starters, including WR Earl Bennett and the closeness of the Arkansas and Alabama losses. Vanderbilt started the year strong with a decisive victory over Richmond, but hopes for a win against Nick Saban's Alabama squad fizzled in a 10-24 loss marked by several controversial penalties. Vanderbilt rebounded with strong wins against Ole Miss and Eastern Michigan, but the Ole Miss victory came at a cost, as quarterback Chris Nickson suffered an injury that negatively impacted his future performance and led to his mid-season replacement by Mackenzi Adams. While Vanderbilt appeared to be en route to a convincing homecoming win against #21 Georgia, a late-game Bulldog rally coupled with a costly Vanderbilt fumble in the final minutes of the fourth quarter led to a disappointing 17-20 loss. Vanderbilt rebounded with a stunning upset of #6 ranked South Carolina 17–6 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, beating a top 10 team for the first time in 33 years and a Steve Spurrier-coached team for the first time ever. It was the highest ranked team Vanderbilt had beaten since defeating #6 LSU in 1937. In the following home game against Miami (Ohio), junior wide receiver Earl Bennett made history by breaking the SEC record for most career receptions. Vanderbilt would go on to win the game 24–13. With a 5-3 record entering the last four games of the season, the Commodores seemed primed for bowl eligibility. After a lopsided defeat against Florida and a close loss to Kentucky, the Commodores went to Knoxville to play Tennessee at Neyland Stadium for the first time since their 2005 win. Despite entering as heavy underdogs, Vanderbilt jumped out to a 24-9 lead at the end of the third quarter, but the Volunteers scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the game by one point. Vanderbilt went on to lose its final game of the series against Wake Forest 17-31.

In 2008, Vanderbilt began the season winning their first four games, beating Miami (OH) and Ole Miss on the road, and Rice and nationally ranked South Carolina at home. This perfect start, combined with an upcoming game with nationally ranked Auburn, led to ESPN choosing Vanderbilt as the site for their popular show, College GameDay. In the 5th game, the Commodores defeated SEC rival Auburn for the first time since 1955, when backup quarterback Mackenzi Adams led them back from an early 13-point deficit. At that point, Vanderbilt was ranked #13 in the AP and #14 in the ESPN Coaches football polls. The Commodores were 5-0 for the first time since 1943, 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1950, and one victory away from being eligible for their first bowl appearance since 1982.

Vanderbilt lost its next four games, but history was made on November 15, 2008, when Vanderbilt defeated the Kentucky Wildcats to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. The Commodores finished the 2008 regular season with losses to Tennessee and Wake Forest, completing the regular season with a 6-6 record (4-4 in the SEC).

Their 2008 finish was good enough for the Commodores to earn an invitation to play the Boston College Eagles in the Music City Bowl on December 31, 2008. In a dramatic come-from-behind win, Vanderbilt beat Boston College by a score of 16-14, to win its first bowl game in fifty-three years.

The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodore football team is also noteworthy because it won the 2008 Academic Achievement Award from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This award recognizes graduate rate successes on the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. Vanderbilt was recognized for graduating 95 percent of its 2001 freshman class, the highest graduation rate among all 119 FBS teams.

Junior cornerback D.J. Moore received All-SEC first team honors for the second straight season and second team All-American honors following the 2008 season. He was later drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

The upward trajectory of Vanderbilt football took a step back in 2009. Despite returning 18 starters from the 2008 bowl-championship season, the Commodores finished a disappointing 2-10. Numerous injuries contributed to the team's troubles, as several starters were lost with season-ending injuries, including Ryan Hamilton (Safety), Jared Hawkins (RB), James Williams (OL), and Larry Smith (QB). In addition, transfer WR and projected starter Terrence Jeffers was not academically eligible to play the entire season.

Logos and uniforms

File:SEC-Uniform-combination-VADY.PNG

Vanderbilt's 2009 uniform combinations

Records

Win/loss records

As of December 2008, the Vanderbilt Commodores have won more games than they have lost. However, records show that in the mid- and late-twentieth century, the Commodore football program experienced a considerable down-swing in success on the playing field.

• All-time record: 554-547-50 (.503)
• Against current SEC teams: 186-364-23 (.345)
• 1890-1959: 394-180-40 (.674)
• 1960-present: 160-367-10 (.307)
• Under current head coach (Bobby Johnson, 2002-present): 27-56-0 (.325)
• Against SEC opponents under current head coach: 12-44-0 (.214)

Bowl records

Date	Bowl	Vanderbilt		Opponent
December 31, 1955	Gator Bowl	Vanderbilt	25	Auburn	13
December 28, 1974	Peach Bowl	Vanderbilt	6	Texas Tech	6
December 31, 1982	Hall of Fame Bowl	Vanderbilt	28	Air Force	36
December 31, 2008	Music City Bowl	Vanderbilt	16	Boston College	14
Record: 2–1–1

Year-by-year results

Year	Conference	Coach	Conference				Overall				Notes
			Win	Loss	Tie	Pct.	Win	Loss	Tie	Pct.
1890	None	Elliot H. Jones					1	0	0	1.00
1891	None	Elliot H. Jones					3	1	0	.750
1892	None	Elliot H. Jones					4	4	0	.500
1893	None	W.J. Keller					6	1	0	.857
1894	None	Henry Worth Thornton					7	1	0	.875
1895	SIAA	C.L. Upton					5	3	1	.556
1896	SIAA	R.G. Acton					3	2	2	.429
1897	SIAA	R.G. Acton					6	0	1	.857	SIAA Champion
1898	SIAA	R.G. Acton					1	5	0	.167
1899	SIAA	J.L. Crane					7	2	0	.778
1900	SIAA	J.L. Crane					4	4	1	.444
1901	SIAA	W.H. Watkins					6	1	1	.750	SIAA Champion
1902	SIAA	W.H. Watkins					8	1	0	.889
1903	SIAA	J.H. Henry					6	1	1	.750	SIAA Champion (shared)
1904	SIAA	Dan McGugin					9	0	0	1.000	SIAA Champion
1905	SIAA	Dan McGugin					7	1	0	.875	SIAA Champion
1906	SIAA	Dan McGugin					8	1	0	.889	SIAA Champion
1907	SIAA	Dan McGugin					5	1	1	.714	SIAA Champion
1908	SIAA	Dan McGugin					7	2	1	.700
1909	SIAA	Dan McGugin					7	3	0	.700
1910	SIAA	Dan McGugin					8	0	1	.889	SIAA Champion
1911	SIAA	Dan McGugin					8	1	0	.889	SIAA Champion
1912	SIAA	Dan McGugin					8	1	1	.800	SIAA Champion
1913	SIAA	Dan McGugin					5	3	0	.625
1914	SIAA	Dan McGugin					2	6	0	.250
1915	SIAA	Dan McGugin					9	1	0	.900	SIAA Champion
1916	SIAA	Dan McGugin					7	1	1	.778
1917	SIAA	Dan McGugin					5	3	0	.625
1918	SIAA	Ray Morrison					4	2	0	.667	Dan McGugin did not coach due to service in World War I.
1919	SIAA	Dan McGugin					5	1	2	.625
1920	SIAA	Dan McGugin					5	3	1	.556
1921	SIAA	Dan McGugin					7	0	1	.875
1922	Southern	Dan McGugin					8	0	1	.889	Southern Conference Champion
1923	Southern	Dan McGugin					5	2	1	.625	Southern Conference Champion
1924	Southern	Dan McGugin					6	3	1	.600
1925	Southern	Dan McGugin					6	3	0	.667
1926	Southern	Dan McGugin					8	1	0	.889
1927	Southern	Dan McGugin					8	1	2	.727
1928	Southern	Dan McGugin					8	2	0	.800
1929	Southern	Dan McGugin					7	2	0	.778
1930	Southern	Dan McGugin					8	2	0	.800
1931	Southern	Dan McGugin					5	4	0	.556
1932	Southern	Dan McGugin					6	1	2	.667
1933	Southern	Dan McGugin	2	2	2	.500	4	3	3	.400
1934	Southeastern	Dan McGugin	4	3	0	.571	6	3	0	.667
1935	Southeastern	Ray Morrison	5	1	0	.833	7	3	0	.700
1936	Southeastern	Ray Morrison	1	3	1	.200	3	5	1	.333
1937	Southeastern	Ray Morrison	4	2	0	.667	7	2	0	.778
1938	Southeastern	Ray Morrison	4	3	0	.571	6	3	0	.667
1939	Southeastern	Ray Morrison	1	6	0	.143	2	7	1	.200
1940	Southeastern	Red Sanders	1	5	1	.143	3	6	1	.300
1941	Southeastern	Red Sanders	3	2	0	.600	8	2	0	.800
1942	Southeastern	Red Sanders	2	4	0	.333	6	4	0	.600
1943	Southeastern	E.H. Alley					5	0	0	1.000	Red Sanders did not coach due to service in World War II.
1944	Southeastern	Doby Bartling					3	0	1	.750	Red Sanders did not coach due to service in World War II.
1945	Southeastern	Doby Bartling	2	4	0	.333	3	6	0	.333	Red Sanders did not coach due to service in World War II.
1946	Southeastern	Red Sanders	3	4	0	.429	5	4	0	.556
1947	Southeastern	Red Sanders	3	3	0	.500	6	4	0	.600
1948	Southeastern	Red Sanders	4	2	1	.571	8	2	1	.727	Finished #12 in final AP poll
1949	Southeastern	Bill Edwards	4	4	0	.500	5	5	0	.500
1950	Southeastern	Bill Edwards	3	4	0	.429	7	4	0	.636
1951	Southeastern	Bill Edwards	3	5	0	.375	6	5	0	.545
1952	Southeastern	Bill Edwards	1	4	1	.167	3	5	2	.300
1953	Southeastern	Art Guepe	1	5	0	.167	3	7	0	.300
1954	Southeastern	Art Guepe	1	5	0	.167	2	7	0	.222
1955	Southeastern	Art Guepe	4	3	0	.571	8	3	0	.727	Defeated Auburn in Gator Bowl.
1956	Southeastern	Art Guepe	2	5	0	.286	5	5	0	.500
1957	Southeastern	Art Guepe	3	3	1	.429	5	3	2	.500
1958	Southeastern	Art Guepe	2	1	3	.333	5	2	3	.500
1959	Southeastern	Art Guepe	3	2	2	.429	5	3	2	.500
1960	Southeastern	Art Guepe	1	6	0	.143	3	7	0	.300
1961	Southeastern	Art Guepe	1	6	0	.143	2	8	0	.200
1962	Southeastern	Art Guepe	1	6	0	.143	1	9	0	.100
1963	Southeastern	Jack Green	0	5	2	.000	1	7	2	.100
1964	Southeastern	Jack Green	1	4	0	.200	3	6	1	.300
1965	Southeastern	Jack Green	1	5	0	.167	2	7	1	.200
1966	Southeastern	Jack Green	0	6	0	.000	1	9	0	.100
1967	Southeastern	Bill Pace	0	6	0	.000	2	7	1	.200
1968	Southeastern	Bill Pace	2	3	1	.333	5	4	1	.500
1969	Southeastern	Bill Pace	2	3	0	.400	4	6	0	.400
1970	Southeastern	Bill Pace	1	5	0	.167	4	7	0	.364
1971	Southeastern	Bill Pace	1	5	0	.167	4	6	1	.364
1972	Southeastern	Bill Pace	1	5	0	.167	3	8	0	.273
1973	Southeastern	Steve Sloan	1	5	0	.167	5	6	0	.455
1974	Southeastern	Steve Sloan	2	3	1	.333	7	3	2	.583	Tied Texas Tech in Peach Bowl.
1975	Southeastern	Fred Pancoast	2	4	0	.333	7	4	0	.636
1976	Southeastern	Fred Pancoast	0	6	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
1977	Southeastern	Fred Pancoast	0	6	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
1978	Southeastern	Fred Pancoast	0	6	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
1979	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	0	6	0	.000	1	10	0	.091
1980	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	0	6	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
1981	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	1	5	0	.167	4	7	0	.364
1982	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	4	2	0	.667	8	4	0	.667	Lost to Air Force in Hall of Fame Bowl.
1983	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	0	6	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
1984	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	2	4	0	.333	5	6	0	.455
1985	Southeastern	George MacIntyre	1	4	1	.167	3	7	1	.273
1986	Southeastern	Watson Brown	0	6	0	.000	1	10	0	.091
1987	Southeastern	Watson Brown	1	5	0	.167	4	7	0	.364
1988	Southeastern	Watson Brown	2	5	0	.286	3	8	0	.273
1989	Southeastern	Watson Brown	0	7	0	.000	1	10	0	.091
1990	Southeastern	Watson Brown	1	6	0	.143	1	10	0	.091
1991	Southeastern	Gerry DiNardo	3	4	0	.429	5	6	0	.455
1992	Southeastern	Gerry DiNardo	2	6	0	.250	4	7	0	.364
1993	Southeastern	Gerry DiNardo	2	6	0	.250	5	6	0	.455
1994	Southeastern	Gerry DiNardo	2	6	0	.250	5	6	0	.455
1995	Southeastern	Rod Dowhower	1	7	0	.125	2	9	0	.182
1996	Southeastern	Rod Dowhower	0	8	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
1997	Southeastern	Woody Widenhofer	0	8	0	.000	3	8	0	.273
1998	Southeastern	Woody Widenhofer	1	7	0	.125	2	9	0	.182
1999	Southeastern	Woody Widenhofer	2	6	0	.250	5	6	0	.455
2000	Southeastern	Woody Widenhofer	1	7	0	.125	3	8	0	.272
2001	Southeastern	Woody Widenhofer	0	8	0	.000	2	9	0	.182
2002	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	0	8	0	.000	2	10	0	.167
2003	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	1	7	0	.125	2	10	0	.167
2004	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	1	7	0	.125	2	9	0	.182
2005	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	3	5	0	.375	5	6	0	.455
2006	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	1	7	0	.125	4	8	0	.333
2007	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	2	6	0	.250	5	7	0	.417
2008	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	4	4	0	.500	7	6	0	.539	Defeated Boston College in Music City Bowl.
2009	Southeastern	Bobby Johnson	0	8	0	.000	2	10	0	.167
Totals			121	367	17	.248	556	557	50	.499

Source: 2009 Media Guide

Vanderbilt personnel

Coaching staff

As of 2009, the following persons were on the Vanderbilt Football Coaching Staff:

Name	Position	Years at VU
Bobby Johnson	Head coach	8
Warren Belin	Linebackers/Recruiting Coordinator	8
Jame Bryant	Defensive coordinator/Defensive backs	8
Ted Cain	Offensive coordinator/Tight ends	8
Robbie Caldwell	Assistant head coach/Offensive line	8
Desmond Kitchings	Running backs	2
Charlie Fisher	Receivers	8
Bruce Fowler	Defensive Assistant Head coach	8
Jimmy Kiser	Quarterbacks	8
Rick Logo	Defensive line	3
John Sisk	Strength and conditioning	8

Source: Vanderbilt 2009 Football Media Guide

Commodores currently in the NFL

Player	Years at VU	NFL Team
Reshard Langford	2004-2008	Philadelphia Eagles
D.J. Moore	2006-2008	Chicago Bears
Sean Walker	2004-2008	St. Louis Rams
Earl Bennett	2005-2007	Chicago Bears
Marcus Buggs	2004-2007	Buffalo Bills
Curtis Gatewood	2004-2007	Detroit Lions
Jonathan Goff	2004-2007	New York Giants
Chris Williams	2004-2007	Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler	2002-2005	Chicago Bears
Justin Geisinger	2001-2004	Carolina Panthers
Jovan Haye	2002-2004	Tennessee Titans
Hunter Hillenmeyer	1999-2002	Chicago Bears
Matt Stewart	1998-2001	Dallas Cowboys
Jamie Winborn	1999-2001	Denver Broncos
Todd Yoder	1997-2000	Washington Redskins
Corey Chavous	1995-1998	St. Louis Rams

College Football Hall of Fame

Vanderbilt Commodore football personnel have been inducted into the National Football Foundation's National College Football Hall of Fame.

Players

Name	Position	Years at VU
John J. Tigert	Fullback	1901-1903
Josh Cody	Tackle	1914-1916, 1919
Lynn Bomar	End	1922-1924
William Spears	Quarterback	1925-1927
Carl Hinkle	Center	1935-1937

Coaches

Name	Years at VU
Dan McGugin	1904-1917, 1919-1934
Ray Morrison	1915-1952
Jess Neely	1924-1966
Red Sanders	1940-1942, 1946-1948
Bill Edwards	1949-1952

Conference recognition

Vanderbilt Commodores personnel, including coaches and players, have received recognition from the Southeastern Conference for their performances on the football field.

Players

Most valuable player

Name	Year
Bob Goodridge	1967
Bill Wade	1951
Jack Jenkins	1941
Carl Hinkle	1937
Willie Geny	1935

Offensive player of the year

Name	Year
Jay Cutler	2005

Freshman of the year

Name	Year
Kwane Doster	2002
Warren Norman	2009

Best blocker

Name	Year
Jack Jenkins	1941, 1942

Best wide receiver

Name	Year
Earl Bennett	2005 - 2007

Coach of the year

Name	Year
Bobby Johnson	2008
George MacIntyre	1982
Art Guepe	1955
Red Sanders	1941
Ray Morrison	1937

Links

• Official Vanderbilt Football Page