UT to honor Black student-athletes who paved the way for progress with statues at Neyland Stadium – WBIR.com

UT will unveil the bronze statues on Sept. 2 in the plaza outside Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The University of Tennessee announced that they will be paying tribute to four Black student-athletes from Vols football history who were trailblazers for racial equity.

The four players being commemorated are Lester McClain, Jackie Walker, Condredge Holloway and Tee Martin.

The bronze statues will be unveiled on Thursday, Sept. 2 at UT's first game of the season against Bowling Green. The statues will be located in the plaza outside of Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium.

The unveiling will be "a kickoff to Neyland Stadium's year-long centennial celebration" according to UT Athletics.

"It's an honor for this university to be able to permanently recognize the impact of these men in such a powerful way," said Director of Athletics Danny White. "I hope it serves as a reminder of those who came before them and paved the way for progress."

UT Athletics say that due to space limitation, attendance for the ceremony will be limited. However, the event will also be livestreamed on UTsports.com and the Tennessee Athletics YouTube channel.

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UT to honor Black student-athletes who paved the way for progress with statues at Neyland Stadium - WBIR.com