John Graham Vowell (February 27, 1895 â November 17, 1963) was an American football player for the Tennessee Volunteers, of the University of Tennessee. He was the school's first All-American. Vowell was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame for 2017.
John Graham was born on February 27, 1895, in Martin, Tennessee, to John A. Vowell and Emma Floyd Wilson.
Vowell played mostly at end and was a member of the 1914 SIAA champion Vols; the program's first championship of any kind. He scored three touchdowns in that season's final game against Kentucky.
Vowell scored the winning touchdown in the victory over Vanderbilt in 1916 immediately dubbed the upset of the season. He was selected All-Southern in 1916, a year in which he was captain and helped lead the Volunteers to an 8âÂÂ0âÂÂ1 record and a share of the SIAA championship. Walter Camp placed Vowell on his All-America third-team. His older brother Morris Vowell was a tackle on some of the same teams. Graham and his family worked in the lumber business.
Vowell came back in 1921, and was given a gold watch by Knoxville fans.
He retired to Florida in 1954.