Tech football honoring Ragland era with helmets in Homecoming matchup
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When the Tennessee Tech football team takes to the field on Saturday, it’ll have a distinct look on its helmets – the word “Tech” in a purple, cursive script on a white field, as well as a purple stripe down the middle. For many around the current Tech program, it’ll be a new look, but for those who have been around the program or followed the team for a long time, it’ll be a trip down Memory Lane. The Golden Eagles will don these helmets, honoring its past, this weekend as a part of the team’s Homecoming events. Tech hosts Murray State on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Tucker Stadium.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When the Tennessee Tech football team takes to the field on Saturday, it'll have a distinct look on its helmets – the word "Tech" in a purple, cursive script on a white field, as well as a purple stripe down the middle.
For many around the current Tech program, it'll be a new look, but for those who have been around the program or followed the team for a long time, it'll be a trip down Memory Lane.
The Golden Eagles will don these helmets, honoring its past, this weekend as a part of the team's Homecoming events. Tech hosts Murray State on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Tucker Stadium.
But for head coach Dewayne Alexander, bringing these helmets back for this contest wasn't just to honor those players who donned them once before, but to also honor one of his greatest inspirations – a man whose legacy with Tech football goes back a long way.
"Jim Ragland was the greatest inspiration for this," Alexander said. "He's a legendary Tennessee Tech figure if there ever was one. He's the Paul Bunyan, I call it, of Tennessee Tech. He was an all-conference player here, he's in our Hall of Fame. He played here from 1961 to 1963. He was a fundraiser for the University, he coached collegiately at a lot of different places but ended his career here at Tech. He became a part of Coach Gary Darnell's staff in the early '80s and when Coach Darnell resigned, Coach Ragland became the eighth head football coach here.
"I was here. I played for Coach Darnell for two seasons, then played for Coach Ragland. I always maintained a close relationship with Coach Ragland. He truly was one of those guys that bled purple and gold. He loved Tennessee Tech. He was a native of the Upper Cumberland area. He loved not just Cookeville, but all of the Upper Cumberland. He had a lot of close relationships with people in this community and alums – not just football, but throughout the university community."
When Alexander saw the helmet come in his office, plenty of memories flooded back.
"It brought back a lot of positive memories," he said. "It's one thing to see a mock-up of it or a mini helmet or a drawing, but when (equipment manager) Robert Birchfield brought the helmet in, I looked at it and said, 'That's awesome.' It made the hairs on my arm stand up and maybe tear up a little bit. I want to wear that thing."
Of course, there was a special bond with Coach Ragland and the young men that played for him.
"He cared deeply about his players," Alexander said. "He took an interest in all of them. He talked to you. He knew who you were. He kept touch with you after you were done playing. I had a close relationship to Coach Ragland after my playing career ended and my coaching career started. There were several games where I was coaching and he was there. He hung around after the games and spoke to me.
"I felt that was an era of football that while there were a lot of good teams, there weren't any championship teams. That doesn't mean that era wasn't significant or important to Tennessee Tech. Barry Wilmore is a product of that era. I can go on and on listing guys who have gone on to make big impacts on their communities and represented Tennessee Tech proudly. I wouldn't say that era is forgotten, but it's time for that age group to be recognized."
Alexander continued, "I don't think there is a single guy from that era that didn't have a story in how Coach Ragland helped them in some way or did something for them after they finished playing. Coach Ragland actually attended my last game as a head coach at Wilson Central when we were playing Cookeville in the playoffs. He stayed after the game to talk to me, and he passed away about five, six months later. He's someone that's always been very special to me and all the guys who played for him."
The players that came from that era have gone on to great careers, some of whom are trying to shape the future of the current program.
"I came through that era," Alexander said. "(Linebackers coach) Bruce Hatfield was here. Mike Hennigan was an assistant here before becoming the head coach. Mike Smith (who later became an NFL coach) was an assistant here and worked with Jim for eight to 10 seasons. Mike Ledford was here and I could go on and on. I just want to call a little attention to those guys."
Homecoming is the perfect day to unveil the helmets as the alumni come back to campus, honoring the past while embracing the future.
"Homecoming is an awesome thing," Alexander said. "I've been back to Homecomings here before when I was coaching at other places to see all the guys. It will be extra special to have everybody back. We had some that was here for Legends Weekend and we'll have more back this weekend."
It's the latest move in an ongoing initiative by the current staff to reconnect the program with the players that were part of it in years gone by, especially as the program nears its centennial season.
"People want to be recognized that they were here," Alexander said. "To show that they were appreciated. I've sent out pictures of our Robert Hill Johnson Award board that was redone, I've got one to send out on the Sonny Allen Leadership Award. We want to stay connected to our past with the great players and the alums that were here. I went to an alumni function this past week in Gallatin that had a group of football players, baseball players and other student-athletes that played here at Tech in the 1950s. Over 20 of those guys get together every year and they love Tennessee Tech, so that was an awesome opportunity to be a part of that.
"We want them to know that they are appreciated and our doors are wide open. The football program will always celebrate them."
And some of those guys will see the helmet this weekend and tell their families, "I played in that helmet."
"That's right," Alexander said. "Every coach comes in and has their own ideas for the uniform. Watson Brown did a nice job of trying to tie in different teams. He had the helmet with the eagle wings to celebrate the championship teams of the late '60s and early '70s.
"Coach Ragland had the cursive Tech on the helmet. We had it on white helmets, then went to purple helmets with the letters in white, then we had a purple and gold one. It was something that was kind of attached to him. A lot of the guys from the '80s are going to recognize that distinctly."
Alexander continued, "I'm excited to do it. I'm honored to do it in a way where we can get Coach Ragland's name back out there. I think sometimes, if we're not careful, time moves on and things do get lost a bit. Coach Ragland is someone, I feel, that his name should always be connected with this program, and it's the same with Mike Hennigan and guys like that. Those two guys were football coaches here for 20 years. That's a lot of years of Tech football."
