Football Time in Tennessee
Each August the newsletter veers from real estate topics and improvement tips to welcome the start of a new football season in Tennessee.
NEWSLETTERSFOOTBALL
It's Football Time in Tennessee!
Kenneth Bargers | August 2025 Newsletter
Each August the newsletter veers from real estate topics and improvement tips to welcome the start of a new football season and honor our legends of the past. Most recent football newsletters featured John Ward, the Sewanee Tigers, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Buford “Baby” Ray, and Claude Humphrey.
Are you ready? Do you have the fever yet?
August - a time for high school jamborees, college practices, NFL preseason games - all gearing up for the launch of a new football season at the end of the month.
Traditions and passions run deep in the South when it comes to football and the state of Tennessee has produced some of the most successful and memorable champions, athletes and coaches throughout the decades and this month, as the main feature, we revisit the Bedford County Training School Tigers, a remarkable achievement for the record books.
Good luck to the Titans, Governors, Phoenix, Blue Raiders, Tigers, Golden Eagles, Volunteers and Commodores in the upcoming season. Here's hoping each team exceeds their goals for this year's football campaign!
Bedford County Training School Tigers
52 Straight Shutouts – Legendary! The football powerhouse of the all-black Bedford County Training School in Shelbyville, Tennessee during the 1940’s was a dominant performance of excellence known nationwide. From 1942-1950, the Tigers had seven undefeated seasons, a 78-0-4 record, 52 straight shutouts, three years when the opponent did not cross midfield, and took on all comers. Their undefeated reign ended on November 2, 1950, when they lost 6-2 to Fayetteville’s West End High School.
To date, the 52 straight shutouts remain a national record and may never be surpassed on the high school gridiron. Numerous high school publications continue to recognize the Bedford County Training School including MaxPreps ranking the Tigers 52 shutouts as #1 of the Top 10 Most Untouchable High School Football Records; and USA Today’s #6 of The 25 longest winning streaks in high school football history.
The late hall of fame sportswriter William (B.B.) Branton, kindly shared his research and article, Bedford County - The All But Forgotten Football Power, with me several years ago and it is worth visiting this detailed and educational story of an era not so long ago.
Source: MaxPreps - Top 10 most untouchable high school football records; The Chattanoogan - The All But Forgotten Football Power; William B. B. Branton; USA Today - High School Football Longest Winning Streaks; Shelbyville Bedford County Public Library; Gilliland Historic Resource Center
Tennessee Hall of Fame Feature
Source: Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame; Vanderbilt University; Middle Tennessee State University
Football Schedules
Austin Peay University Governors
Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders
Tennessee State University Tigers
Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles
University of Tennessee Volunteers
Vanderbilt University Commodores
Tailgating Sides
