Crawford, '47 captain of Vols, dies at 84

Mr. Crawford, 84, died at his home Sunday after a lengthy illness.

He was a standout athlete at Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, graduating in 1941. His brother Darrell played at Georgia Tech from 1946-49 after graduating from D-B.

As a sophomore, Denver Crawford was on the Vols' 9-1-1 team that defeated Tulsa in the Sugar Bowl. After serving in the military in World War II, he returned to UT to play on a 9-2 team that lost to Rice in the Orange Bowl after the 1946 season.

He spent most of his postcollege career coaching football -- at Washington and Lee, Maryland, Mississippi State, Minnesota and finally at Sullivan Central, in his home county.

"Denver devised the Maryland defense that beat us in the 1952 Sugar Bowl," said Pat Shires, who was a junior tailback at UT that season. "But then he joined Murray Warmath's staff at Mississippi State the next year."

Mr. Crawford was most remembered for his block that cleared the way for a long punt return against Vanderbilt -- one that took out three Commodores.

"I remember it well," said Hal Littleford, a tailback and punt returner. "I was right behind him."