A First-Team All-OVC selection as a senior, Ralph Broyles was a key part of Tennessee Tech’s most successful football team in history, helping to win back-to-back conference championships in the middle of a four-year stretch in which the Golden Eagles reigned as league title-holders.

He joins his brother, Kenneth Broyles, in the Hall of Fame – the first time siblings have been inducted into Tech’s Sports Hall of Fame. Kenneth played football at Tech from 1951 to 1953 and was inducted in 1982.

A two-year starter for coach Wilburn Tucker, Broyles played on the 1959 and 1960 Golden Eagle squads. During his junior year, Tech was 6-2-2 overall and won the league’s co-championship with a 5-0-1 record. The following year, with Broyles grabbing his all-OVC honors, Tech was 8-3 overall and 6-0 in the league, advancing to the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando.

Having already used two years of eligibility, Broyles joined the program and earned the starting assignment at halfback in his second game in the purple and gold.

A leader by example, Broyles was the team’s leading rusher in 1960 with 495 yards on 125 caries. He led Tech in all-purpose yards (558) and scoring (30 points). Playing during an era in which the Golden Eagles featured power running, Broyles was just as important as a blocker out the backfield as he was as a ball carrier. He went the entire season without getting tackled-for-loss, and never suffered a turnover.

In addition to his achievements on the field, Broyles also proved to be an outstanding citizen in his community and at work. At Tennessee Farmer’s Insurance Company, he consistently excelled, earning designation as a member of the company’s honor roll and President’s Club for 44 years. He showed continuing dedication to making improvements in his community by assuming leadership roles in his church, civic clubs and youth organizations.

He received his bachelor’s of science degree in 1961 in agriculture.  Ralph and his wife, Patsy, live in Cookeville and have raised three grown children – Douglas, Kimberly and Kevin.