By TTU Athletics & OVC Media Relations
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The 2022-23 academic year marked the 75th anniversary of the Ohio Valley Conference, which began in 1948 and currently ranks as the eighth-oldest Division I Conference.
As part of the celebration of the storied accomplishments of the League, a Committee working in conjunction with current and former schools, captured the "best-of-the-best" in each sport and celebrate the top athletes in league history with 75th Anniversary Teams across all OVC sports. A similar listing was compiled during the 40th and 50th anniversaries of the league.
Below is a listing of the top football student-athletes and coaches in OVC history.
Tennessee Tech saw 13 student-athletes and two coaches represented on the list, including wide receiver/return specialist Tim Benford, defensive end DJ Bleisath, linebacker Chad Evitts, defensive lineman Elois Grooms, offensive lineman Frank Omiyale, wide receiver Craig Rolle, running back Larry Schreiber, wide receiver Larry Shipp, defensive lineman Flavious Smith, defensive back Robert Taylor, defensive end Branon Vaughn, linebacker Lonnie Warwick, linebacker Jim Youngblood, head coach Wilburn Tucker, and head coach Don Wade.
Football
Joe Alvino (OL), Eastern Kentucky (1973-76)
Eugene Amano (OL), Southeast Missouri (2000-03)
Bennie Anderson (RB), Tennessee State (1996-99)
Kelvin "Earthquake" Anderson (RB), Southeast Missouri (1992-94)
Charles Anthony (RB), Tennessee State (2001-04)
Keith Atchley (DL), Middle Tennessee (1962-65)
Anthony Bass (LB), Tennessee State (2011-14)
Bernie Behrendt (RB/LB), Murray State (1949-52)
Tony Bell (LB), UT Martin (2011-14)
Yeremiah Bell (DB), Eastern Kentucky (1999-02)
Tim Benford (WR/RS), Tennessee Tech (2008-11)
Steve Bird (WR), Eastern Kentucky (1979-82)
DJ Bleisath (DE), Tennessee Tech (1998-02)
Lawrence Brame (DL), Western Kentucky (1967-70)
Bob Bible (LB), Austin Peay (1974-77)
Chad Bratzke, Eastern Kentucky (1990-93)
Marlon Bridges (DB), Jacksonville State (2016-19)
Casey Brockman (QB), Murray State (2009-12)
Jimmie Brooks (RB), Eastern Kentucky (1968-71)
Jim Burt (DB/RB), Western Kentucky (1961-64)
Charles Carpenter (OT), Murray State (1971-74)
Chip Carpenter (OT), Western Kentucky (1974-77)
Derek Carr (QB), UT Martin (2008-12)
Wally Chambers (DL), Eastern Kentucky (1969-72)
Don Chapman (RB), UT Martin (2004-07)
Tim Chilcutt (DB), Austin Peay (1962-65)
John Christopher (P), Morehead State (1979-82)
Mike Clark (RB), Akron (1984-86)
George Claxton (DL), Middle Tennessee (1964-67)
Dan Connolly (OL) Southeast Missouri (2001-04)
Rico Council (DB), Tennessee State (2007-11)
Colton Dowell (WR), UT Martin (2017-22)
Casey Dunn (OL), Jacksonville State (2013-16)
George Dykes (DL), Middle Tennessee (1961-63)
Kadeem Edwards (OL), Tennessee State (2009-13)
Chad Evitts (LB), Tennessee Tech (1997-00)
Dino Fanti (DL), Eastern Illinois (2012-15)
George Floyd (DB), Eastern Kentucky (1978-81)
Cortland Finnegan (DB), Samford (2003-06)
Drew Forbes (OL), Southeast Missouri (2015-18)
Randy Fuller (DB), Tennessee State (1990-93)
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB), Eastern Illinois (2010-13)
Michael German, Tennessee State (2011-14)
Al Giordano (OL), Murray State (1954-56)
Rick Green (LB), Western Kentucky (1972-75)
Kevin Greve (OG), Eastern Kentucky (1978-81)
Don Griffin (DB), Middle Tennessee (1982-85)
Elois Grooms (DL), Tennessee Tech (1971-74)
Kamu Grugier-Hill (LB), Eastern Illinois (2012-15)
Jim Guice (QB), Eastern Kentucky (1965-68)
Zach Hall (LB), Southeast Missouri (2016-19)
Gavin Hallford (K), Jacksonville State (2004-08)
James Hand (OG), Eastern Kentucky (1993-95)
Elroy Harris (RB), Eastern Kentucky (1985-88)
Henry Harris (RB), Southeast Missouri (2008-10)
Rob Hart (K), Murray State (1995-99)
Dave Haverdick (DL), Morehead State (1966-69)
Fred Harvey (LB), Eastern Kentucky (1983-86)
Geno Hess (RB), Southeast Missouri (2018-present)
Efrem Hill (WR), Samford (2001-04)
Terrence Holt (RB/RS), Austin Peay (2007-10)
Ernie House (QB), Eastern Kentucky (1974-77)
KD Humphries (QB), Murray State (2012-16)
Jerry Hurst (DL), Middle Tennessee (1956-57)
John Jackson (OT), Eastern Kentucky (1984-87)
Darius Jackson (DE), Jacksonville State (2014-17)
Kordell Jackson (DB), Austin Peay (2017-21)
DaMarcus James (RB), Jacksonville State (2011-14)
Eli Jenkins (QB), Jacksonville State (2013-16)
Ben Johnson (DB), UT Martin (2010-13)
Aaron Jones (DL), Eastern Kentucky (1984-87)
Austen Lane (DL), Murray State (2006-09)
Justin Lea (OL), Jacksonville State (2014-17)
Doug Linebarger (LB), East Tennessee (1967-69)
Virgil Livers (DB), Western Kentucky (1971-74)
Erik Lora (WR), Eastern Illinois (2009-13)
Terry Love (DB), Murray State (1979-80)
Gilbert Mains (DL), Murray State (1948-51)
Aaron Marsh (WR), Eastern Kentucky (1964-67)
Ed McFarland (DB), Murray State (1975-78)
Paul McRoberts (WR) Southeast Missouri (2012-15)
Sean Middleton (OL), Southeast Missouri (2006-10)
Dontrell Miller (DB), UT Martin (2006-08)
Dickie Moore (RB), Western Kentucky (1965-68)
Dee Mostiller (WR), Middle Tennessee (1993-96)
John Ogles (RB), Austin Peay (1963-66)
Ray Oldham (DB), Middle Tennessee (1969-72)
Frank Omiyale (OL), Tennessee Tech (2001-04)
Josh Pearson (WR), Jacksonville State (2017-19)
Blake Peiffer (LB), Southeast Missouri (2009-12)
Anthony Pleasant (DL), Tennessee State (1987-89)
Willie Ponder (WR), Southeast Missouri (2001-02)
Troymaine Pope (RB), Jacksonville State (2012-15)
Kelly Potter (K), Middle Tennessee (1981-84)
Walter Powell, (WR), Murray State (2010-13)
Michael Proctor (QB), Murray State (1986-89)
Nick Ricks (LB), Eastern Illinois (2000-03)
Harold "Red" Roberts (WR), Austin Peay (1967-70)
Dominique Rogers-Cromartie (DB), Tennessee State (2004-07)
Craig Rolle (WR), Tennessee Tech (1975-79)
Tony Romo (QB), Eastern Illinois (1999-02)
Chris Rowland (WR/RS), Tennessee State (2016-19)
Angel Rubio (DL), Southeast Missouri (1993-97)
Marvin Satterly (OG), Western Kentucky (1950-53)
Matt Scheible (QB), Southeast Missouri (2008-11)
Larry Schreiber (RB), Tennessee Tech (1966-69)
Larry Shipp (WR), Tennessee Tech (2004-07)
Collin Seibert (OL), Eastern Illinois (2011-14)
Devaunte Sigler (DL), Jacksonville State (2014-15)
Phil Simms (QB), Morehead State (1975-78)
David Simonhoff (P), Southeast Missouri (2003-06)
Devin Sims (SAF), UT Martin (2017-22)
Marvin Slatterly (OL), Western Kentucky (1950-53)
Bonnie Sloan (DL), Austin Peay (1969-72)
Flavious Smith (DL), Tennessee Tech (1949-51)
Chris Sullivan (OC), Eastern Kentucky (1981-84)
Chris Swartz (QB), Morehead State (1987-90)
Everett Talbert (RB), Eastern Kentucky (1973-76)
J.R. Taylor (RB), Eastern Illinois (1999-02)
Robert Taylor (CB), Tennessee Tech (1993-96)
Teddy Taylor (DL), Eastern Kentucky (1966-69)
Marquis Terry (RB), Southeast Missouri (2017-18)
Markus Thomas (RB), Eastern Kentucky (1989-92)
Larry Tillman (QB), Murray State (1966-69)
Branon Vaughn (DE), Tennessee Tech (1995-99)
Lonnie Warwick (LB), Tennessee Tech (1961-63)
Vincent Webb (RB), Eastern Illinois (2003-06)
DeAngelo Wilson (WR), Austin Peay (2017-20)
Jaison Williams (DL), Austin Peay (2016-18)
Javarris Williams (RB), Tennessee State (2016-18)
Kentel Williams (RB), Austin Peay (2016-19)
Nathan Williams (LB), Murray State (2003, 2005-08)
Kristian Wilkerson (WR), Southeast Missouri (2015-19)
Bobby Young (RB), Middle Tennessee (1951-53)
Jim Youngblood (LB), Tennessee Tech (1969-72)
Coaches of Note
L.C. Cole, Tennessee State
Boots Donnelly, Austin Peay/Middle Tennessee
Jack Crowe, Jacksonville State
Jimmy Feix, Western Kentucky
John Grass, Jacksonville State
Roy Kidd, Eastern Kentucky
Houston Nutt, Murray State
Jason Simpson, UT Martin
Bob Spoo, Eastern Illinois
Wilburn Tucker, Tennessee Tech
Don Wade, Tennessee Tech
