Tennessee's 'Artful Dodger' uniform meets Danny White's goal of mixing tradition with 'a modern twist'

Tennessee football’s ‘Artful Dodger’ edition of its Smokey Grey alternate uniform was a chance for the Vols to mix their modern look with an old school feel, while honoring a program legend at the same time. 

Unveiled on Monday morning, pays homage to former Tennessee Condredge Holloway and is modeled in part after the uniform he wore during his playing days with the Vols. There’s orange on the jersey’s shoulders, like the away uniforms Holloway wore as Tennessee’s quarterback, from the chest to the name plate on the back. There’s a thin orange stripe and a grey facemark on the helmet, accenting the Smokey Grey helmet featuring Smokey Mountains. There’s a white outline of the orange number on the grey jersey and the traditional two-stripe look on the grey pants pants.

When No. 9 Tennessee (1-0) hosts Austin Peay (0-1) on Saturday for a 5 p.m. Eastern Time start (ESPN+/SEC Network+), it will mark 51 years to the day that Holloway became the first African American quarterback to start a game in the Southeastern Conference. 

Vols’ new look ‘pays homage to a Tennessee legend’

“When we arrived on Rocky Top, one of our primary goals was to honor our storied tradition with a modern twist,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said. “This year’s Smokey Grey uniform does just that; it pays homage to a Tennessee legend and the first African American quarterback in the SEC, Condredge Holloway, but is a modern look for our current student-athletes. 

“I can’t wait to see our team run through the T on Sept. 9 in the home opener in the Smokey Grey uniform, on the 51st anniversary of Condredge’s first start as a Vol.”

Tennessee last fall announced the Smokey Grey series, bringing back the alternate uniform that had not been worn since the 2017 season. The plan is for the Vols to wear the Smokey Grey uniform at least once for four straight seasons, but with a new and different variation of the look each season. 

“Tennessee Athletics in partnership with Nike will unveil a new Smokey Grey uniform design each season beginning in 2023,” the Vols announced in August 2022, “and continuing through at least 2025. The concepts will honor the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future of Tennessee football.”

The design of the ‘Artful Dodger’ uniform was the work of 151 Creative, Tennessee’s in-house creative agency, along with the Tennessee equipment staff and Nike. 

Up Next: No. 9 Tennessee vs. Austin Peay, Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+/SEC Network+

Holloway, a native of Huntsville, Ala., played three seasons at Tennessee, from 1972 to 1974, passed for 3,102 yards and 18 touchdowns. He ran 351 times for 966 yards and nine more touchdowns on the ground, giving him 4,608 total yards and 27 total touchdowns as he starred for the Vols. 

He went on to play 13 seasons in the Canadian football League, passing for 25,193 yards and 155 touchdowns and rushing for 3,167 yards and 13 touchdowns.

“I think it means a lot (to wear the uniform), especially as a Black student-athlete,” Tennessee receiver Bru McCoy said on Monday. “I feel you get to look back and see the first Black quarterback to play at Tennessee and it’s nice to see here in 2023, we’re commending something that happened such a long time ago. It means a lot.”

“Pretty special opportunity to honor a great legacy,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said, “somebody that had meant so much through who he is, his character, how he handled himself here and post-playing career as well. The legacy that he’s left behind.”