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There is a thread in the football forum asking about the top ten quarterbacks in Tennessee history. I had my usual top five that I've had for years with Manning, Clausen, Robinson, Shuler, and Martin. A pretty common top five among Volunteer fans. When I was getting around the eight spot I was going to stick Dewey Warren there, talk about he was the first true UT passer, and move along. But I did a some digging and realized how good Dewey Warren actually was.
Before coach Doug Dickey took over, Tennessee was a single wing offense. For our younger audience, think the spread option that Arizona and Auburn run, only if you never throw the ball. To put in perspective how little Tennessee threw the ball back before Doug Dickey in 1964, Johnny Majors had the single season pass completion record with 36 total completions. If you look at the true pocket passing quarterback you think of today, Dewey Warren was the first at Tennessee.
Warren took over late in 1965. He led a huge upset against West Coast power and top ten UCLA in Memphis. He actually outplayed the 1965 Heisman winner Gary Beban, throwing for two scores and 274 yards. He also had the play of the year. On fourth down at the one, Warren called (yes, the backup quarterback called his own plays back then) a play action rollout. Nobody was open, but there was a ton of green in front of him. Yet ol' Swamp Rat wasn't exactly know for his quick feat. Center Bob Johnson said that "the play opened up like the Red Sea but I thought Dewey would never get there." He actually did, beating UCLA to the edge to score the winning touchdown. Tennessee went on to defeat Tulsa in the Bluebonnet Bowl, leading Tennessee to its first bowl win in eight years. Not bad for a kid who forgot his helmet on his first varsity play. The Swamp Rat went into 1966 as the full-time starter and leader of Tennessee's offense. He didn't disappoint.
The raw numbers aren't that impressive compared to what they are now. Warren threw for 1,716 yards, had 18 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions, and completed 59.4% of his passes. He set every single passing record at Tennessee at the time, and also become the first Vol to throw for 1,000 yards. But if you compare the numbers of his peers that year, you realize that Warren was leading a revolution at Tennessee. Here's how he did compared to the rest of the country that season.
Among 66 qualified quarterbacks:
Yards: 13th
Touchdowns: 5th
Interceptions: 3rd
Attempts: 20th
Completion percentage: 5th
Yards Per Attempt: 10th
Quarterback Rating: 1st
That's right. Dewey Warren actually had a higher quarterback rating than 1966 Heisman winner Steve Spurrier and NFL Hall of Famer Bob Griese. When you consider the numbers and remember how tough the SEC was back in the 1960's, you are talking about one of the five best quarterbacks in the country that year. The Vols went 8-3 and lost two games against top ten teams in rivals Georgia Tech and Alabama. They also ended up winning the Gator Bowl against Syracuse. If you take away Peyton Manning, you can make the case Dewey Warren had the best quarterback season in Tennessee history.
Warren battled injuries throughout 1967 and even missed the Alabama game (where Bubba Wyche, brother of former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Sam Wyche, led the Volunteers to victory) but it was still an impressive year Dewey Warren, who finished 8th in the Heisman voting that year. Had Warren threw enough attempts to qualify, he still would have finished in the top ten in quarterback rating, sixth in completion percentage, and eight in yards per attempt. It was also a big year for the Volunteers, with the program officially being brought out of its moribund state. Warren helped lead Tennessee to its first SEC title in ten years and also helped Doug Dickey revitalize Tennessee football into a national power. His overall record as a starting quarterback was 19-6, along with winning two bowl games (when bowl games were much more exclusive), an SEC title, a claim to a national title, and he set every passing record at Tennessee. Not a bad career for a guy who started his career at linebacker.
Dewey Warren wasn't just an innovator on the playing field. He was a coach ahead of hisvtime. Dewey Warren helped start the passing offense that made head coach LaVell Edwards and BYU famous. In his two years as offensive coordinator at BYU, they set passing records and helped bring the West Coast offense to BYU. Bill Walsh (credited with inventing the West Coast offense) even took a trip to Provo, Utah to visit Warren and borrow ideas. LaVell Edwards gives a ton of credit to his success to what Dewey Warren started. Warren took a job at Kansas State, but he ended up being unemployed after the unexpected firing of its head coach Vince Gibson. Warren was desperate for a job to support his familly and came back home to Tennessee to coach at Copper Basin High School. Had Dewey Warren stayed at BYU, he could have become a known innovator to college football. He also was the head baseball coach and offensive coordinator at Sewanee College for four years.
As a young Tennessee Volunteer fan (I'm 22 years old), it was awesome to spend a couple hours studying one of the great, underappreciated Volunteers in this program's rich history. Yes, Peyton Manning deserved to have that #16 retired, but we should also truly appreciate the original #16 at quarterback as well. Dewey Warren was an elite passer, but what really set him apart was his toughness and relentless attitude. Former Line Coach at Tennessee Ray Trail recalled this about Dewey Warren: "Dewey couldn't run. He wasn't tall enough to see over the line. But he was tough. And he could throw the football pretty well. That's about all he could do. No, that's not right. He was a fearless competitor, a good leader, and the subject of many a tall tale."
Before coach Doug Dickey took over, Tennessee was a single wing offense. For our younger audience, think the spread option that Arizona and Auburn run, only if you never throw the ball. To put in perspective how little Tennessee threw the ball back before Doug Dickey in 1964, Johnny Majors had the single season pass completion record with 36 total completions. If you look at the true pocket passing quarterback you think of today, Dewey Warren was the first at Tennessee.
Warren took over late in 1965. He led a huge upset against West Coast power and top ten UCLA in Memphis. He actually outplayed the 1965 Heisman winner Gary Beban, throwing for two scores and 274 yards. He also had the play of the year. On fourth down at the one, Warren called (yes, the backup quarterback called his own plays back then) a play action rollout. Nobody was open, but there was a ton of green in front of him. Yet ol' Swamp Rat wasn't exactly know for his quick feat. Center Bob Johnson said that "the play opened up like the Red Sea but I thought Dewey would never get there." He actually did, beating UCLA to the edge to score the winning touchdown. Tennessee went on to defeat Tulsa in the Bluebonnet Bowl, leading Tennessee to its first bowl win in eight years. Not bad for a kid who forgot his helmet on his first varsity play. The Swamp Rat went into 1966 as the full-time starter and leader of Tennessee's offense. He didn't disappoint.
The raw numbers aren't that impressive compared to what they are now. Warren threw for 1,716 yards, had 18 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions, and completed 59.4% of his passes. He set every single passing record at Tennessee at the time, and also become the first Vol to throw for 1,000 yards. But if you compare the numbers of his peers that year, you realize that Warren was leading a revolution at Tennessee. Here's how he did compared to the rest of the country that season.
Among 66 qualified quarterbacks:
Yards: 13th
Touchdowns: 5th
Interceptions: 3rd
Attempts: 20th
Completion percentage: 5th
Yards Per Attempt: 10th
Quarterback Rating: 1st
That's right. Dewey Warren actually had a higher quarterback rating than 1966 Heisman winner Steve Spurrier and NFL Hall of Famer Bob Griese. When you consider the numbers and remember how tough the SEC was back in the 1960's, you are talking about one of the five best quarterbacks in the country that year. The Vols went 8-3 and lost two games against top ten teams in rivals Georgia Tech and Alabama. They also ended up winning the Gator Bowl against Syracuse. If you take away Peyton Manning, you can make the case Dewey Warren had the best quarterback season in Tennessee history.
Warren battled injuries throughout 1967 and even missed the Alabama game (where Bubba Wyche, brother of former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Sam Wyche, led the Volunteers to victory) but it was still an impressive year Dewey Warren, who finished 8th in the Heisman voting that year. Had Warren threw enough attempts to qualify, he still would have finished in the top ten in quarterback rating, sixth in completion percentage, and eight in yards per attempt. It was also a big year for the Volunteers, with the program officially being brought out of its moribund state. Warren helped lead Tennessee to its first SEC title in ten years and also helped Doug Dickey revitalize Tennessee football into a national power. His overall record as a starting quarterback was 19-6, along with winning two bowl games (when bowl games were much more exclusive), an SEC title, a claim to a national title, and he set every passing record at Tennessee. Not a bad career for a guy who started his career at linebacker.
Dewey Warren wasn't just an innovator on the playing field. He was a coach ahead of hisvtime. Dewey Warren helped start the passing offense that made head coach LaVell Edwards and BYU famous. In his two years as offensive coordinator at BYU, they set passing records and helped bring the West Coast offense to BYU. Bill Walsh (credited with inventing the West Coast offense) even took a trip to Provo, Utah to visit Warren and borrow ideas. LaVell Edwards gives a ton of credit to his success to what Dewey Warren started. Warren took a job at Kansas State, but he ended up being unemployed after the unexpected firing of its head coach Vince Gibson. Warren was desperate for a job to support his familly and came back home to Tennessee to coach at Copper Basin High School. Had Dewey Warren stayed at BYU, he could have become a known innovator to college football. He also was the head baseball coach and offensive coordinator at Sewanee College for four years.
As a young Tennessee Volunteer fan (I'm 22 years old), it was awesome to spend a couple hours studying one of the great, underappreciated Volunteers in this program's rich history. Yes, Peyton Manning deserved to have that #16 retired, but we should also truly appreciate the original #16 at quarterback as well. Dewey Warren was an elite passer, but what really set him apart was his toughness and relentless attitude. Former Line Coach at Tennessee Ray Trail recalled this about Dewey Warren: "Dewey couldn't run. He wasn't tall enough to see over the line. But he was tough. And he could throw the football pretty well. That's about all he could do. No, that's not right. He was a fearless competitor, a good leader, and the subject of many a tall tale."
