Dear Vanderbilt Football Fans,

Earlier this month, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee made it known they are moving toward doing some unprecedented changes. They both emphasized working on a “One Vanderbilt” model. What this means is that the Administration and the Athletic Department are (finally) working as a team toward improving VU athletics—a partnership with similar goals. This is a new day for Vanderbilt and a pivotal time in the university’s history. 

Their first big move came just ten days later, when Coach Clark Lea was introduced as the next head coach of the football program. Lea is a Nashvillian, an alum and former walk-on player who later received a scholarship. Coach Lea voiced some of his vision for the program but also stressed that to be successful, everyone involved will have to work towards common goals and to change the culture—this includes former players, those who built the program.

As former members of the football program, we all put in time, sweat and emotions during our short time while in school. We are the backbone of the program and look to support the current team and the coaches. For those players who remained on the roster this entire season, we applaud your courage while representing the Black and Gold. You made us proud on and off the field, and we are glad to call you Commodores!

Also, as former players, members of the program and now alums supporting our school, we are looking forward to the future with Coach Lea. With the full support of the Administration and the Athletic Department, we are confident that Coach Lea will be given the tools to build and sustain a successful program, on and off the field. We are very much looking forward to when Coach Lea arrives at McGugin to fully implement his program. Hopefully, there will be a spring game in which former players will be able to come together.

This call for a change in culture must start with the former players and the current team. We challenge any and all supporters of the football program to get behind Coach Lea and the current team, purchase season tickets, and let them know you support what they are doing!

Anchor Down!

__________

Alphonso Harvey,  ’99 — Chris Griffin, ’10 — Bernard Nomberg, ‘90   

Henry A. Belin III, ’87 — Gerald “Boo” Mitchell, ’88 — Eric Soesbe, ‘57

Harold Lercius, ‘01 — Tony Pearcey, ’88 — Louis Wooldridge, ‘92

Megan Steenberge Certo,‘97 — Tom Ballman, ‘77 — Kenny Cole, ‘81, ‘84 

Dewayne Jones, ’88 — John Bradley, ’98 — Kevin Dowling,’90 

OJ Fleming, ’99 — Chris Cohron, ‘93 — Gary Gerson, ‘85         

Shawn Wilson, ’99 — Tyler Chastain, ’90 — Roc Batten, ‘98, ‘00 

Clint Small, ’94 — Joel Walker, ’91 — Jim Anguiano, ‘98   

Milton Francis, ’80 — Gerald Collins, ’94 — Juan Rojas, ‘02

Kevin Temple, ’76 — Edie Johnston Kelsey, ’87 — Elliott Carson, ’01 

Heidi Gray Breeding, ’85 — Donald Pitre, ’96 — Jason Tomichek, ‘97

Brian Badger, ’86 — John DiNardi, ‘90 — Brandon Smith, ’05   

Sam Chalmers, ’94 — Patrick Green, ‘01,‘04 — Tee Banks, ‘99       

Brian Gruber, ’00 — Russell Nicoll, ’00 — Everett Robinson Sr, ‘02

Deena Dill, ’92 — Chris Krause, ’88 — Chris Young, ’05       

Doyle Crosby, ’02 — Carl Parker, ‘87 — Brian Diggs, ‘94  

Rick Stepp, ’95 — Corey Harris, ‘92 — Tom Gray, ‘88, ‘89       

Jeff Holt, ‘86 — Jim Arnold, ‘83 — Tyler Unzicker, ‘01  

Eugene Keenan, ’89 — Ellen Murphy Fleming, ’00 — Jason Smith, ‘99

Mike Healey, ’92 — DeReal Franklin, ’98 — Ed Zaborowski, ‘80

Coach Gary Shepard — Baratunde Cola, ‘02, ’04 — Scott Penny ‘89

Brooks Collins, ’00 — Flavious Smith, ’80 — Noel Wells ’88

Reggie Ford ’13 — Chris Young ’05 — Tyson Radtke, ‘02

Pat Akos, ’93 — Tom Vincent,’93 — Marcus Forrest,’97

Louie Stephenson, ’85 — Ed Parrish, ’78 — Brian Taylor,’01

Lord Byran DeGraffenreid, ’96 — Jody Jones, ’94 — Michael Adam, ‘03

Robin Giltner, ’79 — Darryl Griffin, ’95 — Nabil Elsheshai, ‘92

Paul Morgan, ’98 — Gary Rogers, ’93 — Ricky Scott, ‘03

Lamont Turner, ’99, ’00 — Antuian Bradford, ’02 — John DeWitt ‘93

Wamon Buggs, ’82 — Bryon Koepke, ’95 — Carlton Hall, ‘98

Aaron Smith, ’94 — Josh Crawford, ’19 — Jason Hill, ‘97

Jamie Winborn, ’02 — Andre Woods, ’00 — Domonick Koger, ‘00

Antuian Bradford, ’02 — TR St. Charles, ’76 — John Clemens, ‘83

Bob Capobiaoco, ’85 — Bruno Reagan, ‘18  — Will Jacobs, ‘98

Duce Reeder, ’00 — Ryan Aulds, ’01 — Fred Peterson, ‘90

Greg Hall, ’87 — Bill Sullivan, ’95 — Dante Ferguson, ‘89

David Cropp, ‘89