John C. Kelley attended University of Tennessee Junior College located in Martin, Tennessee during 1939 and 1940. While times were hard at home and money was hard to come by, John attended college on a football scholarship.
During John’s freshman year he played half back and was one of the few freshmen who earned recognition in the yearbook as “playing good football all season”. But it was during his sophomore year that he began to shine. In his 1940 yearbook, it states that “‘Peacock’ Kelley, from his wing back position, brought spectators to their feet many times with his sweeping end runs. His swaggering stride is sure to carry him to further gridiron heights. ‘Peacock’ was naturally the leading scorer of the season.”
John was also well liked by his peers throughout his college attendance and participated in several extracurricular activities. John was Secretary of the “T” Club, an association for the college’s lettermen, and was the Sargent-At-Arms of the Ag Club, an organization of agricultural curriculum students. John also participated in intramural athletics and gained individual recognition for winning in intramural boxing and wrestling. John also helped carry his intramural team to win in both touch football and soccer, and place second in volleyball.
To view the complete 1939 and 1940 yearbooks for UTJC, please click on the links below. (Provided courtesy UT Martin Library Special Collections and Archives.)
© 2010 Leslie K. Roane
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