University of Tennessee Athletics
Former Vols Tailback Honored in Lynchburg, Va.
October 20, 2011 | Football
Former Tennessee tailback Jimmy Wade, who led the Vols in both rushing and passing yards in 1953 and was a four-year letterman, was inducted recently into the E.C. Glass Athletics Boosters Hall of Fame in Lynchburg, Va.
The honor was posthumous because Wade died in 2001 in Tulsa, Okla.
Wade came to UT from Lynchburg after graduating in 1951 from E.C. Glass High School. A flashy and shifty runner, Wade led the SEC in several departments during his junior season of 1953. He scored 72 points, had the league's best averages on punt returns and kickoff returns and also finished second in total offense.
Wade also played safety in 1951 before the Vols turned to one-platoon football. In 1952, he earned SEC Player of the Week honors after rushing for 153 yards in a 20-0 victory over Alabama. Wade was named alternate captain in 1954 before knee injuries slowed his career.
After college, Wade made Knoxville his home for several years before moving to Tulsa.
Wade was part of a 20-member hall of fame class for E.C. Glass High School that was inducted last month. Honorees were former athletes and coaches who distinguished themselves in their individual sports and as exemplary citizens.
