Saturdays in the South: A History of SEC Football

Part 2: A Call to Duty (1933-59)

In the early years of the SEC, through the Great Depression and World War II, many young men in the South get the opportunity to become first-generation college students, and play football. Numerous players and coaches fight in the war, including Brigadier General Robert Neyland, who leads the most dominant program of the era, the Tennessee Volunteers. Multiple SEC schools claim national titles through the '50s, including LSU with star running back Billy Cannon in 1958, prior to Cannon's epic game-winning punt return against powerhouse Ole Miss a year later.