National Football Foundation

Bob Woodruff began his allegiance to Tennessee as a star tackle for the Volunteers from 1936-38. In his senior year, Tennessee enjoyed a perfect season and defeated Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. After his glorious collegiate career as a player, he spent a year as an assistant at Tennessee. Like many others, his career was interrupted by World War II, where Woodruff served three years in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Upon return to civilian life, Woodruff returned to college football as an assistant coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Earl “Red” Blaik.

Woodruff then moved to Georgia Tech to serve one year as line coach under Hall of Fame coach Bobby Dodd, and a year later was named head coach at Baylor. He took Baylor to its first bowl game. The next stop was a 10-year stint at the University of Florida as head football coach and athletic director. In 1961, he was given the opportunity to return to his alma mater, and served two years as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Bowden Wyatt. Woodruff was named Tennessee’s Director of Athletics in 1963 and served until 1986.

Woodruff’s commitment to the National Football Foundation was exemplified when he took time to help Jimmie McDowell, then the executive director of the NFF, start the foundation’s East Tennessee chapter. Woodruff also joined Boston College athletic director Bill Flynn as co-chairmen of the NFF’s College Campaign. He later served as a coordinator of the Atlantic Coast and Deep South chapters of the NFF. Woodruff died in 2001 at the age of 85.