Background
He was born in Falmouth, Kentucky, and is an alumnus of Kentucky State University, where he played offensive guard on the football team from 1947-1949.
He was born in Falmouth, Kentucky, and is an alumnus of Kentucky State University, where he played offensive guard on the football team from 1947-1949.
He graduated in 1950 and earned a master"s degree from the University of Kentucky in 1952.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. He earned the nickname "Big John". He coached Jackson State University from 1953 to 1962, where he compiled a record of 60-32-4.
Merritt led Jackson State to back-to-back appearances in the Orange Blossom Classic in 1961 and 1962 before being hired by what was then Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial.
At Tennessee State (as Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial was renamed in 1968), Merritt had four undefeated seasons, claimed four Midwestern Conference titles, seven Black College Football Championships: (1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979 and 1982) and earned the school"s first-ever National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-Associate of Arts playoff victory in 1982.
Merritt coached many players who went into the National Football League, among them were Editor "Too Tall" Jones, Joe Gilliam, Claude Humphrey, Mike Hegman, and Richard Dent. His coaching record at Tennessee State was 174–35–7, and had an 82% winning percentage--far and away the best in school history.
John Merritt Boulevard in Nashville, Tennessee is named in his honor, and the Tennessee State football team opens every season with the John Merritt Classic game against Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, until recently the Classic headlines other HBCU teams, in particular 2015—Tennessee State will play host to Alabama State University on September 6, 2015.