Josh Reliford

• Article
• March 21, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – This time last spring, the Tennessee Tech football team was in its COVID schedule, playing games. Instead of the annual tradition of spring practice where the team had an opportunity to learn and develop players, the team was focused on trying to win an Ohio Valley Conference championship. So, for the first time since 2019, the Golden Eagles opened its traditional spring practice, the first day in a month’s worth of work to try to lead the Tech squad to the OVC title in this centennial celebration season for the Golden Eagles.

• Article
• January 11, 2022

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the 2021 football season is closing the books, another postseason squad was announced as Phil Steele.com announced its All-Ohio Valley Conference team. Tennessee Tech earned eight selections on its all-conference picks as senior defensive lineman Chris Tucker and freshman defensive lineman Devin Squires was named to the first-team roster, junior running back David Gist on the second team, sophomore wide receiver Quinton Cross, senior offensive lineman Kurt Huff, junior defensive back Josh Reliford and freshman returner Tanner Shiver on the third team and sophomore defensive lineman Kail Dava on the fourth team.

• Article
• November 23, 2021

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Several Tennessee Tech football players put up big numbers in the 2021 season and their efforts were awarded Tuesday morning as the Ohio Valley Conference released its end-of-season team. In all, five Golden Eagles made the All-Ohio Valley Conference team as graduate defensive end Chris Tucker was named to the first-team defense, redshirt sophomore Quinton Cross, junior running back David Gist and graduate offensive lineman Kurt Huff were selected to the second-team offense and redshirt junior defensive back Josh Reliford was picked to the second-team defense.

• Article
• November 20, 2021

CLARKSVILLE – As the final whistle blew on Saturday, it was the end of one of the longest stretches of competition for the Tennessee Tech football team. In the span of nine months, two seasons were completed, 18 games played. It was a gauntlet, a grueling one at that as the Golden Eagles had to battle injuries, illnesses but between February and Saturday’s November afternoon, they got 18 games in. It was certainly a feat to do it that took a lot of monumental efforts to get there. As the Golden Eagles took to the field on Saturday, those injuries and illnesses had taken their toll. With a few pieces missing from the lineup, the depleted Tech squad squared up with an Austin Peay squad that had been right in the mix for the Ohio Valley Conference race, including a narrow one-point loss to league champion UT Martin. Tech came out on Saturday determined to finish 2021 on a high note. The first two quarters, the Golden Eagles rallied from an early deficit to make it a one-possession game just before halftime, but Drae McCray’s monster night pushed Austin Peay out of reach, the Governors winning 48-20.

• Article
• November 18, 2021

CLARKSVILLE – The Ohio Valley Conference football race is done, but there’s still pride on the line on Saturday as the Tennessee Tech football team heads to Clarksville to wrap up the 2021 season against Austin Peay. The Governors (5-5, 3-2 OVC) probably have Saturday’s contest circled as a revenge game after the Golden Eagles’ spoiled head coach Scotty Walden’s debut as APSU head coach. Kickoff from Fortera Stadium is set for a 2 p.m. start. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Barry Gresham and Patton Cook will have the call on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• November 14, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Big plays haunted the Tennessee Tech football team on Saturday as UT Martin clinched the Ohio Valley Conference football championship, spoiling the Golden Eagles’ Homecoming in a 42-3 defeat at Tucker Stadium. The Golden Eagles (3-7, 1-4 OVC) honored its 13 seniors before the start of the contest as the home portion of the schedule comes to a close. Tech will close out the regular season next Saturday as it travels to Austin Peay.

• Article
• November 11, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Homecoming on a college campus. It’s one of the most treasured traditions for any school. The leaves have turned various shades of red and orange with a cool, crisp air. Fans decked out in their team gear line the streets as the Homecoming parade marches down the street.  On Saturday, it’ll be Tennessee Tech’s turn for the pageantry as the Golden Eagles host their 90th Homecoming game, bringing in UT Martin for the annual affair.  Kickoff for the game is slated for 1:35 p.m. Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will provide the broadcast on 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will handle the call on ESPN+ (subscription required). 

• Article
• November 04, 2021

MURRAY, Ky. – When the 2021 spring football season ended in April, things looked pretty optimistic for the Murray State Racers. After all, they finished second, just a game back from the departing Jacksonville State, posting a 5-2 record in league play after opening on a 5-0 run, then falling to Austin Peay and Jacksonville State in the final two games of the season.  As the new season opened in the fall, however, it was the trend started in those final two games that seems to have dominated most of this campaign as the Racers stand in the gates for Saturday’s contest with a 3-5 record in tow, winless in the Ohio Valley Conference.  Kickoff from Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray on Saturday is 1 p.m. Roger Ealey and Dylan Vazzano will provide the call on 98.5 KISS FM, while the Racer broadcast crew of Neal Bradley and Josh McKeel will tackle the ESPN+ stream (subscription required). 

• Article
• October 21, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sometimes a matchup is just a matter of perspective. When the Tennessee Tech football team traveled earlier this season to the University of Tennessee, it was the little brother taking on the bigger one, looking to make their names against some of the best of the best. Flash forward a few weeks and Virginia-Lynchburg preparing to come to Tucker Stadium for Saturday’s game. The visiting Dragons have played two Football Championship Subdivision teams this season with trips to Duquesne and Norfolk State, the Golden Eagles making the third. Everything the Dragons feel coming into the game on Saturday is what the Golden Eagles felt on Sept. 18 in Neyland Stadium. They’ll come into Cookeville, hungry for a win and ready to write a story they’ll remember for years to come.

• Article
• October 16, 2021

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As tough as the interstate rivalry has been between Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State in recent years, it’s only fitting that Saturday’s contest at Nissan Stadium went down to the last play. After all, the two teams swapped scores throughout the contest, and as the Golden Eagles tried to hold on in regulation, the host Tigers scored with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game and send it to overtime. The Tigers scored a touchdown – Geremy Hickbottom completing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dayron Johnson – to put the pressure on Tech. The Golden Eagles had their chance, but it came down to one last play on 4th and goal at the Tiger 9. Under pressure, quarterback Willie Miller fired into traffic with a target there, but Cory Rahman intercepted the pass to end the contest. Tennessee State emerged victorious 20-13 in overtime.

• Article
• October 14, 2021

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As the Tennessee Tech football team enters its third Ohio Valley Conference game of the Fall 2021 campaign, the Golden Eagles are right in the mix. As Saturday’s game against Tennessee State at Nissan Stadium stands on the horizon, the Golden Eagles presently stand in fourth place in the league standings – UT Martin and Eastern Illinois tied at 1-0, Southeast Missouri at 2-1 and the Golden Eagles at 1-1. Murray State, Tennessee State and Austin Peay are all looking for their first OVC wins of the season – in games that count in the league standings anyway as the other six league schools play fellow members multiple times, but only one counts in the OVC. With Tech traveling to the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans for this week’s matchup, the Golden Eagles will try to ride the momentum of back-to-back wins into a full-blown winning streak with number three circled this weekend against the Tigers of Tennessee State.

• Article
• October 07, 2021

DURHAM, N.C. – In the near-century that Tennessee Tech has been playing football, the Golden Eagles have seen a lot of different teams – 127, to be exact. On Saturday, they’ll add a 128th team to the all-time opponents section as Tech will make the trip to Durham, N.C., to take on the Eagles from North Carolina Central. The hosts enter the contest with a 2-3 record, still unblemished in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play as they don’t enter league play until next week with a visit to Morgan State. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles earned their first victory of the season last week with a 28-17 victory over Southeast Missouri to enter Saturday’s game with a 1-4 record, knotted 1-1 in the Ohio Valley.

• Article
• October 02, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- For David Gist, there must be something about playing against Southeast Missouri.  In his freshman campaign against the Redhawks in 2018, Gist ran for a then-career-high 108 yards and two touchdowns.  Saturday, against the 2021 edition of the SEMO squad, he outdid that, rushing for 133 total yards – a new career best – with two scores, while also adding 11 yards on three catches for 144 all-purpose yards in the contest as he led the Tech offense to a 28-17 victory over the Redhawks at Tucker Stadium. 

• Article
• September 30, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With Southeast Missouri coming into town on Saturday for this week’s football game at Tucker Stadium, the Tennessee Tech squad is ready to end its current four-game slide. Through a rough stretch to open the 2021 campaign, there has been progress along the way. Now the Golden Eagles will try to apply that toward a victory on Saturday against the Redhawks. Kickoff is slated for 1:35 p.m. Central. Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will provide the call for 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will handle broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required).

• Article
• September 23, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – When Tennessee Tech takes to the field on Saturday, the race for the Ohio Valley Conference championship will truly be underway.  The Golden Eagles kick off the OVC slate with a visit from Eastern Illinois. The game is set for a 1:35 p.m. kickoff.  Roger Ealey and Frank Harrell will provide the radio call on 98.5 KISS FM, while Dylan Vazzano and Sam Brooks will handle the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required). 

• Article
• September 18, 2021

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Entering a sea of orange and white in the Neyland Stadium stands, the Tennessee Tech football team knew they were in for a challenge. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, they certainly got it. While a 56-0 defeat seems pretty difficult to find a positive, there are signs for optimism as the Golden Eagles enter Ohio Valley Conference play next week.

• Article
• September 16, 2021

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – These are the games that these guys dream about – running out of the tunnel at Neyland Stadium with nearly 100,000 screaming fans, taking on a team that many on the roster grew up watching every Saturday. As Tennessee Tech takes to Shields-Watkins Field on Saturday to take on their Football Bowl Subdivision brothers, the Tennessee Volunteers, the game probably means just as much to them – if not more -- than any other game they’ll play in their careers. While it’s only been five years since these two teams locked horns, it is a series that mostly saw its heyday in the late 1940s and ‘50s. In the six meetings, Tennessee has outscored Tech 297-20, including four shutouts in 1947, 1948, 1951 and 2016. However, as the game dawns on Saturday, that statistic is irrelevant. Saturday is about showing what they can do against some of the elite student-athletes in the country.

• Article
• September 09, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s been 45 years to the day since Tennessee Tech last faced Furman – September 11, 1976, as the Paladins came into Tucker Stadium. While Furman escaped with the victory that day, the Golden Eagles are looking to open their home slate with a victory as Tech hosts the Paladins on Saturday.

• Article
• August 31, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – It’s been just four-and-a-half months since the Tennessee Tech football team last saw action on the gridiron in the spring. Not even 150 days have passed since the Golden Eagles were playing in a game that counted. As Thursday night arrives, it’ll be back to business as usual as Tech travels to Birmingham to take on the Samford Bulldogs.

• Article
• August 16, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With just over two weeks remaining before the Tennessee Tech football team kicks off its 2021 campaign, the Golden Eagles saw several players earn selections to Phil Steele’s All-Ohio Valley Conference team on Monday. Senior defensive lineman Chris Tucker was on the first team, while junior defensive back Josh Reliford earned a spot on the second squad. Sophomore quarterback Willie Miller, senior offensive lineman Kurt Huff, junior offensive lineman Spencer Stachyra, senior defensive lineman Jale’n Gladney and junior linebacker Seth Carlisle picked up nods on the third team.

• Article
• August 04, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – “You can’t touch me!,” quarterback Willie Miller jested back to his defensive teammates during a drill on Wednesday’s first day of camp. At that moment, it looked like his playful boast was true as the signal-caller picked up a big rushing gain on the play. But he wasn’t the only player on both sides of the ball making big plays as the Tennessee Tech team opened its annual fall camp, preparing for the 2021 campaign in the August heat at Tucker Stadium.

• Article
• July 19, 2021

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As the fall football season draws near, it was a step back towards things being back to normal as the Ohio Valley Conference football coaches and student-athletes came together for the league’s annual Football Media Day. Well, almost normal. This year’s event continued to be held virtually across Zoom, so tiny boxes of coaches, student-athletes, reporters and sports information directors continued to be the norm for the time being.