Tennessee Tech was established well over 100 years ago, and in that time many notable alumni have left their legacy here on campus.
Lonnie Warwick attended Tech from 1961 to 1963 where he played football for the Golden Eagles. Warwick went into the NFL where he began his career with the Minnesota Vikings and eventually the Atlanta Falcons. Warwick started in Super Bowl IV at the height of his career before eventually retiring in 1974.
Jon Yarbrough graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech in 1981. Yarbrough went on to found Video Gaming Technologies (VGM) in 1991. VGM is a manufacturer and distributor of casino games. Since the launching of the company, Yarbrough’s net worth has grown to over $2.6 billion dollars as of 2020.
Barry E. Wilmore is from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Wilmore graduated from Tennessee Tech in 1985 and shortly after he joined the Navy as a pilot. Wilmore took his first flight to space on November 16, 2009 aboard the 31st shuttle flight to the international space station. Throughout his career thus far, Wilmore has logged 178 days in space and over 25 hours of time in spacewalks.
Rodney Atkins attended Tennessee Tech when his career in music began. In 1996 Atkins signed with Curb Records in Nashville, Tennessee launching his professional career. Rodney Atkins has reached 6 #1 singles and released 5 studio albums in his country music career.
Rich Froning Jr. graduated from Tennessee Tech in 2009. Froning became known as the fittest man in the world during the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 crossFit Games. His title is recognized internationally. Froning now resides in Cookeville, Tn where he owns and operates CrossFit Mayhem, which is a gym open to the public.
More recently, Jake Hoot, a Tech graduate in 2013, landed a spot on season 17 of The Voice in 2019. Hoot chose to join Team Kelly Clarkson where he remained until his victory.
