John A. Merritt's final game as Jackson State's head coach delivered the kind of ending that rarely happens in sports.

On Dec. 8, 1962, Jackson State entered the Orange Blossom Classic as an underdog against Florida A&M. The Tigers had lost to the Rattlers in the same event one year earlier, but Merritt returned to Miami with an experienced team determined to change the result.

Jackson State won 22-6 and claimed the first HBCU national championship in program history. Quarterback Roy Curry was named the game's most outstanding player, while two-way star Willie "Wonderful Willie" Richardson intercepted two passes.

It was the crowning achievement of Merritt's 11 seasons at Jackson State — and the final game he coached there.

Within months, Merritt was in Nashville beginning a 21-season tenure that would transform Tennessee State into a national power. More than six decades later, the two programs that defined his career will meet in a game bearing his name.

Tennessee State and Jackson State will play in the John A. Merritt Classic for the first time Saturday night at Vanderbilt's FirstBank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Classic is presented by the Tennessee Titans and ONE Community.

The matchup offers an opportunity to revisit a coaching journey that connected Jackson and Nashville long before the rivalry moved between the two cities and later found a home in Memphis.

Merritt arrived at Jackson State in 1952 and compiled a 63-37-5 record. His teams won conference championships in 1957, 1961 and 1962, establishing the program as a growing force in Black college football.

His final Jackson State roster also demonstrated Merritt's ability to identify and develop professional talent, a defining feature of his career. At least 12 members of the 1962 championship team played one or more seasons in the NFL.

Richardson was the most decorated college player in the group. He was selected to the Pittsburgh Courier's Black All-America team four times, earned three All-SWAC selections and was a two-time NAIA All-American.

The Baltimore Colts selected Richardson in the seventh round of the 1963 NFL Draft. He played nine professional seasons with Baltimore and the Miami Dolphins, finishing with 195 receptions and 25 touchdowns. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Curry was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who moved him from quarterback to running back and receiver at a time when Black players were rarely given opportunities to play quarterback professionally.

Defensive end Verlon Biggs played his first two Jackson State seasons under Merritt before beginning a 10-year professional career with the New York Jets and Washington. He earned three AFL All-Star selections and helped the Jets defeat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

Leslie "Speedy" Duncan became a standout defensive back and return specialist during 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Washington. Ben McGee spent nine seasons with the Steelers, while Roy Hilton played nine seasons at defensive end for the Colts.

Frank Molden, Albert Greer and Gloster Richardson were among the other players from Merritt's final Jackson State team who reached the NFL.

Merritt did not make the move to Tennessee State alone. Two of his Jackson State assistants, Joe Gilliam Sr. and Alvin "Cat" Coleman, joined him in Nashville in 1963.

Together, they expanded a proud Tennessee State tradition into one of the most successful programs of the era.

Merritt compiled a 172-33-7 record at TSU. Four of his teams finished unbeaten, and seven were selected as Black college national champions. From 1969 through 1973, Tennessee State went 48-3-1.

The Tigers became nationally recognized for their success and for the professional talent developed under Merritt and his staff.

Claude Humphrey was among the first stars of the Merritt era. A three-time All-American at TSU, he was selected third overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1968 NFL Draft.

Humphrey earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and became one of the league's premier pass rushers. The Pro Football Hall of Fame credited him with 122 career sacks, reached six Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Joe "Jefferson Street Joe" Gilliam Jr. gave Tennessee State a dynamic presence at quarterback. An Associated Press All-American and Black College Player of the Year, Gilliam was selected by Pittsburgh in the 11th round of the 1972 NFL Draft.

Gilliam became one of the first Black quarterbacks to start a regular-season NFL game. He led the Steelers to a 4-1-1 record during his time as the starter and was part of Pittsburgh's Super Bowl IX and X teams.

Ed "Too Tall" Jones arrived at Tennessee State on a basketball scholarship. Merritt saw a different future for the 6-foot-9 athlete and persuaded him to concentrate on football.

Jones developed into an All-American defensive lineman and recorded 38 sacks at TSU. In 1974, the Dallas Cowboys made him the first player from an HBCU selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.

He spent 15 seasons with Dallas, earned three All-Pro selections and helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XII.

Near the end of Merritt's tenure, another lightly recruited defensive lineman arrived at Tennessee State and developed into one of the most accomplished pass rushers in NFL history.

Richard Dent played at TSU from 1979 through 1982, earning two All-America selections and recording 39.5 sacks. The Chicago Bears selected him in the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft.

Dent recorded 137.5 sacks during a 15-season career. He led the NFL with 17 sacks in 1985 and was named the most valuable player of Super Bowl XX after helping Chicago defeat New England 46-10. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Merritt's Tennessee State teams produced professional talent throughout his tenure. Defensive back Jim Marsalis helped the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl IV, while linebacker Waymond Bryant became the fourth overall selection in the 1974 NFL Draft.

In all, Merritt coached 144 players who reached professional football during his career. The players he developed at Jackson State established his reputation. The players he coached at Tennessee State carried it across two decades of championships and national prominence.

Merritt retired in 1983 with a 235-70-12 career record. He was inducted posthumously into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Jackson State's national rise continued after Merritt's departure. Although the stars who followed were coached by his successors, they extended the program's reputation as a destination for elite Black football talent.

Lem Barney became a seven-time Pro Bowl defensive back and Pro Football Hall of Famer. Harold Jackson played 16 NFL seasons, earned five Pro Bowl selections and retired with the second-most receiving yards in league history at the time.

Jackson State's 1974 team sent six players to the NFL. Three of them — Walter Payton, Robert Brazile and Jackie Slater — were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Together, their accomplishments demonstrated the staying power of the national reputation Jackson State began building during Merritt's championship years.

As both programs built national reputations, their rivalry also grew.

The programs first met in 1949. Tennessee State leads the all-time series 30-23-2, including two victories in three games against Jackson State at Dudley Field during Merritt's TSU tenure.

Jackson State won the first of those games 35-24 in 1978. Tennessee State responded with consecutive shutouts, winning 20-0 in 1980 and 21-0 in 1982.

The teams continued meeting in Nashville and Jackson through the 1980s. Their final Nashville game during that era came Sept. 10, 1988, when 18,954 spectators filled Hale Stadium for a 26-26 tie.

Two years later, the Southern Heritage Classic effectively became the rivalry's new home. The programs played 29 times in Memphis between 1990 and 2022, with Tennessee State winning 17 of those meetings.

Jackson State won the final Southern Heritage Classic matchup 16-3 in 2022.

The rivalry's return to Nashville will take place at a stadium that occupies its own place in Merritt's history.

Known as Dudley Field during much of his tenure, the Vanderbilt venue regularly hosted Tennessee State games against prominent opponents. Merritt compiled a 14-4-1 record there.

His first TSU game at the stadium came Oct. 23, 1965, when Tennessee State defeated Florida A&M 50-8. Fourteen years later, the Tigers earned one of the defining victories of Merritt's career there, defeating top-ranked Florida A&M 20-3.

Overall, Tennessee State owns a 23-15-1 record at Vanderbilt when playing opponents other than the Commodores.

Tennessee State established the John A. Merritt Classic in 1999 as an annual tribute to the coach who elevated the program to national prominence. More than 31,000 spectators attended the inaugural game, a 41-8 TSU victory over Alabama State at what was then Adelphia Coliseum.

Over the years, the Classic has recognized the Merritt family, his assistant coaches, undefeated teams, championship teams and former players. It has served as an annual reminder that Merritt's influence reached beyond his record.

That tradition continues in 2026 with honoree Lynn E. Kennedy, whose life has been defined by service, leadership and a lasting commitment to Tennessee State University. As a TSU freshman, Kennedy began working with the Department of Athletics and supported the football program under legendary coaches Joe Gilliam Sr. and John A. Merritt. She later served as an assistant to Merritt and his wife, Maxine, forming a close relationship with the family that has endured for decades. Her service marked the beginning of a lifelong dedication to TSU, its athletics program and Merritt's legacy.

The 2026 game will add another piece to that history. For the first time, Tennessee State's annual tribute to Merritt will feature the university where his championship journey began.

Jackson State will be new to the John A. Merritt Classic. It will not be new to John Merritt's story.