Jay Graham, a former Tennessee and all-SEC running back, was arrested Wednesday.
The 50-year-old high school football coach was arrested after Metro Nashville Police Department’s Special Investigations Division and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified Graham during a prostitution sting where detectives posted ads on adult escort websites.
The Tennessean reports Graham, who played at Tennessee from 1993-96, has been fired as the Centennial TSSAA football coach.
According to WKRN, police said Graham allegedly responded to one of the ads and engaged in a conversation with a female undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old juvenile.
Graham and the undercover officer, per the report, agreed on a price of $120 for sex, and Graham went to a Nashville hotel room. Once money was exchanged, the undercover officer took Graham into custody.
Graham’s bond is set at $45,000, police said.
WSVM reports Graham, who was one of three arrested, faces two felony charges, including patronizing prostitution with a minor and solicitation of a minor for aggravated statutory rape.
In 2021, Graham, who was at Alabama under Nick Saban for just two months as the tight ends coach, resigned and posted a statement on Twitter.
Graham coached running backs at Tennessee, the latest in 2020 under then-coach Jeremy Pruitt.
The two won the 2013 national title and ACC Championship at Florida State with Graham coaching running backs.
Graham also spent two seasons coaching running backs at Texas A&M from 2018-19.
With Pruitt serving as defensive coordinator and Graham on the offensive side of the ball, Florida State topped Auburn in dramatic fashion to claim the 2014 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.
Graham also served one-year stints at Miami (Ohio), UT Martin, San Diego and Chattanooga after getting his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 2005.
Graham was a standout All-SEC running back for the Vols from 1993-96, rushing for 2,609 yards. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as both a junior and a senior and helped Tennessee to three bowl victories – the 1994 Gator Bowl and the 1996 and 1997 Citrus Bowls.
In 1995, Graham rushed for 1,438 yards — the second-most ever by a Vol – and he collected a school-record 11 100-yard games along with 12 touchdowns. He had 797 yards and 11 scores in 1996.
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