Curtis L. “Griz” Watson

Curt Watson Founded the Memphis Mid South Air Show and the event has donated over $1,600,000 to children’s charities in Memphis.

As a late 1960s and early 1970s University of Tennessee football star, Curt Watson, a/k/a “The Crossville Comet” still ranks fourth among Tennessee’s all-time rushing leaders. He ended his career with a school-record 2,364 yards on 529 rushes, twenty-two touchdowns, and a 5.4 yards-per-carry average. Afterwards he moved on to two years in the NFL. Watson then joined the Navy and spent eleven years as a Navy pilot including a four-year stint with the Blue Angels. He is now a pilot for Federal Express. Watson has remained active in the world of sports, serving on the Liberty Bowl Selection Committee and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors.