Former Tennessee star and Alabama coach Jay Graham arrested in Nashville prostitution sting

Jay Graham, a former Tennessee and SEC running back, was arrested Wednesday.

The 50-year-old high school football coach was arrested after the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Special Investigations Division and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified Graham in a prostitution sting in which detectives posted ads on adult escort websites.

The Tennessean reports that Graham, who played at Tennessee from 1993 to 1996, was fired as Centennial TSSAA football coach.

According to WKRN, police said Graham responded to one of the ads and struck up a conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old.

According to the report, Graham and the undercover agent agreed on a price of $120 for sex, and Graham went to a hotel room in Nashville. Once the money was exchanged, the undercover agent arrested Graham.

Graham’s bond is set at $45,000, police said.

WSVM reports that Graham, who was one of three arrested, faces two criminal 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 only two months as tight ends coach, resigned and released a statement on Twitter.

Graham coached running backs at Tennessee, most recently in 2020 under then-coach Jeremy Pruitt.

The two won the 2013 national title and ACC championship at Florida State with Graham coaching the running backs.

Graham also spent two seasons coaching running backs at Texas A&M from 2018-19.

With Pruitt as defensive coordinator and Graham on the offensive side of the ball, Florida State dominated Auburn in spectacular fashion to win the 2014 BCS national championship game at the Rose Bowl.

Graham also had 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 to 1996, totaling 2,609 yards. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as a junior and 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 had a school record 11 100-yard games along with 12 touchdowns. He totaled 797 yards and 11 scores in 1996.