Jim Worthington, who died recently as the University of Tennessee’s oldest letter winner, will be celebrated this Saturday at Baylor School.
Worthington played baseball for the Volunteers, earning varsity letters as a catcher during the 1948-49 seasons. He traveled to Lindsey Nelson Stadium on May 18, 2024, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a game against South Carolina as a 98-year-old.
He died on Dec. 28, 2025, at the age of 100 after spending his final years in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross.
Born in Sheffield, Alabama, on Aug. 26, 1925, Worthington served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II before graduating from Tennessee. He would teach at Baylor for 17 years, coaching both the football and baseball programs.
Worthington headed the Red Raiders in football in the nine seasons from 1961-69, preceding the tenure of E.B. “Red” Etter. Baylor compiled a 44-31-8 record in those nine years, which included the 9-0 season of 1963 in which the Red Raiders outscored their opponents 177-27.