Sewanee on Split Zone Duo’s Dead Letter Series

In this episode of Split Zone Duo’s Dead Letters series, hosts, Richard Johnson and Alex Kirshner, explore the remarkable and complicated football legacy of the University of the South—better known as Sewanee. Featuring an interview with Norman Jetmundsen, writer and co-director of the acclaimed documentary Unrivaled: Sewanee 1899, the conversation traces Sewanee’s rise as a Southern football powerhouse at the turn of the 20th century, highlighted by the legendary 1899 “Iron Men” who won five games in six days on a grueling 2,500-mile road trip.

The episode also examines Sewanee’s later years as a charter member of the Southeastern Conference, where the program struggled to remain competitive, never winning an SEC game before withdrawing from the league. Through Jetmundsen’s insights and historical storytelling, the podcast captures both the glory and decline of Sewanee football, situating its story within the broader history of college football in the South.