John, a 1951 Vanderbilt graduate, played football (quarterback) in 1945 and baseball (third base) from 1949-1951 for the Commodores. After working for 16 years in the coal industry, John saw the need for a new coal sales agency and believed he had the skills to start such a company. He founded Delta Coals Inc. in 1970 with no borrowed money and eventually grew the company to sales figures of more than $100 million a year.

Following in his father's footsteps, Tate played football for Vanderbilt from 1972-1975. During his tenure as an outside line backer for the Commodores, Tate was a four-year letterman and was named to the All-SEC Freshmen Team by the Knoxville News-Sentinel . He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1976 and went on to get his law degree from Vandy in 1979. Upon graduation, he joined his father at Delta Coals.

Both men are highly involved in the Nashville community, where Delta Coals is based. John is currently on the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and is involved with the Martha O'Bryan Center, a community center for families in need. A former director of the Tennessee Golf Association and Tennessee Golf Foundation, he is a recipient of the National Football Foundation of Tennessee Distinguished American Award.

Like John, Tate also volunteers his services to the Martha O'Bryan Center, in addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the National Football Foundation of Middle Tennessee and The 100 Club. He is also a trustee for the Montgomery Bell Academy, a private boy's high school in Nashville.

As former athletes now running a small business, John and Tate both say they see many parallels between SEC athletic competition and small business ownership.

"In both cases you need to have the horses on your team — quality people, service and reliability," notes Tate.