Waxing On The Car Wash: YQB

It’s always a treat when we are graced with the company of country music phenom Kenny Chesney, but this trip was extra special because it also included the great former University of Tennessee quarterback Condredge Holloway.

Having worked with Chesney before, I knew the day would run smoothly for one main reason: his entourage is a party of one, delightful manager Malchijah Bailey.

They are a very low-key, drama-free group of guys; they possess a very No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem mentality, which as a talent booker is heaven sent.

They came to ESPN to promote their ESPN Year of the Quarterback (YQB) film, The Color Orange: The Condredge Holloway Story, which Chesney co-directed and narrated.

Holloway was Chesney’s ultimate hero and idol as a kid.

Said Chesney: “A lot of people come up to me and say they want to be like me when they grow up, and that’s exactly how I felt about Condredge.”

You could see the honesty and joy on Chesney’s face every time he spoke about how much he enjoyed watching Holloway, a star with the Vols in the 1970s, play.

Our day included typical interviews like Mike & Mike In The Morning and SportsCenter, but we also shot bonus features for the DVD [release date TBA], which is where Holloway really opened up.

As tears started to roll down his face, Holloway said, “All I ever wanted to do was to make my parents proud.”

Holloway was the first African-American to start at quarterback in the SEC. He also was a baseball star, having been drafted by the Montreal Expos out of high school.

It seems Holloway accomplished his goal.

Their favorite Car Wash moments?

“Meeting Bob Ley; It was so cool to interview with him and just talk to him about sports,” said Chesney.

Holloway said, “The whole Car Wash experience was amazing. The organization and professionalism was fantastic. Hard to pick one moment from Mike & Mike to Bob!”

Chesney and Holloway light up a room.

To sum up the day, as a wise man once called it, it was The Good Stuff.