Former NFL Player and High School Coach Arrested in Nashville Prostitution Sting

A former Tennessee Volunteers running back and current Williamson County high school football coach has been arrested in connection with a prostitution sting in Nashville, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).

Authorities say Herman “Jay” Graham III, head football coach at Centennial High School, was taken into custody along with two other men during an undercover operation on Wednesday. The sting was a joint effort between MNPD’s Special Victims Division and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators reportedly posted online ads as part of the operation. Police say Graham responded to one of the ads and began communicating with an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old girl. According to MNPD, Graham and the officer agreed on a price of $120 for sex, and he later arrived at a Nashville hotel to meet her. When he handed over the money, officers arrested him on the scene.

Graham faces two felony charges, patronizing prostitution with a minor and solicitation of a minor for aggravated statutory rape. His bond has been set at $45,000.

A former standout running back for the University of Tennessee, Graham went on to play in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, and Green Bay Packers.

Following his arrest, Centennial High School issued a statement to parents confirming that Graham has been terminated from his coaching position and suspended without pay from his teaching role pending further investigation.

Authorities have not released additional details as the investigation remains ongoing.