5 Best Tennessee NFL Players
Neyland Stadium holds over 100,000 people, and Tennessee has given them plenty of future pros to watch. These five Volunteers are ranked on their college careers in Knoxville, from award sweeping defenders to the most decorated quarterback the program has produced. Three of them are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1. Peyton Manning
Quarterback · 1994 to 1997
Manning stayed for his senior season when he could have been the first overall pick a year early, then threw for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns and won every major award except the Heisman. He left Tennessee with 33 school records, 89 career touchdown passes, and a 39 and 6 record as a starter. His command of the offense at the line of scrimmage was already legendary in Knoxville, where he ran checks most college coaches would not trust a quarterback with. He won the Maxwell, the Davey O'Brien, the Johnny Unitas award, and the Sullivan Award, then went first overall in 1998.
2. Reggie White
Defensive End · 1980 to 1983
White was SEC Player of the Year in 1983 after a senior season with 15 sacks and 100 tackles, which was an absurd stat line for a defensive lineman at the time. He finished with 32 career sacks and was routinely double and triple teamed without it mattering much. At 6 foot 5 and 290 pounds he had the first step of a much smaller player, and the club move he used later in the NFL was already there in college. His number is retired and he is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
3. Eric Berry
Safety · 2007 to 2009
Berry won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2009 and was a two time consensus All American, finishing his career with 14 interceptions and an SEC record 494 interception return yards. He was a true center field safety who also came down and tackled in the box, and quarterbacks openly avoided throwing to his half of the field. He was the best player on the field in most SEC games he played in as a sophomore and junior. Kansas City drafted him fifth overall in 2010.
4. Al Wilson
Linebacker · 1995 to 1998
Wilson was the emotional center of the 1998 national championship defense and an All American who produced 132 tackles as a senior. He was undersized for the position and played with such force that teammates credit him with setting the tone for that entire title run. The forced fumbles in the Florida game that season swung the year for Tennessee. Denver took him in the first round in 1999 and he made five Pro Bowls.
5. Doug Atkins
Defensive End · 1950 to 1952
Atkins arrived in Knoxville on a basketball scholarship and became an All American defensive end who used his high jumping background to leap over blockers. He played on the 1951 national championship team and was so physically dominant that General Neyland moved him to football almost immediately. He was a first round pick in 1953 and later a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Even in an era with limited film, his college reputation was enormous.
Who Just Missed
Jamal Lewis, Jason Witten, Chad Clifton, Albert Haynesworth, Travis Henry, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Hendon Hooker all have arguments. Jamal Lewis ran for over 1,300 yards as a freshman and Haynesworth was a genuinely unblockable interior lineman. The five above got the nod for national awards and championship impact.
Tennessee by the Numbers
Tennessee has produced more than 40 first round NFL draft picks and has had at least one player drafted in the vast majority of modern drafts. The strongest pipelines are defensive line, linebacker, and offensive tackle, with several long tenured NFL starters from each. The program's 1998 national title roster alone sent a dozen players to the league.
Why Knoxville Talent Holds Up
Tennessee plays a full SEC East schedule with trips to Florida, Georgia, and Alabama most years, which is close to NFL competition week to week. Neyland's atmosphere means these players have already handled noise, pressure, and national television by the time they get drafted. The program also has a long tradition of pro style quarterback development that shows up on Sundays.
Test Yourself on Tennessee Players
Reading about them is one thing. Naming them on sight is another. CollegeGuessr shows you an NFL player and asks which college he came from. Build a streak, post your score on the Big Board, and see how your football knowledge holds up.