NFL Vols ready for super Sunday

Three former Tennessee offensive linemen get their evening in the NFL spotlight Sunday when Super Bowl XLV takes place in Arlington, Texas.

Green Bay left tackle Chad Clifton and center Scott Wells lead the Packers against Pittsburgh right guard Ramon Foster and the Steelers. All three are native Tennesseans and former UT team captains who starred for the Big Orange during the late 1990s in Clifton’s case and the 2000s for Wells and Foster.

The three former Vols keep alive Tennessee’s impressive two-decade run of representatives in the Super Bowl. This year’s game marks the 19th Super Bowl in the last 20 featuring at least one former Tennessee player.

Clifton, a Martin native, started 45 of 48 career games played for UT. He was a 1999 All-America second team choice by Sporting News and 1998 All-SEC first team selection by Football News. Clifton was a 2000 NFL Draft second-round pick by the Packers and is completing his 11th season in Green Bay.

Wells played in 50 games for the Vols, starting the last 49 consecutive to end his collegiate career with the third-longest active streak by an offensive lineman in all of college football. The Brentwood Academy product went on to earn 2000 Freshman All-SEC and 2003 All-SEC accolades from the league coaches. Wells was chosen by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft and is concluding his seventh season in Green Bay.

Foster appeared in 44 games with 28 starts in a Big Orange uniform. The Henning native finished his career with starts in 26 consecutive games and in 2007 was a member of the All-Mayday Team, as selected by ESPN college football analyst Mark May and recognizing college football’s “Toughest of the Tough.” Foster signed as a free agent with the Steelers in 2009 and is completing his second season in Pittsburgh.

Another former Vols offensive lineman serving in a reserve role is Steelers tackle Chris Scott, who came to Tennessee from Riverdale, Ga., and played for the Vols from 2006-09. Packers defensive tackle Justin Harrell, another Martin native and 2006 team captain, is an injured reserve member. And former UT linebacker and Knoxville native Reggie McKenzie is Green Bay’s director of football operations.

The five former Vols on this year’s Super Bowl rosters are tied with LSU and Texas for most among any collegiate program.

Former Vols in the Super Bowl

Year Name Pos Team Super Bowl

1967 Bill Anderson TE Green Bay Super Bowl I

1971 Steve Kiner LB Dallas Super Bowl V

1971 Richmond Flowers DB Dallas Super Bowl V

1971 Ron Widby P Dallas Super Bowl V

1972 Bob Petrella DB Miami Super Bowl VI

1972 Ron Widby P Dallas Super Bowl VI

1977 Neil Clabo P Minnesota Super Bowl XI

1979 Craig Colquitt P Pittsburgh Super Bowl XIII

1980 Jack Reynolds LB Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl XIV

1980 Eddie Brown DB Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl XIV

1980 Craig Colquitt P Pittsburgh Super Bowl XIV

1981 Mickey Marvin OT Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XV

1982 Craig Puki LB San Francisco Super Bowl XVI

1982 Jack Reynolds LB San Francisco Super Bowl XVI

1984 Mickey Marvin OT Los Angeles Raiders Super Bowl XVIII

1985 Jack Reynolds LB San Francisco Super Bowl XIX

1986 Willie Gault WR Chicago Super Bowl XX

1986 Stanley Morgan WR New England Super Bowl XX

1988 Raleigh McKenzie OG Washington Super Bowl XXII

1989 Carl Zander LB Cincinnati Super Bowl XXIII

1989 David Douglas OG Cincinnati Super Bowl XXIII

1989 Tim McGee WR Cincinnati Super Bowl XXIII

1990 Keith DeLong LB San Francisco Super Bowl XXIV

1992 Raleigh McKenzie OG Washington Super Bowl XXVI

1993 Bill Bates DB Dallas Super Bowl XXVII

1993 Alvin Harper WR Dallas Super Bowl XXVII

1994 Bill Bates DB Dallas Super Bowl XXVIII

1994 Alvin Harper WR Dallas Super Bowl XXVIII

1995 Chris Mims DE San Diego Super Bowl XXIX

1996 Cory Fleming WR Dallas Super Bowl XXX

1996 Bill Bates DB Dallas Super Bowl XXX

1997 Reggie White DT Green Bay Super Bowl XXXI

1997 Bruce Wilkerson OT Green Bay Super Bowl XXXI

1998 Aaron Hayden RB Green Bay Super Bowl XXXII

1998 Reggie White DT Green Bay Super Bowl XXXII

1998 Bruce Wilkerson OT Green Bay Super Bowl XXXII

1999 Trey Teague + C Denver Super Bowl XXXIII

1999 Marcus Nash WR Denver Super Bowl XXXIII

1999 Ben Talley LB Atlanta Super Bowl XXXIII

1999 Chuck Smith LB Atlanta Super Bowl XXXIII

2000 Leonard Little LB St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXIV

2000 Jason Layman OT Tennessee Super Bowl XXXIV

2000 Joey Kent WR Tennessee Super Bowl XXXIV

2001 Jamal Lewis RB Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV

2001 Marcus Nash WR Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV

2001 Dave Thomas DB New York Giants Super Bowl XXXV

2002 Leonard Little LB St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXVI

2003 Cosey Coleman OG Tampa Bay Super Bowl XXXVII

2003 Charlie Garner RB Oakland Raiders Super Bowl XXXVII

2003 Travis Stephens + RB Tampa Bay Super Bowl XXXVII

2004 Shane Burton DT Carolina Super Bowl XXXVIII

2004 Deon Grant DB Carolina Super Bowl XXXVIII

2005 Darwin Walker DT Philadelphia Super Bowl XXXIX

2006 Cedrick Wilson WR Pittsburgh Super Bowl XL

2007 Peyton Manning @ QB Indianapolis Super Bowl XLI

2008 Rashad Moore DT New England Super Bowl XLII

2008 Donte’ Stallworth WR New England Super Bowl XLII

2008 Kelley Washington WR New England Super Bowl XLII

2008 Gibril Wilson DB New York Giants Super Bowl XLII

2010 Jabari Greer DB New Orleans Super Bowl XLIV

2010 Peyton Manning QB Indianapolis Super Bowl XLII

2010 Robert Meachem WR New Orleans Super Bowl XLIV

2010 Marvin Mitchell LB New Orleans Super Bowl XLIV

2011 Chad Clifton OT Green Bay Super Bowl XLV

2011 Ramon Foster OG Pittsburgh Super Bowl XLV

2011 Justin Harrell + DT Green Bay Super Bowl XLV

2011 Chris Scott OT Pittsburgh Super Bowl XLV

2011 Scott Wells C Green Bay Super Bowl XLV

+ Injured; @ MVP.