Countdown to September 1st vs Ball State (Top 250 Vols)

[JBD_Vol]

If I'm not mistaken..............he's the highest football recruit to ever come out of the state of TN.

We played Trezevant and the X Man in the 3rd round of the AA playoffs at home in 85. We beat them 21-0. Nearing the end of the game, there was a pretty big fight. One of our guys got thrown out, but as I recall, the ref called the wrong number so he stayed on the field. I believe it was caught the next play and he was sent off. We played Memphis University School (who had Andy McCarroll who played at vanderbilt) the next week in Memphis and lost by 2. MUS beat Leroy Thompson and Austin East (who ditched UT for psu and then played for the Steelers) the next week for state championship at vanderbilt.

I hated losing that game. I wanted to kick at vanderbilt on the turf one more time (we had played a jamboree there at the beginning of the season and I had kicked at Austin Peay where we beat Clarksville Northeast with the score closer than it looked and I was booming kicks off that 2 inch tee on that turf. Got a field goal blocked though and one of our coaches said someone did not block in, but maybe, in my opinion, I was too slow to the kick).

I wanted to get a chance to kick a field goal at the end of the MUS to win it, but we could not get far enough down the field and who knows if I could have stayed calm.

However, 2 of my 12 year classmates (1 which I went to WKU with the next year before my transfer to UT) spent the night with me once we got back to middle Tennessee and we got up early and saw the Vols slam the commodedoors in Neyland to lock down the Sugar Bowl. Then we went to Gatlinburg before returning home the next day.

 

[Orange.]

#147 - Montario Hardesty

I always remember this Hardesty run against #9 Cal (at the 5 minute mark).

 

[peaygolf]

146 days……

#146 - Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson helped usher in the Bowden Wyatt coaching era with three consecutive winning seasons and an SEC championship. After a 6-3-1 season, Johnson was Wyatt's starting guard in 1956 and 1957. Johnson helped pushed Tennessee to the national spotlight his junior season as the Vols finished with an undefeated regular season and won the SEC as the nation's second-ranked team. His work on the line also helped Johnny Majors become a legend. In 1957, Johnson gained the recognition he deserved, being named 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American. Johnson was also a solid defensive player. After his college career ended, Johnson served in the Army and then was on the UT Athletic Board from 1972-1996. He was instrumental in the hiring…and removal…of his friend Majors.

 

[MAD]

146 days……

#146 - Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson helped usher in the Bowden Wyatt coaching era with three consecutive winning seasons and an SEC championship. After a 6-3-1 season, Johnson was Wyatt's starting guard in 1956 and 1957. Johnson helped pushed Tennessee to the national spotlight his junior season as the Vols finished with an undefeated regular season and won the SEC as the nation's second-ranked team. His work on the line also helped Johnny Majors become a legend. In 1957, Johnson gained the recognition he deserved, being named 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American. Johnson was also a solid defensive player. After his college career ended, Johnson served in the Army and then was on the UT Athletic Board from 1972-1996. He was instrumental in the hiring…and removal…of his friend Majors.

View attachment 446727

Johnson was instrumental in the Vols undefeated season largely due to his flying abilities.

 

[peaygolf]

145 days...........

#145 - Virgil "Van" Rayburn

Rayburn was a standout end on offense and defense from 1930-1932. He was widely considered one of the best in the country at both positions and helped the Vols to a 27-1-2 during his time on the hill. Known for his speed around the edge, he was a mainstay in the opposing teams backfield and was known for his punt blocking skills. He was named All-South in 1932 and was 2nd Team All-American. He was one vote shy of being named unanimous All-South. Rayburn went on to play professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

 

[peaygolf]

144 days……

#144 - Fuad Reveiz

Concerned over the kicking game during the spring, Coach Majors offered Reveiz a scholarship just prior to fall practice in 1981. It’s a good thing he did. Reveiz has made the most field goals in school history with 71, he has the longest field goal in school history, of 60 yards in 1982 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and he has the most made field goals in a season with 27 in 1982. He’s only one of the three kickers in UT history to kick five FGs in a game, and he did it twice. Reveiz’s best season came in 1982, when he was perfect on extra point attempts, and connected on 27 of 31 field goal tries, including an NCAA-record 8 of 10 on field goal attempts of 50 yards or longer. He was named All-SEC in 1982. He struggled some in 1983, but worked with Coach Cafego, and rebounded with an excellent senior season, kicking 20 FGs, including a then SEC record of 18 straight. He was named All-American by Gannett News and 2nd team All-SEC in 1984. His 71 career field goals remains a school record, and his 27 field goals in 1982 remains a school single-season record. Reveiz was a 7th round pick by the Dolphins and kicked from 1985-1995for three different teams, making the Pro Bowl in ‘94 for the Vikings.

 

[thedocvol]

144 days……

#144 - Fuad Reveiz

Concerned over the kicking game during the spring, Coach Majors offered Reveiz a scholarship just prior to fall practice in 1981. It’s a good thing he did. Reveiz has made the most field goals in school history with 71, he has the longest field goal in school history, of 60 yards in 1982 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and he has the most made field goals in a season with 27 in 1982. He’s only one of the three kickers in UT history to kick five FGs in a game, and he did it twice. Reveiz’s best season came in 1982, when he was perfect on extra point attempts, and connected on 27 of 31 field goal tries, including an NCAA-record 8 of 10 on field goal attempts of 50 yards or longer. He was named All-SEC in 1982. He struggled some in 1983, but worked with Coach Cafego, and rebounded with an excellent senior season, kicking 20 FGs, including a then SEC record of 18 straight. He was named All-American by Gannett News and 2nd team All-SEC in 1984. His 71 career field goals remains a school record, and his 27 field goals in 1982 remains a school single-season record. Reveiz was a 7th round pick by the Dolphins and kicked from 1985-1995for three different teams, making the Pro Bowl in ‘94 for the Vikings.

View attachment 447198

Alan Duncan kicked five vs Kentucky in 1980. I’m not sure who the other was?

 

[ArdentVol]

146 days……

#146 - Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson helped usher in the Bowden Wyatt coaching era with three consecutive winning seasons and an SEC championship. After a 6-3-1 season, Johnson was Wyatt's starting guard in 1956 and 1957. Johnson helped pushed Tennessee to the national spotlight his junior season as the Vols finished with an undefeated regular season and won the SEC as the nation's second-ranked team. His work on the line also helped Johnny Majors become a legend. In 1957, Johnson gained the recognition he deserved, being named 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American. Johnson was also a solid defensive player. After his college career ended, Johnson served in the Army and then was on the UT Athletic Board from 1972-1996. He was instrumental in the hiring…and removal…of his friend Majors.

View attachment 446727

great publicity photo
think schools started phasing out photos like this in late 60s

 

[peaygolf]

Alan Duncan kicked five vs Kentucky in 1980. I’m not sure who the other was?

Alex Walls

 

[peaygolf]

great publicity photo
think schools started phasing out photos like this in late 60s

IT still did until the early to mid 70s. I still think they are cool.

 

[VolSteve]

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[VolSteve]

[VIDEO=][w what/VI×wDEO]

 

[VolSteve]

[VIDEO=][w/VI×wDEO]

 

[peaygolf]

143 days……

#143 - Alvin Toles

Toles arrived in Knoxville as a powerful fullback and part of a great recruiting class that helped UT get back to prominence. Toles rushed for 355 yards during his first two seasons, averaging 4 yards per carry and was a bruising blocker. With the defense in need of help at linebacker, Coach Majors asked him to switch to linebacker in 1983, a position he had never played. All Toles hid was have one of the single greatest seasons a linebacker ever had at UT. He had 19 tackles in his first career game at LB, and followed that up with 17 vs Auburn, 18 vs Alabama, 14 vs Ga Tech, and 20 vs Ole Miss. He had 6 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the Citrus Bowl and was name Defensive MVP. He was named 2nd team All-SEC and made 135 tackles and 8 tackles for loss. Poised for a tremendous senior season, he had 43 tackles and an interception during his first four games, but suffered a broken ankle vs Auburn and missed the rest of the season. No, his career accolades and number of career tackles don’t show up in the annals of UT lore, but his ability at different positions, his toughness, and his unselfishness puts him high on my list of greats. 178 tackles in 15 career games is a sign of greatness! He was a 1st round pick by the Saints in 1985 and played until a knee injury ended his career in 1988.

 

[Bigorange123]

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

NOPE!!! Move it up 2 days… we just got bumped to a Thursday night game

 

[MAD]

 

[MAD]

Wonder which two players got screwed out of their featured spot?

 

[IndianaVol]

Wonder which two players got screwed out of their featured spot?

Maybe peaygolf does a couple of Na and Nb features for two guys that played off each other and boosted the other guys stats and such...or maybe brothers that played at or around the same time.

Or maybe a legacy family...we had a few of those come through too.

Candidates could be the Clausens, Majors, Colquitts, or maybe some of the good linemen pairings we've seen...just a thought.

 

[peaygolf]

Well CRAP!!!!!!!!

 

[peaygolf]

#142 - Mallon Faircloth

Faircloth played quarterback and tailback from 161-1963. In fact, he was the last single-wing tailback for the Vols. He was 2nd team all-conference selection in 1961 and 1962.
During his career, he threw for 1,230 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,503 and scored 10 more TDs. He was the Volunteers’ punter (he averaged 43.1 yards per punt as a senior), punt returner and kickoff returner and had five interceptions as a defensive back in 1962.
Faircloth signed to play in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys but lasted just two weeks. Following his release from Dallas, he had opportunities with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings but turned those down to return to Tennessee to finish his undergraduate degree and to attend law school.

 

[peaygolf]

#141 - Darwin Walker


After spending his freshman season at North Carolina State, Walker transferred to Tennessee, where he lettered for the Vols for three seasons (1997-99) and helped lead the Big Orange to a pair of SEC titles and the 1998 BCS National Championship.

Walker had six sacks and 46 tackles en route to All-SEC first-team honors in 1998 as Tennessee went undefeated and won the first BCS National Championship. In 1999, Walker served as a captain for the Vols and repeated on the All-SEC First Team, totaling 46 tackles again and adding seven sacks. For his career, he appeared in 35 games and recorded 119 tackles, 14 sacks and 19 TFLs. Walker was selected in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft and he went on to play nine seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, appearing in 109 games with 84 starts.

 

[peaygolf]

140 days………

#140 - Lester McClain

While Lester McClain's accomplishments on the field were enough to etch his name in the record books, his true legacy expands to this day and for generations to come. The Antioch, Tennessee, native was the first Black student-athlete at the University of Tennessee, playing varsity football from 1968-70. In 1968, he became the first Black SEC player to score a touchdown when he hauled in his first of two scoring receptions during UT's 24-7 win at Georgia Tech. In 1969, he caught the longest touchdown pass in school history at the time of 82 yards vs Memphis St. McClain's on-field contributions included catching 70 passes for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also rushed 30 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns and returned eight kickoffs for 168 yards. McClain was a pioneer, on and off the field, and a true legend. McClain was selected by the Chicago Bears in the ninth round in the 1971 NFL Draft.

 

[peaygolf]

Did some “Jimmy Streater scrambling,” and made it work!

 

[IndianaVol]

Did some “Jimmy Streater scrambling,” and made it work!

Or just hit GO on the Heupel offense and TA-DA...caught up