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

[peaygolf]

84 days……

#84 - Bill “Pug” Pearman

Pearman was a 6’2” 210 pound defensive tackle from 1947 -1951 (didn’t play in ‘48.) Fast, rugged, and strong as an ox was how he was described. After lettering in 1947 and 1949 as a backup, Pearman became a starter the first two seasons Coach Neyland used a two team system of offense and defense. Pearman was part of arguably the greatest defensive line in school history those two seasons in ‘50 and ‘51. The defense only gave up 71 points in 1950 and 116 points in 1951. Tackles for loss were not recorded at that time, but each season as a starter, most agree his number would have been well over a dozen. As a senior, Pearman was named 1st Team All-SEC, All-Southern, and 1st Team All-American. After his senior year, he was invited to play in the Senior Bowl and the College All-Star Game. He was a 26th round pick by the Steelers in the ‘51 draft.

 

[peaygolf]

83 days...........

#83 - James "Little Man" Stewart

After Chuck Webb left UTs backfield seemed a concern, but Stewart calmed everyone quickly. As a freshman in 1991, Stewart led the Vols with 939 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns. When 1992 rolled around, the backfield got more crowded, with the addition of Charlie Garner and the emergence of Aaron Hayden. While splitting carries and a reduced workload, Stewart still had 923 yards and 16 TDs over the next two seasons, including his majestic 71 yard score vs Georgia . As a senior in 1994, Stewart helped Peyton Manning ease into the roll as starter, by averaging over 6 yards per carry, and rushing for 1,028 yards and 11 TDs and was named 2nd team All-SEC.. When Stewart left UT, he was the schools all-time leading rusher with 2,890 yards (now 3rd) and 2nd all-time with 35 rushing TDs. Tack on another 463 yards and 4 TDs receiving, one can see the value and excellence of Stewart. "Little Man" was a 1st round pick by the Lions in the 1995 NFL draft and had a very successful NFL career.

 

[peaygolf]

82 days…….

#82 - Kevin Burnett

Burnett played from 2000 - 2004 and is widely considered one of the best UT linebackers since 2000. As a freshman, he tallied 11 tackles and a fumble recovery playing both safety and linebacker. As a sophomore, Burnett made two starts and made 11 tackles vs Notre Dame. In 2002, he was redshirted after an injury in the opener vs Wyoming. Coming off the injury, Burnett responded with 90 tackles in 2003, including 6 tackles for loss. He was named a team captain and was a 2nd team All-SEC. In his final season in 2004, Burnett upped his game even more, tallying 120 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception. Again, he was named captain and was named 1st team All-SEC and 1st team All- American. For his career, Kevin finished with 274 tackles and 8 sacks. He was a 2nd round pick by the Cowboys in 2005 and played with four teams until 2013.

 

[peaygolf]

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[peaygolf]

81 days……..

#81 - Raymond Saunders

From 1929-1931, UT had a record of 27-1-2, and a roster full of tremendous players. The greatest backfield in UT history gets most of the accolades, but without lineman like Saunders, they wouldn’t have been as successful. Saunders was big for that era (6’0 185 lbs,) quick, and powerful at the line of attack. Opening holes for McEver, Dodd, and Hackman, earned him the respect from his teammates and opponents. On defense, he was known as the “Fifth Man in everyone’s backfield.” His propensity for tackling ball carriers for loss was his strength. After two great seasons in ‘29 and ‘30, his final season was his best. He was named All-Southern and was named to several All-American teams. With all the stars and HoFers on those teams, Ray is often forgotten…… but should be remembered as one of the best on some of the greatest teams in UT history.

 

[peaygolf]

80 days…..

#80 - Anthony Hancock

Hancock came to Knoxville as a running back, but switched to receiver midway through his freshman season in 1978. Only playing sparingly, he caught 7 passes for 122 yards and a TD. In 1979, Hancock became a star. He averaged over 20 yards per reception, and had huge games vs Vanderbilt and Purdue . In the Vanderbilt game, he caught a then record 85 yard touchdown from Jimmy Streater. He finished his sophomore season with 34 receptions for 689 yards and 4TDs. As a junior, the offense struggled, but Hancock still managed 33 receptions for 580 yards and 2TDs. His speed was evident, as he out raced the Southern Cal defense for a 56 yard score and had huge catches vs Washington St and Georgia Tech. In 1981, Johnny Majors said he was going to get him more involved, because, "everytime he touches the ball, it seems like something good happens." Despite missing the first three games with an injury, Hancock registered 32 catches for 437 yards and 5 touchdowns, and rushed 16 times for 110 yards and a touchdown. His 42 yard score beat Auburn 10-7 and Hancock registered one of the best-ever postseason performances by a Vol receiver, catching 11 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. His 11 receptions remains the most ever by a Vol receiver in a bowl game, and his 196 receiving yards is second only to Price’s 199-yard outing in the 1999 BCS National Championship Game. During his four years at Tennessee, Hancock caught 106 passes for 1,826 yards 12 touchdowns, and rushed 38 times for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Hancock was a 2X 2nd team All-SEC receiver and was the 11th pick in the ‘82 NFL draft by the Chiefs.

 

[peaygolf]

#79

#79 - Charles Rosenfelder

Rosenfelder anchored the OL from 1966-1968 and helped usher in a new offense in Knoxville. In 1966, he helped hold the line for UT to have a breakout season in the passing game, as the Vols set school records for pass attempts (247), passing yards (1,814) and passing touchdowns (19.) As a junior, he opened holes, allowing UT to rush for 1,933 yards and 20 TDs and finish the season ranked #2 in the country. For his efforts, Charles was named 1st team All-SEC. In 1968, Rosenfelder was the senior leader of a young OL, and aided the Vols to an 8-1-1 record. His power and leverage helped open huge running lanes for UT backs. He was named 1st team All-SEC again, as well as a unanimous All-American in 1968.

 

[legioncat]

When you get to 41, consider Dontavis Sapp since that was his number and a captain

 

[OneVolNation]

78 Days....

#78 - Antone Davis

From UTSports.com

"Manning the outside of a highly touted offensive line, Antone Davis was rewarded for his time in the trenches, receiving All-America status his senior year. He was also given the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC's top blocker in 1990. Davis helped create the holes for tailback Tony Thompson in 1990, allowing Thompson to rush for 248 yards against Mississippi State and 236 against Vanderbilt. Thompson went on to gain 1,261 yards on the season thanks to Davis and the line. But Davis also created opportunities off the field with his service to the Knoxville community, resulting in him receiving the Chancellor's Citation for his outstanding contributions. Davis was the eighth pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles."

Here are some noteworthy stats on Antone Davis' career at Tennessee courtesy of UTSports.com
College Career Total

• Games Played: 43

College CAREER HONORS

• 1990 first-team All-America
• 1990 first-team All-SEC
• 1990 Jacobs Award
• 1989 first-team All-SEC

Davis also served as the VFL coordinator at Tennessee.

 

[peaygolf]

78 days……

#78 - Josh Dobbs

In 2013, Dobbs became only the eighth freshman to start a game in UT history. He played in five games, starting four, and threw for 695 yards and 2TDs. As a sophomore, he played in six games, starting five, and showed his versatility as a passer and a rusher. In only six games, he compiled 1,675 total yards of offense (279 per game) and responsible for 17 touchdowns (nine passing and eight rushing.)
He became the first Tennessee player with 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game at South Carolina, finishing with career highs of 301 passing yards and 166 rushing yards. He was also the MVP of the TaxSlayer Bowl. In 2015, he started all 13 games and threw for 2,291 yards on 205-of-344 with 15 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. He also set a school record with 671 yards (51.6 yards per game) with 11 rushing scores; also caught a 58-yard touchdown at Florida. Dobbs was a main reason UT made it to the Outback Bowl bs Northwestern. In 2016, Dobbs had some of the greatest moments in recent memory. His Hail Mary to beat Georgia, his epic 21 point comeback vs UF, and his 459 yard performance vs A&M. For the season, he accounted for 3,781 yards of total offense (2,946 passing, 831 rushing, 4 receiving) second in Tennessee history only to Peyton Manning's 3,789 in 1997. He became only the fourth QB in SEC history to account for 50 passing TDs and 25 rushing TDs. His 7,138 career passing yards rank fifth in Tennessee history and his 9,360 yards of total offense (7,138 passing, 2,160 rushing, 62 receiving) rank third in program history behind only Peyton Manning (11,020) and Casey Clausen (9,577). Dobbs is unique in UT history. He was a dynamic duel threat QB, much like Streater and Holloway, but had the arm strength that neither of them had. Dobbs would be higher on my list, but he was never named 1st team All-Conference. He was a 2nd team All-SEC selection in 2016. Dobbs was a 4th round pick by the Steelers in 2017, and is still in the league as a backup with Cleveland. What could have been had he played more as a freshman and a sophomore, he could have almost every QB record at UT………

 

[peaygolf]

78 Days....

#78 - Antone Davis

From UTSports.com

"Manning the outside of a highly touted offensive line, Antone Davis was rewarded for his time in the trenches, receiving All-America status his senior year. He was also given the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC's top blocker in 1990. Davis helped create the holes for tailback Tony Thompson in 1990, allowing Thompson to rush for 248 yards against Mississippi State and 236 against Vanderbilt. Thompson went on to gain 1,261 yards on the season thanks to Davis and the line. But Davis also created opportunities off the field with his service to the Knoxville community, resulting in him receiving the Chancellor's Citation for his outstanding contributions. Davis was the eighth pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles."

Here are some noteworthy stats on Antone Davis' career at Tennessee courtesy of UTSports.com
College Career Total

• Games Played: 43

College CAREER HONORS

• 1990 first-team All-America
• 1990 first-team All-SEC
• 1990 Jacobs Award
• 1989 first-team All-SEC

Davis also served as the VFL coordinator at Tennessee.

Higher than #78

 

[OneVolNation]

Higher than #78

I just chose my favorite Vol who wore the number 78 for Day 78 to show you I was following.

 

[SonOfGodVolforlife]

89 days……

#89 - Robert Meachem

Meachem arrived in 2003 out of Oklahoma, but suffered an injury in preseason camp and redshirted. In his first season in 2004, he played in all 13 games and led the Vols in receiving with 459 yards with 25 receptions. He had the teams only 100 yard receiving game vs Kentucky (145.) His electric first season helped UT to the SECCG and a Cotton Bowl victory. In 2005, Meachem was a bright spot on a bad team. He lead the Vols again with 29 receptions for 383 yards and 2TDs. 2006 was a breakout season for Robert. He opened the season with 182 yards and 2 TDs vs Cal, and would continue his great play the entire season. He would have 5 more 100 yard games, and finished the season with 71 receptions for a UT record 1,298 yards. He also scored 11 touchdowns. He was named 1st team All-SEC and was 1st team All-American by five different agencies. He entered the NFL draft after his RS junior year. Meachem finished his UT career with 125 receptions for 2,140 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was a 1st round pick by the Saints and helped them win Super Bowl XLIV.
View attachment 461278

Very late to seeing this bc works been crazy lately ,but this guy right here is why I became a die hard fan. Quick story down memory lane guys.
I was at the cal game in 06, I was just 13 years old. Man, I remember it like I was yesterday!! My basketball coach took a couple kids from the team to the game. It was my first, and honestly first time seeing and being apart of something like that.
As meachem took not one, but two long tds to the house , I remember yelling the loudest I’ve probably ever screamed in my life still to this day!! The crowd was awesome, you could feel the energy of Neyland and the 100000 thousand fans was enough to give you chills. That day had many great memories , but the one that stands out is when meachem turned up field the roar of the crowd was deafening you could feel the rumble under your feet!!
Because of that game and this guy right here I’ll always be a vol fan. Thank you for the nostalgia sir.

 

[MAD]

 

[peaygolf]

77 days.............

#77 - Dwayne Goodrich

One of the heroes of the National title game vs FSU, Goodrich began playing at UT in 1996 and was a three year starter. As a freshman, Goodrich made 17 tackles , had 2 picks, and 4 fumble recoveries. As a sophomore, he started 10 out of 12 games, tallying 45 tackles (seventh on the team), 4 interceptions (second on the team), 6 passes defensed and 2 fumble recoveries. As a junior, he registered 41 tackles (2 for loss), 3 interceptions (second on the team) and 10 passes defensed (led the team). He became noteworthy after the '99 Fiesta Bowl against the Seminoles. In the second quarter of the game, Goodrich intercepted a pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown. The play helped UT win the game by a score of 23–16. Goodrich was the defensive MVP of the game and was named 2nd team All-SEC. As a senior in 1999, he was named one of the team captains. He suffered a back injury before the start of the season, which would limit his play going forward. He posted 34 tackles (one for loss), 3 interceptions (tied for second on the team), 6 passes defensed and one forced fumble. He was suspended for violating team rules for the fourth game against Auburn. He was named 1st Team All-SEC after the season. For his career, he had 137 tackles, 6 fumble recoveries, 12 interceptions, returned 2 of them for TDs. He was later a 2nd round pick by the Cowboys in the 2000 draft, but only played through 2002 due to some legal issues.

 

[peaygolf]

76 days..........

#76 - Eric Still

A parade All-American out of Germantown, TN, Still was a bulldozer on the offensive line for the Vols from 1986-1989. He was a backup in 1986, but became the top tackle on the team in '87, before a toe injury interrupted his season. During the difficult '88 season, still was a bright spot, opening huge holes and was named 1st team All-SEC. In his final season, Still helped UT set a then record of 408.5 yards per game and was named the Jacobs Award as the SEC's top blocker. He was named 1st team All-SEC and was named 1st team All-American. He was also a 4X Academic All-SEC athlete. Regarded as one of the smartest players to ever play on the offensive line, Still was a 4th round pick by the Oilers in 1990 and played two seasons in the WLAF with the Frankfurt Galaxy.

 

[peaygolf]

75 days……

#75 - Alvin Kamara

Twenty four games and only eight starts. Not the makings of a great, but Kamara is different. Underutilized, Kamara is a “what might have been.” After a redshirt year at Alabama and a year at a JUCO, Kamara arrived in 2015. In his first season, he had two 100 yard games and five multi touchdown games. He averaged over 6 yards per carry and finished with 698 yards rushing. He was also second on team in receptions with 34 for 291 yards and three receiving touchdowns, and added a touchdown on a punt return. He became only the second player in school history to have a punt return and a rushing TD in the same game (Stanley Morgan.) He finished the season with 1,089 yards of total offense and 11 TDs. As a junior in 2016, Kamara, had two more 100 yard games rushing and set a record that might stand for a while. He became only the second player in school history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game (Jamal Lewis) and set a school record with 312 yards of total offense vs Texas A&M. He had 127 yards rushing and 161 yards receiving and 3 TDs. His 16 carries were a career high. He would finish the season with a team-high 1,188 all-purpose yards (596 rushing, 392 receiving, 184 punt return, 16 kickoff return) and 13 total touchdowns. He was never named to an all conference team, which is only because of his lack of touches. In 24 games, he had 24 touchdowns, 1,294 rushing yards, 683 receiving yards, 284 punt return yards, and even threw a 24 yard pass. In 2017, he decided to forgo his final season and was a 3rd round pick by New Orleans, where he is currently one of the most exciting and versatile players in the NFL.

 

[MAD]

75 days……

#75 - Alvin Kamara

Twenty four games and only eight starts. Not the makings of a great, but Kamara is different. Underutilized, Kamara is a “what might have been.” After a redshirt year at Alabama and a year at a JUCO, Kamara arrived in 2015. In his first season, he had two 100 yard games and five multi touchdown games. He averaged over 6 yards per carry and finished with 698 yards rushing. He was also second on team in receptions with 34 for 291 yards and three receiving touchdowns, and added a touchdown on a punt return. He became only the second player in school history to have a punt return and a rushing TD in the same game (Stanley Morgan.) He finished the season with 1,089 yards of total offense and 11 TDs. As a junior in 2016, Kamara, had two more 100 yard games rushing and set a record that might stand for a while. He became only the second player in school history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game (Jamal Lewis) and set a school record with 312 yards of total offense vs Texas A&M. He had 127 yards rushing and 161 yards receiving and 3 TDs. His 16 carries were a career high. He would finish the season with a team-high 1,188 all-purpose yards (596 rushing, 392 receiving, 184 punt return, 16 kickoff return) and 13 total touchdowns. He was never named to an all conference team, which is only because of his lack of touches. In 24 games, he had 24 touchdowns, 1,294 rushing yards, 683 receiving yards, 284 punt return yards, and even threw a 24 yard pass. In 2017, he decided to forgo his final season and was a 3rd round pick by New Orleans, where he is currently one of the most exciting and versatile players in the NFL.


View attachment 465353

Only 75 more days

 

[Orange.]

75 days……

#75 - Alvin Kamara

Twenty four games and only eight starts. Not the makings of a great, but Kamara is different. Underutilized, Kamara is a “what might have been.” After a redshirt year at Alabama and a year at a JUCO, Kamara arrived in 2015. In his first season, he had two 100 yard games and five multi touchdown games. He averaged over 6 yards per carry and finished with 698 yards rushing. He was also second on team in receptions with 34 for 291 yards and three receiving touchdowns, and added a touchdown on a punt return. He became only the second player in school history to have a punt return and a rushing TD in the same game (Stanley Morgan.) He finished the season with 1,089 yards of total offense and 11 TDs. As a junior in 2016, Kamara, had two more 100 yard games rushing and set a record that might stand for a while. He became only the second player in school history to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game (Jamal Lewis) and set a school record with 312 yards of total offense vs Texas A&M. He had 127 yards rushing and 161 yards receiving and 3 TDs. His 16 carries were a career high. He would finish the season with a team-high 1,188 all-purpose yards (596 rushing, 392 receiving, 184 punt return, 16 kickoff return) and 13 total touchdowns. He was never named to an all conference team, which is only because of his lack of touches. In 24 games, he had 24 touchdowns, 1,294 rushing yards, 683 receiving yards, 284 punt return yards, and even threw a 24 yard pass. In 2017, he decided to forgo his final season and was a 3rd round pick by New Orleans, where he is currently one of the most exciting and versatile players in the NFL.


View attachment 465353

 

[OneManGang]

Kamara couldn't learn the pass-blocking schemes.

Graybeards will get the reference ...

 

[peaygolf]

74 days……

#74 - Jack Reynolds

“Hacksaw” came to Knoxville as a bruising fullback, but moved to Middle Linebacker in the second game of 1967, and became one of the greats in UT history, and lore. Hard hitting, nasty, mean, and driven, are a just a few of the words used to describe Reynolds. During his first season in 1967, he appeared in 10 games and helped UT to a 9-2 record and an SEC Championship. In 1968, he had a pair of interceptions and led a defense that allowed only 13 points per game. In 1969, Reynolds had an interception, scored the winning touchdown on a fumble recovery vs Kentucky, was named Southeast lineman of the week vs Georgia Tech, and helped UT to a 9-1 regular season and an SEC Championship. He was named 1st team All-SEC and 1st team All-American after his senior season. His legacy was already cemented as a great player, but his legendary status was born when he sawed a truck, or a Porsche (depending on who you ask) in half after the “Archie Who” loss to Ole Miss. The Vols have had some amazing LB duos in their history, but the greatness of Steve Kiner and Jack Reynolds are hard to match. Reynolds was a 1st round pick by the Rams in 1970 and also played for the 49ers until 1984. He was a 2X Pro Bowler and won 2 Super Bowls during his career.

 

[peaygolf]

73 days..........

#73 - Buddy Cruz

Kyle "Buddy" Cruze re-established the wide receiver at Tennessee as coach Bowden Wyatt reconstructed the Vols' program with a 10-1 season - undefeated in the regular season - and an SEC title. Cruze was just the second receiver to reach double figures in receptions in Tennessee history when he caught 12 balls his junior year for 232 yards and a 19.3-yard average. In 1956, he became the first Tennessee receiver to catch 20 passes and the first to top 300 yards, finishing with 357 to receive 1st team All-SEC and 1st team All-America status. He had 16- and 35-yard receptions to help beat Georgia Tech 6-0 in a #3 vs #2 matchup his senior season. Cruz was a 12th round pick in 1957 by the Bears. He played two seasons in the NFL and one season in the CFL.

 

[peaygolf]

72 days……..

#72 - Dewey Warren

Warren arrived in 1963 and was a linebacker on the freshman team. When Coach Dickey arrived and changed the offense, he redshirted Warren and moved him back to QB…..and history was made. Warren took over midway through the season due to an injury in 1965 and threw for 588 yards and had 44 completions. Both set SCHOOL RECORDS. He single-handedly beat UCLA in the famous “RoseBonnet” game and led UT to a Bluebonnet Bowl victory . In 1966, Dickey let Warren loose, and the “Swamp Rat” delivered by destroying the record books. He was 136-229 for 1,716 yards and 18 TDs and was named 2nd team All-SEC. He helped the Vols to an 8-3 record and a Gator Bowl win over Syracuse. In 1967, Warren battled injuries and missed a couple of games, but when he was on the field, he was as dynamic as ever. He was 78-132 for 1,035 yards and 6 TDs. His play helped UT to the SEC Championship. He finished 8th in the Heisman voting and was drafted by the expansion Cincinnati Bengals.
Warren was 19-6 as a starter for the Vols, was the first to attempt 100 passes in a season, the first to throw for over 1,000 yards, and the first to throw for double digit touchdowns. His records have been broken, but his influence on UT football will live forever.

 

[peaygolf]

71 days……..

#71 - Dale Jones

The cornerstone of the ‘85 Sugar Vols, Jones is regarded as one of the best to ever play for Johnny Majors. As a redshirt freshman in 1983, he began the season as a 3rd string LB, but got a chance to play due to injuries. He had 2 TFLs in the win over Bama and 14 tackles in the Citrus Bowl win over Maryland. He finished the season with 77 tackles and 2 sacks and was named Freshman All-American. In 1984, he had 12 tackles in the season opening win over WSU and had 13 more in the victory over Alabama. He finished with 109 tackles, 4 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. In the ‘85 SEC championship season, he was the emotional leader, on and off the field. Following the team's 17-10 loss to Florida, Jones rallied the team with a locker room speech in which he declared, "This is the only game we're going to lose all year." In the Bama win, Jones tipped a late pass and intercepted it, sealing the 16-14 victory. His 2 huge sacks on Vinny Testaverde, helped UT defeat Miami in the Suger Bowl. For the season, Jones had 82 tackles, 5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles. He was named 1st Team All-SEC and 3rd Team All-American. As a captain of the ‘86 team, he helped the Vols weather the storm of a 2-5 start, winning the final four games and earn a berth in the Liberty Bowl. There he was named Defensive MVP with his 11 tackles and fumble recovery. He finished with 88 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the season. He was named 1st Team All-SEC for the second time. During his four years at Tennessee, Jones amassed 349 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, 24 tackles-for-loss, and 11 forced fumbles. Johnny Majors said, “I have never seen a young man in my life that it meant more to play for one particular school than it does for Dale Jones to play at Tennessee."
After his career at UT, Jones was drafted by the Cowboys in the 10th round in 1987, but was released before the season. He was picked up as a replacement player during the strike, and started three games. To this day, the mention of Dale Jones’ name brings a smile to me, and many true Vols fans!

 

[peaygolf]

Above photo of DJ is one of my top 10 football pics! Intensity personified!