The 25 best players in Tennessee football history

In the three years Dodd started under center in Knoxville, the Volunteers went 27-1-2. Whether passing or running the football, Dodd should be considered one of the most versatile and clutch performers in Tennessee football history. Dodd, who twice was named an All-Southern performer, went on to enjoy a highly successful college coaching career at Georgia Tech from 1945-66, going 165-64-8. Dodd, who also played basketball, baseball and was a member of the track and field team at Tennessee, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, first as a player in 1959, then as a coach in 1993.

Tennessee's first All-American football player, McEver was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. Playing under legendary Tennessee coach Robert Neyland, McEver scored an NCAA-leading 130 points during the 1929 season, when his team went an impressive 9-0-1. He was also an All-Southern selection each of his three seasons starring for the Volunteers. McEver, who missed the 1930 season due to a knee injury, totaled 44 touchdowns — which, rather remarkably, is still an overall school record.

Feathers starred on both the football and basketball teams at Tennessee. On the gridiron, Feathers earned All-American honors and was SEC MVP in 1933. In 30 career games with the Volunteers, Feathers scored 32 touchdowns. Meanwhile, his 1,888 career rushing yards were a school record that lasted 37 years. During his collegiate career at Tennessee, Feathers posted seven touchdown runs of at least 54 yards, including five of 60 or better. Feathers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

In the 1920s, '30s and '40s, the halfback was the star of the show. Cafego was one of the best to ever play the position at the University of Tennessee. A two-time All-American selection, Cafego recorded 2,139 yards in total offense and averaged 6.1 yards per carry during his three-season presence for the Volunteers. In addition to his ability to run and pass the football, Cafego returned kicks and handled punting duties. Years later, the College Football Hall of Famer returned to Tennessee as an assistant coach from 1955-84.

Entering the 2023 season, Suffridge is the only Tennessee player to be named a three-time All-American selection. His teams during a three-run with the Vols went 31-2. In addition to those All-American honors, Suffridge won the 1940 Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy, honoring the country's most-outstanding lineman. While possessing plenty of strength, Suffridge's footwork, quickness off the snap and overall speed made him a tough customer for opposing defenders to handle. Suffridge was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1961.

Atkins actually went to Tennessee to play basketball, but coach Robert Neyland took one look the powerful, towering 6-foot-8 Atkins and recruited him to the football team. It proved to be a life-defining moment for Atkins, who is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. In addition to being named a two-time All-American, Atkins was an integral part of Tennessee's back-to-back national championship squads from 1950 and '51. While a fierce ball stopper, Atkins was pretty agile as well, picking off three passes during his college career.

There are a handful of names synonymous with Tennessee Volunteers football, and Majors is certainly one of them. For this legendary three-year varsity career at Tennessee, Majors totaled 622 rushing yards and threw for 1,135, while scoring 16 touchdowns. In 1956, Majors finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting after completing 61 percent of his passes while throwing for 552 yards and running for 549 with seven touchdowns — all while leading the Vols to a 10-1 mark and No. 2 national ranking. A College Football Hall of Famer, Majors returned to Tennessee as head coach, going 116-62-6 and winning three SEC titles from 1977-92.

A force on the interior defensive line for the Volunteers in the early-to-mid 1960s, DeLong was honored as Southern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year in each of his three seasons at Tennessee, and was a two-time All-American selection. In 1964, DeLong became the first Volunteers player to win the Outland Trophy, honoring the nation's most outstanding interior lineman. A team captain, DeLong was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1993. 

One of three Johnson siblings to play center at Tennessee. The Volunteers captain, Johnson was the anchor of a talented offensive line, and considered as dependable as they came whether blocking for the run or in pass protection. A unanimous All-America and National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete, the well-respected Johnson was the top pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. 

A two-time All-American and All-SEC selection, Kiner was known for his tremendous speed, which was a key to track down ball carriers — which seemed quite easy. Kiner was a tackling machine, with a true nose for the ball. However, he also recorded nine interceptions during his Tennessee career. During the 1969 season, which earned Kiner SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors, the College Football Hall of Famer posted 14 tackles (11 solo), five tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble against Alabama.

Kell starred at both guard and center while at Tennessee. A powerful and extremely strong blocker, Kell — who also won an SEC championship in the shot put — was a two-time, first team All-America selection, and named an All-SEC pick on three occasions while in Knoxville. In 1969, Kell was a key presence for the Tennessee squad that won the SEC title. One year later, the Volunteers went 11-1, and Kell was a finalist for the prestigious Lombardi Award. Kell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Perhaps an obscure selection, but Holloway might be the most important player on this list. In 1972, Holloway became the first black athlete to start at quarterback for an SEC school. The Vols went 25-9-2 with Holloway under center during his career. He threw for 3,102 yards and 18 touchdowns, while tossing just 12 interceptions in 407 attempts. Holloway also rushed for 966 yards and nine touchdowns. A member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Holloway followed that stellar run with the Vols by solidifying himself as one of the best players in the history of the CFL.

When it comes to modern-day, do-it-all stars, Morgan is one of the best in the college game. Morgan, who began his collegiate career as a receiver before spending a good deal of time at tailback, is Tennessee's career leader with 4,642 all-purpose yards. He gained 1,952 of those yards on the ground, while accumulating 1,075 receiving and another 1,615 retuning kicks and punts. Meanwhile, Morgan's 39 total touchdowns are a modern-day program best, with 28 coming on the ground. In the NFL, though, Morgan proved to be one of the best receivers of the late 1970s and early '80s.

When talking about football icons — at any level — White should quickly come to mind. In addition to being one of the great players of all time, White was an even better person and inspiration. In terms of his football success, White's legacy was truly birthed at Tennessee, where he ranks among the school's all-time leaders for sacks in a game (four), season (15), and career (32). He also registered 201 solo tackles, 92 assists and four fumble recoveries at Tennessee. The All-American, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, retired as the NFL's all-time sacks leader with 198, and is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sure, place-kickers don't get a lot of love, but Reveiz is certainly one of the greats to star in the SEC. Reveiz is Tennessee's all-time leader with 71 made field goals, and his 74.7 success rate (71-of-95) ranks third among all Vols, but no one among the school's top 10 in that category have made nearly as many attempts. An All-SEC selection in 1982, Reveiz made 18 consecutive field goals during one stretch of his college career, and was good on 80 percent of his field-goal attempts at 50 yards or longer.

Before Shuler forayed into the world of politics as a United States congressman, he was one of the best quarterbacks within the SEC during the early 1990s. Shuler threw for 4,089 career yards with 36 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and his 4,472 total yards rank 12th in school history. In 1993, Shuler completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,354 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions to win SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors and finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting — all while leading Tennessee to a 9-2-1 record. 

Are we talking about the greatest player in the history of Tennessee Volunteers football? Likely so; Manning is Tennessee's all-time leader in passing yards (11,201), wins by a quarterback (39), 300-yard passing games (18), passing touchdowns (89), attempts (1,381) and completions (863). He won the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Award and Maxwell Award. Manning was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1997, and went on to win two Super Bowls, make 14 Pro Bowls and set NFL records for single-season passing touchdowns (55) and passing yards (5,477). Manning is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Wilson's statistics don't particularly stand out, but when it came to generating success and leadership, Wilson is worthy of a spot on this list. A two-time, First Team All-SEC selection (1997, '98), Wilson captained the Volunteers' 1998 national championship squad and was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy that same season. For his college career, Wilson totaled 272 tackles, and is a member of University of Tennessee Athletics and the State of Tennessee Sports Halls of Fame, as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.

Henry is Tennessee's career rushing leader with 3,078 yards, in what was essentially three full seasons of work with the Volunteers. During the 1998 season as a sophomore, Henry rushed for a team-leading 970 yards while helping Tennessee win the program's most-recent national championship. Henry's best season, however, came as a senior in 2000, when he rushed for 1,314 yards with 11 touchdowns to earn First-Team All-SEC honors. Henry's 15 games with at least 100 yards rushing are also a school record.

One of two Tennessee defenders to win the Outland Trophy. Henderson achieved that honor for the 2000 season, when he recorded 64 tackles, with seven assists, nine tackles for loss, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and nine quarterback pressures. He was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Year that season. A two-time, first-team All-American, Henderson is tied for seventh in school history with 20 1/2 sacks, also recorded 162 tackles, including 19 for loss, during his stellar career at Tennessee.

Witten's Tennessee career actually began at defensive end, but he was moved to the other side of the ball midway through the 2000 season. One year later, he recorded 28 receptions and two touchdowns, then broke out in 2002. In what would be his final collegiate season, Witten set program records for a tight end in receptions (39) and receiving yards (493), and also caught five touchdown passes. A semifinalist for the Mackey Award in 2002, he still has a strong legacy in the college game through the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award, honoring a student-athlete who displays exceptional leadership qualities.

The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and pride of Cincinnati prep powerhouse Moeller High School, Michael Munoz enjoyed his own collegiate success playing at Tennessee. Munoz was a four-season starter (46 games) for the Vols under coach Phil Fulmer. He started 12 games as a true freshman in 2000, then missed his entire sophomore campaign due to a knee injury. However, Munoz persevered and returned to prominence during his final three seasons. In 2004, Munoz was named a consensus first-team All-American

Berry might be the greatest player ever to roam the secondary for the Volunteers. His 14 career interceptions are tied for fifth in school history and the two-time, first-team All-American's 494 career interception-return yards remain an SEC record. Berry also proved to be a fierce hitter by recording 245 tackles, including 17 1/2 for loss, and three sacks. In 2008, Berry was a finalist for the Thorpe Award, honoring the nation's top defensive back. He won the award in 2009, and also finished his college career with 31 passes defended, a school-record 35.3 yards per interception return and two forced fumbles with four fumble recoveries. 

As noted, Tennessee has produced some exceptional skill-position standouts. Hyatt played just 29 games, spanning three seasons, but is certainly worth a spot on this list. After catching 41 passes for a little more than 500 yards and four touchdowns in 2020 and '21, Hyatt broke out in 2022. His 67 receptions for 1,267 yards (ranking second in school history for a single season) with 15 touchdowns were good enough for Hyatt to win Tennessee's first Biletnikoff Award, honoring the nation's top wide receiver. That season, Hyatt also became Tennessee's first unanimous All-American since the aforementioned Eric Berry (2009).

One of the most recent standouts, Hooker spent just two seasons at Tennessee, but he helped bring this storied program back to prominence and became a fan favorite in the process. After spending three seasons at Virginia Tech, Hooker found a home and success in Knoxville. His 6,080 passing yards in 2021 and '22 rank eighth in school history, while his 58 touchdown passes are fifth-most by any Volunteer. Hooker was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, when he threw for 3,135 yards, completed 69.6 of his passes and recorded 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. However, his season ended on Nov. 19, when he suffered an ACL injury versus South Carolina.