Rocky Calmus was far from the best linebacker the Tennessee Titans ever drafted. His NFL accomplishments fell well short of those of Keith Bulluck or Stephen Tulloch or – more recently – Derrick Morgan or Harold Landry.
As a college football player, though, he was one of the best of his time. Possibly one of the best ever, an assessment that was affirmed when he was included on the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, which was released by the National Football Foundation on Monday.
Calmus is one of two former Titans among the 176 players (80 from FBS programs, 96 from the divisional ranks) who will be considered for induction this fall. The other is offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson.
Calmus was a two-time consensus All-American in three seasons at Oklahoma (2001-02). He left as the program’s fourth all-time leading tackler with 431 and set a school record, which still stands, with 59 tackles for loss. He also had 14 sacks, 26 passes defensed and seven fumble recoveries.
The Titans selected him in the third round (77th overall) of the 2002 draft as part of group franchise officials hoped would overhaul the defense. Seven of Tennessee’s 10 picks that year played defense, including the first six.
Calmus was chosen with the idea that he would become the middle linebacker at a time when coach Jeff Fisher and his staff employed a 4-3 scheme as the team’s base defense. He lasted just three seasons, and injuries limited him to 27 games played (12 starts). He recorded 89 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery.
Brad Kassell, undrafted the same year Calmus entered the league, became the Titans’ starting middle linebacker in 2004, and Calmus was released following that season. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts but never appeared in another NFL game.
Hutchinson spent the last of his 12 NFL seasons with the Titans and started 12 games at left guard before he sustained a season-ending injury. He already is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2020).
At Michigan, he was one of seven players to earn First-Team All-Big Ten recognition four times. He was a unanimous first-team All-American in his final college season (2000).
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