Tennessee Vols legend Eric Berry just had a very important football first on Wednesday

Tennessee Vols great Eric Berry has had a lot of great moments in the game of football - both on and off the field.  

On the field, Berry is one of the greatest to ever suit up in the orange and white.  He turned that into a tremendous professional career with the Kansas City Chiefs.  Wherever he's gone, he's been recognized as one of the best. 

Now, he's in consideration for the highest honor of the sport - the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame released a list of 167 players in consideration for induction into the 2025 class, and Berry's name was included on the list. Berry, who last played in the NFL in 2018, was eligible for the first time last year, but this is his first year as a nominee. 

Berry, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2023, will be an interesting case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame to study and consider.  He checks a lot of the boxes you'd expect to see from a potential Hall of Famer as far as accolades.  He was a member of the NFL All-Decade team for the 2010s.  He's earned three first-team All-Pro honors (2013, 2015, and 2016), and five Pro Bowl nods (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016). Those types of things matter with Hall of Fame voters, and he's got a solid case there. 

Unfortunately, health factors shortened what otherwise would have been a slam-dunk Hall of Fame resume.  Of course, none were more serious than the diagnosis he received during the 2014 season of Hodgkin's lymphoma, which obviously ended his season for treatment.  ACL, high ankle sprain, and Achilles/heel injuries also cost him significant time over the years, with the latter effectively ending his football career in after the 2018 season. 

However, the way that Berry rebounded in 2015 with an All-Pro season and winning the AP Comeback Player of the Year award could potentially help him with his candidacy. 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes the best of the best to ever do it in the game of football.  When he was healthy, no one did it better on the field than Berry.  

We'll find out later this fall if the former Tennessee standout can advance to the list of 25 semifinalists in the process.