Douglas Leon Atkins was an American professional football defensive end who played for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers under head coach Robert Neyland. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Atkins was also drafted to the NBA in the 17th round by the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1953 NBA draft.
Frank Tayo Omiyale is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football at Tennessee Tech.
Jason Hanson is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Washington State Cougars, he was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft with the 56th overall pick. Hanson holds the NFL record for the most seasons played with one team and also holds multiple kicking and scoring records. Due to his longevity and statistical success, even on many non-playoff teams, Hanson is often cited as one of the most-loved players in Detroit Lions franchise history.
Willie James Gault is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the fastest NFL players of all time, Gault was a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX. He was also a member of the U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the 1980 Olympics.
The Third Saturday in October is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Volunteers of the University of Tennessee. The respective campuses are located approximately 310 miles (500 km) apart. It is known as the Third Saturday in October because the game was traditionally played at such date prior to the 1992 football season, when the Southeastern Conference (SEC) split into its East and West divisions. From 1995 to 2015, it was only scheduled for that date six times, though it was again scheduled for that date from 2016 through 2019 and in 2022 and 2024. Alabama leads the series 59–40–8. At 40 wins, Tennessee has more victories over Alabama than any other program in college football. Likewise, at 59 wins, Alabama has more victories over Tennessee than any other program in college football.
Darwin Jamar Walker is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2000 NFL draft. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Michael Roos is an Estonian-born former professional football offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for the Eastern Washington Eagles.
Curtis Cliff "Chip" Kell was an American professional football player who was a center in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football and participated in track and field for the Tennessee Volunteers. Kell was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
David Garfield Thomas is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of Tennessee.
Todd Eric Kelly is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker/defensive end for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, where he was a captain of the 1992 team, and received All-SEC and All-American AP honors.
Paul Jeffery Hall is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Tennessee, and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft with the 181st overall pick by the Washington Redskins. He played one season in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams in 2000. After leaving the NFL, he became a NFLPA-registered financial advisor for Rather & Kittrell Capital Management in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Charles Eugene Webb is an American former professional football player who was a running back for two seasons (1991–1992) with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Packers in the third round of the 1991 NFL draft. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning All-SEC honors in 1989, and setting the school's single-game rushing record of 294 yards in a game against Ole Miss on November 18, 1989.
Marvin Dale Jones is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the defensive coordinator for Appalachian State. He served in various capacities for Appalachian State (1996–2022), including three years as defensive coordinator (2010–2012). Jones previously worked as a defensive coordinator for Georgia Military College (1992–1996) and the Parma Panthers (1990) of the Italian Football League (IFL).
Antonio James "Tiny" Richardson is a former American football offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.
Victor Ramon Beasley Jr. is an American professional football linebacker for the Arlington Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). After playing college football for Clemson University, Beasley was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
Daniel Ray McCullers-Sanders is a former American football nose tackle. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
Jeremy Cash is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils, and was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
Kendall Sheffield is an American professional football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, and selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round in the 2019 NFL draft.
Tarell Basham is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Ohio, and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Shyheim Devonte Tuttle is an American professional football nose tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee.
