Lester McClain (born September 17, 1949 [1] ) is a former American football wide receiver and the first African American to play at the University of Tennessee. [2] [3] He joined the Volunteers in 1967, and played for them between 1968 and 1970 (freshmen were ineligible to play varsity prior to the 1970s). [4] He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 9th round (220th overall) of the 1971 NFL Draft, but was cut prior to the season. [5] He attended Antioch High School in Antioch, Tennessee. [6]
During his three seasons at Tennessee, he caught 70 passes for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also rushed 30 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and returned eight kickoffs for 168 yards. [7]
Reginald John Cobb was a professional American football running back who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A second-round selection in the 1990 NFL Draft, he initially played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, registering his best season in 1992 when he rushed for over a thousand yards and scored nine touchdowns. He was later a member of the inaugural roster of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cobb played college football at Tennessee, where he led the SEC in touchdowns his freshman year.
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.
Stanley Douglas Morgan is an American former football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. A "deep threat" receiver, he holds the NFL record with 19.2 yards per catch, and also holds the Patriots team record for total receiving yards in a career.
The Third Saturday in October is the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry, 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 2023. Alabama leads the series 59–39–7. At 39 wins, Tennessee has more victories over Alabama than any other program in college football. At 59 wins, Alabama has more victories over Tennessee than any other program in college football.
Paul Edward Brown is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, the Washington Redskins, and the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Travis Tremaine Stephens is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Voluteers, earning first-team All-American after setting the school's single-season record for rushing yards (1,464) in 2001. He played one season in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft with the 119th overall pick.
Tyler Ian Bray is a former American football quarterback. After playing his college football at the University of Tennessee, he declared himself eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft, in which he went undrafted. He spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Chicago Bears.
Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American football player for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, return specialist, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears.
Jeffrey O'Neal Powell is a former American football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Powell also won recognition as an elite hurdler in track and field. Powell played college football for the University of Tennessee and is famous for his 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter during the 1986 Sugar Bowl. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft, and after his football career, Powell earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School. He currently practices law in Tennessee.
Jackie Eugene Walker was an American football linebacker who played for the University of Tennessee from 1969 to 1971. A two-time All-American, he was the first black captain of a Southeastern Conference squad. Walker shares the NCAA record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown, with five. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 1972 NFL Draft, but was cut before the season.
David Cobb is a former American football running back. He played college football at Minnesota. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
Robert Joshua "Josh" Dobbs is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Evan Lawrence Berry is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers football team. While primarily a safety, he was selected to All-America team as a return specialist in 2015. He is the younger brother of former Tennessee Volunteers and former NFL safety Eric Berry, and his twin brother, Elliott, also played at Tennessee.
Gerald Antonio Riggs Jr. is a former gridiron football running back. He played college football at Tennessee. He is the son of former Pro Bowl running back Gerald and ex-wife Dana Riggs.
D'Onta Foreman is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas, and was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Alvin Mentian Kamara is an American football running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee after transferring from Hutchinson Community College and was selected by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2017, was named a Pro Bowler in his first five NFL seasons, and is a two-time second-team All-Pro. In 2020, Kamara became the second player in NFL history to score six rushing touchdowns in a single game, tying Ernie Nevers.
Nathan Michael Peterman is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Tennessee and Pittsburgh before being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Peterman has also played for the Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders.
Ryan Nall is an American football fullback for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Oregon State.
Velus Tyler Phillip Jones Jr. is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC before transferring to Tennessee.
Tykevius Chandler is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers before transferring to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
