Countdown to Kickoff vs South Carolina

40 days........

From 1973-1975, my good friend, Ernie Ward #40, roamed the secondary in Knoxville as a safety. A leader on and off the field, Ernie had 7 career interceptions and tallied 170 tackles. Two of his interceptions saved wins over Ole Miss and Maryland. Ward was named to the ‘70’s Liberty Bowl All Decade Team.
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39 days........

Fellow BGA grad, Ryan Karl, #39, was an overachiever who became a reliable linebacker from ‘04-‘07. He played sparingly as a freshman, but had an interception vs A&M in the Cotton Bowl. As a junior and a senior, Karl was a starter and had 66 and 85 tackles respectively. He finished his career with 170 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 12 PBU’s.
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38 days........

Tim Townes, #38, was a small Knoxville kid who came to UT as a walk-on in ‘69, but left a lasting impression on his coaches and teammates. Fulmer has said he was one of the most dedicated and toughest players he ever played with, or against. He played in every game during his time at Tennessee (‘70-‘72) and became a starter, accumulating 168 tackles and 2 interceptions during his career. Today, Townes is one of the world leaders in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and is influential in finding a cure for Sickle Cell Disease.
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37 days.......

From 1970-1972, Conrad Graham ,#37, was a starting defensive back for the Vols. He was an All-SEC and an All-American in 1972. During his career, he had 15 interceptions, 8 fumble recoveries, and 3 defensive touchdowns. He was a part of the ‘70 team that holds the NCAA record of 57 takeaways. Graham was drafted by the Chicago Bears, but knee injuries forced his retirement after one season.

75 yrd td vs Penn St
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36 days.......

From 1975-1978, Kelsey Finch, #36, played tailback for UT and had some memorable moments. 100 yard games vs Boston College, Auburn, and Memphis St, to name a few, but he will always be remembered for his 99 yrd touchdown run vs UF in 1977. Finch finished his career with 1,587 yards and 16 touchdowns.

99 yards vs UF
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35 days.........

From 1981-1983, Chuck Coleman, #35, had to share the backfield with Johnnie Jones. But, Coleman still made a name for himself as a more than capable alternative. He rushed for 932 career yards and 7 touchdowns, on only 199 carries. Chuck led the Vols in rushing in ‘82 and had several 100 yard games that season, including the Bowl game vs. Iowa. He was most known for his 139 yard performance in the ‘82 win over Alabama.
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57 days.....................:eek:

Steve Kiner, #57, was an All-SEC and All-American linebacker in 1968 and 1969. He twice led the team in tackles and had 9 career interceptions. Kiner was the '69 SEC Defensive player of the year and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. He was a 3rd round pick by the Dallas Cowboys and played in Super Bowl V. He finished his NFL career in 1978 with the Houston Oilers. Simply put, he set the standard for all future Vols linebackers.

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56 days.........

Bernard Jackson, #56, was a linebacker out of Louisville that lettered from ‘98-‘01. He played mostly on special teams until his junior season, but still was one of five freshman to play during the ‘98 NC season. Jackson had 2 starts as a junior and started 10 games as a senior (missing the LSU game due to team rules violations.) For his career, Jackson had 78 tackles and 5 sacks. In 2002, the Washington “Football Team” signed him as an UFA. He was on the practice squad for most of the season, but was on the active roster for four games and recorded 2 tackles. After he was cut the following year, he signed with the Arena Football (af2) League and played for the Lexington Horsemen and Louisville Flame.
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55 days........

Art Reynolds, #55, was originally a 6’2” 160 lb “rail”, but left UT as one of the best linebackers in UT history. Stepping out of his brothers shadow (Jack), Reynolds compiled 318 tackles, 2 sacks, and 5 interceptions from ‘71-‘73. In 1972, his interception vs. Memphis State was returned 96 yrds for a touchdown and as a senior, he recorded 155 tackles. Reynolds went to play two seasons in the WFL for the New York Stars and the Charlotte Hornets.
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54 days........

Marshall Abraham “Abe” Shires, #54, was an instrumental part of the most successful years in Tennessee history. Shires was a tackle, whose blocking and tackling, would lead the ‘38-‘40 Vols to a three year record of 31-2. He was All-SEC in ‘39 and ‘40 and All-American in ‘39. The Vols won 3 SEC titles and a shared National Championships in ‘38 and ‘40. Shires was the 14th pick in the NFL draft in 1941 by the Cleveland Rams, but due to military service during WWII, he would only play one year for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1945.
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53 days........

Carey Bailey, #53, was a high energy DT from 1988-1991. He lettered all four years and helped the Vols to 2 SEC championships and 4 Bowl games. As a junior, he led the Vols in sacks and tackles for loss. He finished his career with 96 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Since his graduation, he has coached in college, the NFL, and the CFL. He is currently the DL coach for the Ottawa Redblacks in the CFL.
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52 days.........

From 1981-1984, Raleigh McKenzie, #52, anchored the Vols offensive line that included All-American Bill Mayo and future NFL player Bruce Wilkerson. McKenzie helped Johnnie Jones set rushing records and led the Vols to Bowl games each year. McKenzie was an 11th round pick by the Redskins and became a famed member of “The Hogs.” He helped Washington to 2 Super Bowl titles and was named of the top 70 players in franchise history. He also played for the Eagles, Chargers, and Packers.
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51 days.......

From 2006-2009, Vladimir Richard,#51, played guard for the Vols. He only started 9 out of 36 games, but was in the rotation for his last three seasons. As a sophomore, he played in 13 games and was part of a line that only gave up four sacks all season. He started the last six games in ‘08, and was the starter the first three games as a senior, but suffered injuries that caused him to miss four games. After his senior season, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buccaneers. He went on to play in the Arena League for Spokane and Jacksonville.
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50 days.......

From 1948-1950, J.W, (Bud) Sherrill, #50, was a defensive back and Wing-back for the Vols. Offensively, he had 28 carries for 124 yards and 10 receptions for 154 yards and 3 TDs. On defense, his number of interceptions is subject of conjecture. He had 2 ints in ‘48 and 1 in ‘50, but 1949’s total in in question. Some say he had 9 interceptions that year, while others say he has the school record with 12. Either way, his junior season is one of the best in school history. His 3 picks vs Kentucky QB Babe Parilli In 1949 are still tied for the most in a single game in UT history. Sherrill was a 10th round pick by Chicago.
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49 days........

From 1959-1961, Glenn Glass, #49, was one of the last single-wing tailbacks the Vols had. Quick and strong, Glass was was an effective runner and a solid passer. Glass played in 30 games as a Vol, throwing for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rushing for exactly 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was 2nd team All-SEC In 1960 and was drafted in both the NFL and AFL drafts. He played for the Steelers, Eagles, Falcons, and Broncos during his 5 year professional career.
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48 days.........

From 1988-1992, JJ Surlas #48, played DT for the Vols. Gritty and hard working, Surlas worked his way up into the starting lineup as a junior and was named co-captain as a senior, after receiving a medical redshirt in ‘89 due to a devastating knee injury. Surlas finished his career with 79 tackles and 8 tackles for loss.EE374DBA-195E-40E6-ADD5-72963E00CF5D.png
 

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