Elite Offensive Lineman

[crusse10]

Who are some of the last few elite Offensive Linemen to play for the Vols?

I'm not as focused on whether they got drafted high or produced impressively in the NFL. I want to know when the last time was that someone played a year or two at Tennessee at the All-America level, and got drafted highly based on that performance, not their measurables or combine performance.

When I think of the Joe Staleys or Jake Longs of the world, all I can think is that we never seemed to have those talents on the Hill.

 

[Vol_til_I_die]

I pray to God that someone can name someone who was after Antoine Davis and Charles McRea (sp). But for the life of me, I can't.
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[OrangeFlame]

That will change in the next few years. If Dooley continues to pull in these awesome oline, we'll be known as OL U.

Chad Clifton maybe?
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[cookVol1]

Fred Weary,Cosey Coleman,Chad Clifton are the latest I can think of.

 

[vtvol98]

Arron Sears maybe

 

[govols57]

Aaron Sears ....but he's emotionally unstable...sad story but great offensive lineman
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[Vol Tradition]

trey teague and scott wells are pretty recent as well

 

[UTMark]

Munoz?

 

[Tux]

Harry Galbreath, Jeff Smith, Michael Munoz

 

[govols57]

Scott wells?...starting for greenbay...I consider any starter in the league elite
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[Tux]

Mickey Marvin, Reggie McKenzie

 

[crusse10]

Scott wells?...starting for greenbay...I consider any starter in the league elite
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See, that's my point. We've had lots of linemen that get into the league because of mesurables or combine performance, or even just go late and become great (like Wells).

Why have we had trouble getting them to the point of being first round picks? Why, with a head coach who played the position, could we only muster 2nd rounders or later? Sure, they end up being good in the League, but why did we have such trouble making them into AAs. If they're starting in the NFL, it's legitimate to assume that they could have played at an AA level while they were in the Orange and White.

 

[Rock33]

Your tearing the lid off a GIANT can of worms....just sayin.

 

[crusse10]

Your tearing the lid off a GIANT can of worms....just sayin.

I know I used Fulmer as an example, but even before him we've had this kind of problem, it appears. So far only 1 name came up as a 1st round pick of all the people listed. Something about that is wrong. What have so many of our O-Line coaches messed up over the years that we don't maximize potential?

 

[cookVol1]

I will say this,I never liked Fulmer but he was one of the best offensive line coaches there ever was!!Oh and Munoz was vastly overrated.

 

[crusse10]

I will say this,I never liked Fulmer but he was one of the best offensive line coaches there ever was!!Oh and Munoz was vastly overrated.

Is that to be pronounced War-Trace or Wart-Race?

 

[Rock33]

Maybe we have had talented individuals who were great, but because they weren't "marketed" as well as others, maybe we didn't maximize their talent, maybe it was Phil that took hard working kids and made them draft picks, or maybe we had such depth that they didn't get early career pub.......which leads to more and more. Most AA kids have a good fresh/soph year and then are recognized later . JMT

 

[Rock33]

Is that to be pronounced War-Trace or Wart-Race?

Huh ???:crazy:

 

[crusse10]

Huh ???:crazy:

He's from Wartrace, TN, and I have no clue what the correct pronunciation is

 

[edram150]

Scott wells?...starting for greenbay...I consider any starter in the league elite
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IIRC Scott wells was a walk on...
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[Ohio Vol]

The answer for the last truly elite offensive lineman out of UT is Cosey Coleman.

The question of "Why is a guy who entered UT in 1997 the last one?" can be answered by three men. The first is Jimmy Ray Stephens, who had the chance to coach numerous highly-regarded offensive line prospects and did exactly nothing with them. The second is Greg Adkins, who replaced Stephens and did pretty much the same shoddy job. The third is a previous line coach turned head coach (who hired both of those clowns), who refused to actually find someone who can develop offensive linemen.

The positions on the offensive line require an enormous amount of time and effort to develop technique. My background is in the option, so I both played and coached in systems that prize "the little things", particularly when our average lineman would be dwarfed by the opposing team's linebackers.

The simple fact is that there is a lot more that goes into developing individual linemen than hitting the weight room and a blocking sled. Personally, I'm fully confident that I'd be a better coach at the college level than Adkins or Stephens...all it would take is the money to finish a long-overdue bachelor's degree and someone with a connection to help me out.

 

[Ohio Vol]

When I think of the Joe Staleys or Jake Longs of the world, all I can think is that we never seemed to have those talents on the Hill.

I loved watching Joe Staley at CMU. I hated watching Jake Long, who I referred to as "Little Tony Mandarich" repeatedly. I still say that Long was hideously overrated as a college player, although his pro career to this point has vastly outstripped what I thought it would be.

 

[crusse10]

Thanks for the input. Glad I wasn't the only one who sees issues (granted you've got way more experience to see why there are issues)

 

[volsvols15]

I will say this,I never liked Fulmer but he was one of the best offensive line coaches there ever was!!Oh and Munoz was vastly overrated.

I'm glad some agrees with me on Munoz he was really overrated..
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[lincolncovol]

It is war-trace The answer is really simple, the last o-line coach we had worth a **** was Coach Berry. I do really like the one we have nw.