Official Countdown to 2016 Kickoff:

#401
#401
25 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

#25, Josh Smith, WR, RS Junior

Josh-smITH-1.jpg


CAREER HIGHS

Receptions - 5 at Oklahoma, 9/13/14
Receiving Yards - 58 at Oklahoma, 9/13/14
Touchdowns - 1 three times, last vs. Georgia, 10/10/15

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Games/Starts: 13/7 in 2015
In 13 games in 2015, made 23 catches for 307 yards with two touchdowns; started last seven regular-season games
In regular-season finale vs. Vanderbilt, had four catches for 50 yards
Scored second touchdown of season on an 11-yard catch to even score at 7-7 at #8 Alabama, also had key 27-yard catch on late scoring drive finishing with two catches for 38 yards
Hauled in the 39-yard touchdown, that started the Vols rally from 24-3 deficit to score 28 points in a row in 38-31 win over #19 Georgia, finished with two catches for 40 yards
Games/Starts: 3/1 in 2014
Underwent ankle surgery on Nov. 6 and was granted a medical redshirt
Career-high five catches for career-best 58 yards including 40-yard touchdown at #4/3 Oklahoma
Ppened 2014 with three catches for 48 yards vs. Utah State
Games/Starts: 11/4 in 2013
Local product is a co-starter as a true freshman receiver
In 11 games, made four starts with 12 catches for 182 yards with one touchdown
First career touchdown on a 29-yard pass as part of three catches for 40 yards vs. South Alabama
In first-career start, caught a career-long 51-yard catch at #2 Oregon
One of 11 true freshman to make debut vs. Austin Peay, made first-career catch for nine yards
 
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#404
#404
24 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

(Note: Jersey #24 is now assigned to Todd Kelly, Jr as originally featured here and Michael Lacey as featured here. Since originally creating my list, the player featured today has changed numbers, hence the break in countdown continuity)

#15, Darrell Miller Jr, DB, Sophomore

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Games/Starts: 5/0 in 2015
True freshman played in five games at cornerback
One of 15 true freshmen to make debut vs. Bowling Green
Consensus 3 star recruit
Lettered at Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas
Posted eight tackles and had two interceptions as a senior in 2014
Member of 2014 Texas State Championship team in Conference 6A with a 14-2 record
Longhorns captured 2013 Texas State title with a 14-2 record
Made 39 tackles and had five pass break-ups as a junior in 2013
 
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#405
#405
As a special supplemental post today, I'd like to honor a young man with courage that made the ultimate sacrifice so others could live. We often use the word hero to describe many people in this world, but this young man certainly lives up to that term in his actions of saving lives. And while he did not play for the University of Tennessee, he had a profound impact on the Volunteeers and especially Todd Kelly Junior who has since changed his number to 24 in tribute of the young man.

#24, Zaevion Dobson, Fulton High School

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Recipient of the ESPN Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2016
Honored by Todd Kelly Jr, current Vol now wearing his number

Zaevion Dobson killed shielding girls from bullets - CNN.com
Tennessee Teen Zaevion Dobson Dies Shielding Friends From Gunshots: Police - NBC News
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...r-killed-shielding-teenage-girls-from-gunmen/
https://www.seccountry.com/tennessee/vols-honor-slain-teenage-football-player

A shooting spree in Knoxville, Tennessee, injured one person and killed a high school football player who was hailed as a hero after police say he died shielding three girls from gunfire. One of the gunmen was also killed.

Those shots pierced Zaevion Dobson, a 15-year-old football player at Knoxville's Fulton High School, who was "struck and killed after he had jumped on top of three girls to shield them from the shooters," police said. The girls were not injured.

Fulton High School Executive Principal Rob Speas told NBC News on Saturday that Zeavion Dobson — who went by Zae — was "always trying to take care of other folks."

"He would always be checking on other students," Speas said. "He was the kid that other kids wanted to be around."

Dobson was a "class clown," he added, who loved to go up to his teachers' desks, grab their iPads, and take a picture of himself making a funny face.

Fulton High School football coach Rob Black told WBIR that the boy had everything going for him. He called him a "success story."
Click to expand...

Todd Kelly Jr. changes jersey number to honor Zaevion Dobson | WBIR.com
https://www.seccountry.com/tennesse...in-honor-of-slain-high-school-football-player

Knoxville native and University of Tennessee safety Todd Kelly Jr. will wear number 24 this season in honor of Zaevion Dobson, head coach Butch Jones confirmed Monday.

Dobson was shot and killed while shielding his friends from gunfire last December. The 15-year-old sophomore played football at Fulton High School and wore No. 24.

On twitter, Kelly said, "Honored and privileged to wear the #24 this season in honor of Zaevion Dobson, your legacy lives on and will never be forgotten . . "
Click to expand...

https://www.seccountry.com/sec/espys-honor-heroic-tennessee-high-school-player

The ESPYs honored Tennessee high schooler Zaevion Dobson with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Dobson, a 15-year-old high school football player, was tragically killed at the end of last year using himself as a shield to protect others in his house when gunmen opened fire on the house.

It was a tragic reminder of how violence still affects so many young people’s lives but also an uplifting reminder of how good people can still saves lives and be heroes in the face of tragedy.

ESPN aired a 12-minute tribute video that included remarks from President Barack Obama during last night’s broadcast.
Click to expand...

http://wiat.com/2016/07/24/city-of-knoxville-unveils-mosaic-honoring-zaevion-dobson/
http://www.local8now.com/content/news/Fundraiser-honors-Zaevion-Dobson--389401711.html
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/...ship-396ff421-50c2-466f-e053-0-389414841.html

Through videos and comments, fallen Fulton High School football player Zaevion Dobson and his jersey, No. 24, dominated people's minds Saturday night at a gala in his memory at Bridgewater Place.

While sharing memories of Dobson, attendees of the fundraiser for a scholarship in Dobson's memory also focused on another number — $60,000. That is the amount they seek to award the scholarship annually.

"We would love to get enough to make the scholarship total be around $60,000 and continue to go from year to year," said Fulton High career and community coordinator Ara Rickman. "Whatever we raise tonight will go to helping that happen."

"This says a lot about the Fulton community for everybody to come together to raise funds for a scholarship that we hope is around for a long time after we're gone from Fulton," he said. "We want this scholarship to still be in place 30, 40 and 50 years down the road."
Click to expand...

Ut Alii Vivant
 
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#406
#406
23 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

#23, Cameron Sutton, DB, Senior

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(picture from 2015)

CAREER HONORS

2016 Sporting News Preseason First Team All-American
2016 Lindy's Sports Preseason Second Team All-American
2016 Athlon Sports Preseason First Team All-SEC (PR)
2016 Athlon Sports Preseason Second Team All-SEC (DB)
2016 Lindy's Sports Preseason First Team All-SEC
2016 Phil Steele Preseason First Team All-SEC
2015 Sporting News First Team All American
2015 AutoNation FWAA Second Team All-American
2015 GridironNow.com All-SEC First-Team Specialists
2015 Athlon Sports Preseason SEC All Conference Fourth Team Specialists
2015 Athlon Sports Preseason SEC All Conference Second Team Defense
2015 Sporting News Preseason First Team All-SEC
2015 Sporting News Preseason Second Team All-American
2015 Phil Steele Preseason Third Team All-SEC
2015 Lindy's Sports No. 6 Top Cornerbacks
2015 Lindy's Sports Preseason First Team All-SEC
2015 Athlon Sports Preseason Second Team All-SEC
2014 Phil Steele All-SEC Third Team
2014 Phil Steele Preseason Fourth Team All-SEC
2014 Athlon Sports Preseason Fourth Team All-SEC
2013 Athlon Sports Freshman All-American
2013 247Sports Freshman All-American
2013 Freshmen All-SEC
2013 College Football News All-Freshman

Career Highs

Tackles: 8 at Oklahoma
Tackle for Loss: 2 vs. Auburn
Sack: 1 vs. Auburn
Forced Fumble: 1 vs. Alabama & vs. W. Carolina
Interceptions: 1 six times, last at Missouri
Touchdowns (INT): 1 vs. Western Kentucky
Fumble Recovery: 1 at Florida & at Alabama
Passes Defended: 4 vs. Florida
Punt Returns: 5 vs. Vanderbilt
Punt Return Yards : 123 vs. Vanderbilt
Long Punt Return: 85 vs. Vanderbilt
Touchdowns (Punt Return): 1 at Vanderbilt; at UK; VU
Kickoff Returns:1 at Ole Miss
Kickoff Return Yards : 21 at Ole Miss
Kickoff Punt Return: 21 at Ole Miss

Games/Starts: 13/13 in 2015
Third-year starter at cornerback for the Vols, started all 38 games in career
Serving as Vols starting punt returner for second year
Switched from his #23 to #7 during training camp as a tribute to injured teammate Rashaan Gaulden
Ranked first in the nation in punt return average at 18.7
Had 25 punt returns for 467 yards and two touchdowns
His 467 punt return yards set a new Tennessee single-season record, surpassing mark of 457 by Bobby Majors in 1969
Career mark of 16.0 punt return average, ranks first in Tennessee history
With two punt returns for touchdown in 2015, became sixth player in Vols history to have two in same season, last was Terry Fair in 1996
Tied for fourth in career passes defended at Tennessee with 32, surpassing Eric Berry (31)
Started all 13 games in 2015, made 28 tackles with 3.0 TFLs along with an interception, six pass break-ups and two forced fumbles on defense
Second career touchdown on an 84-yard punt return at Kentucky
Awarded the Al Wilson Leadership Award at the 2015 Orange and White Game
Games/Starts: 13/13 in 2014
Started all 13 games in 2014, had 37 tackles including 4.0 TFLs with team-best 16 passes defended
Tied for second on the team with three interceptions
Fourth in SEC in passes defended with 16
His 16 passes defended are third-most in a season in Tennessee history
His 25 career passes defended are tied for ninth-most in a career in Tennessee history
Also had 14 punt returns for 158 yards with a 76-yard return for a touchdown and one kickoff return for 21 yards on the season
In 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl win over Iowa, had two tackles and two passes defended
First punt return for a touchdown, for 76 yards, in win at Vanderbilt, first UT punt return for TD since Cordarrelle Patterson
Career-high eight tackles and broke up a pass at #4/3 Oklahoma
Began 2014 with third-career interception vs. Utah State, also made four tackles with a TFL
Games/Starts: 12/12 in 2013
Made 39 tackles (sixth on team in tackles)
Had a team-high nine passes defended, an interception return for touchdown, two fumble recoveries, 4.0 TFLs and a sack
Became first true freshman to return an interception for a touchdown since Eric Berry (2007 at Florida) on a 36-yard return vs. WKU, INT started run of NCAA record four consecutive forced turnovers for Vols on four consecutive plays; also had four tackles
Became first true freshman to start in secondary since Justin Coleman in season opener vs. Austin Peay
 
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#408
#408
Goodrich was sensational covering Warrick in the Fiesta Bowl. Looking forward too watching Sutton this year.
 
#410
#410
22 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

#22, Micah Abernathy, DB, Sophomore

micah-abernathy-of-the-tennessee-volunteers-against-the-northwestern-picture-id503768460


(picture from 2015)

CAREER HIGHS

Tackles- 3 vs. Northwestern
Kickoff Returns- 3 vs. Vanderbilt
Kickoff Return Yards - 42 vs. Vanderbilt

CAREER STATS

Games/Starts: 12/0 in 2015
True freshman defensive back, seeing time at nickelback
Contributor on special teams, blocking for Evan Berry and reserve kickoff return man
Had his black stripe removed on Aug. 25, 2015
Played in 12 games in 2015, making nine tackles
Returned four kickoffs for 69 yards on the season
Career-best three tackles in late action in Outback Bowl win over Northwestern
Had three kickoff returns for 42 yards in win vs. Vanderbilt, also made one tackle on defense
First kickoff return came vs. Western Carolina for 27 yards
One of 15 true freshman to make college debut vs. Bowling Green, made first college tackle
Lettered at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcoss, Ga.
Composite 4 star recruit
Selected to 2015 Under Armour All-America Game, becoming first from GAC to play in the game
Member of ESPN 300
Played both cornerback and running back in high school
Named 2014 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Offensive Player Of the Year
Honored as 2014 Gwinnett Daily Post Offensive Player of the Year
First team all-state by the Associated Press as a junior in 2013
Named honorable mention all-state by Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a junior
 
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#416
#416
21 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

#21, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB, Senior

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CAREER HONORS

2016 Athlon Sports Preseason First Team All-SEC
2016 Lindy's Sports Preseason Second Team All-SEC
2015 Phil Steele Preseason Fourth Team All-SEC
2015 Lindy's Sports No. 13 Top Outside Linebackers
2015 Lindy's Sports Preseason Second Team All-SEC

CAREER HIGHS

Tackles - 21 vs. Oklahoma
Tackles For Loss - 3.5 vs. Georgia
Sacks - 2 at Georgia
Interceptions - 1 vs. Florida
Fumble Recovery - 1 four times, last vs. South Carolina
Forced Fumble - 1 vs. Oklahoma
Blocked Punt - 1 vs. Georgia
10-Plus Tackle Games - 4 times, last vs. Oklahoma & vs. S. Carolina

CAREER STATS

Games/Starts: 13/13 in 2015
Returning starter at WILL linebacker as a junior in 2015
Seventh in overall tackles with 105 and ninth in SEC in tackles per game (8.1); led Vols with 14.0 TFLs (eighth in SEC) and second on team in sacks with 5.0
Six tackles including a 9-yard sack in Outback Bowl win over Northwestern
Closed regular-season with three tackles, including 12-yard sack vs. Vanderbilt
Led Vols in tackles in seven of 12 games in 2015
Six career 10-tackle games, three in 2015
Team-best 11 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and a sack at #8 Alabama
Career-high 21 tackles, most by a Vol since A.J. Johnson in 2012, including 3.0 TFLs vs. #19 Oklahoma; 21 tackles are most by a player in NCAA FBS in 2015
Led Vols in tackles in win over Bowling Green with nine including an 11-yard sack and two TFLs, also recovered a fumble recovery
Games/Starts: 13/13 in 2014
Started at WILL linebacker in second year with Vols
Started all 13 games in 2014 and tied for first on the team with 101 tackles with 11.0 TFLs (third on team)
Tied for eighth in SEC in total tackles
Ranked ninth in the SEC in tackles per game (7.8)
Posted career-high 13 tackles in 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl win over Iowa, including 11th TFL of the season
Had first-career interception, coming vs. Florida
Surpassed entire freshman season tackle total (14) in second game of 2014 season
Second-career 10-tackle game, at #12/13 Georgia, making career-best 3.5 TFLs and 7-yard sack
In first career start, racked up 10 tackles vs. Utah State
Games/Starts: 11/0 in 2013
True freshman was a standout on special teams with team-best 11 tackles
Rotated between linebacker and defensive back, playing in 11 games with 14 tackles on the season
Had at least one tackle on special teams in six games in a row
Three tackles vs. Georgia; blocked a punt to resulted in a touchdown punt return by Devaun Swafford
 
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#421
#421
20 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

#20, Cortez McDowell, LB, Junior

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Games/Starts: 13/0 in 2015
Back-up WILL linebacker behind Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Played in all 13 games with 12 tackles, with team-high nine special teams
Games/Starts: 13/0 in 2014
Played in all 13 games on special teams and as a reserve WILL linebacker, making 19 tackles
Led team with 14 special teams tackles
Consensus 4 Star recruit
 
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#422
#422
And a supplemental post for today. Even though he's not on scholarship, he's still a member of the roster.

#20, Vincent Perry, WR, RS Freshman

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2015 was redshirt year for injury
Consensus 3 star recruit from Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tenn
Named to Tennessean All Mid-State Team as a senior in 2014
Gained 1,790 yards from scrimmage with 27 touchdowns as a senior
Ran for more than 1,200 yards on the ground and 18 touchdowns as a senior in 2014
Helped Burros to a 14-1 record and Tennessee State Class 5A Championship game
 
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#424
#424
19 days until it's football time in Tennessee!

#19, Darrell Taylor, DL, RS Freshman

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2015 - Redshirt year, did not play any games
Consensus 4 Star recruit
Lettered at Hopewell High School in Hopewell, Virginia
Played in Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in 2014
Earned second team all-state honors as a defensive end as a senior in 2014
Member of All-Region 3A East First Team in 2014
Played on both sides of the ball as a defensive end and wide receiver
Recorded 60 tackles including 19.0 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a senior in 2014
Had 29 receptions for 356 yards with five receiving touchdowns as a senior
Also blocked two field goals, forced three fumbles and defended six passes
 
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