Who would you say are Tennessee Best Defensive Players Ever?

#101
#101
I only gave my opinion realistically though I favor years 1968 on when Lester McClain became a Vol. Though He played offense just how I view things.
 
#103
#103
Just to list a few of my favorites:

Steve Kiner
Bobby Majors
Ray Nettles
D. Barnett
E. Berry
Big Dan Williams
 
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#108
#108
gnm53108 said:
He was a great OL no doubt but he was an absolute monster on the DL. I believe it was Frank Thomas, bama’s coach, that said Bob spent more time in his backfield than his running backs.
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Yeah guys back then played both ways. A completely different game. Those guys couldn’t play today but todays guys probably couldn’t play then. Different rules, different game.
 
#110
#110
wmcovol said:
Yeah guys back then played both ways. A completely different game. Those guys couldn’t play today but todays guys probably couldn’t play then. Different rules, different game.
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Wrong. Those guys could have been All Americans today. They probably have made it on either side of the ball. By the way, there are players who play both sides of the ball as late as 1997. One of them was a Heisman Trophy winner.
 
#111
#111
10ecVol said:
Yep Doug Atkins. Really surprised no one mentioned Jackie Walker. He could dominate a game like Atkins. And Al Wilson, and Bobby Majors, and Reggie White, and.... sheesh the defensive history is amazing at UT.
Jackie had 11 interceptions and returned 5 of them for TD’s- not bad for an undersized linebacker that hit people so hard the crowd would go ”oooooooooooooh”. Two time All-American.
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I just came back here to add Jackie Walker. Well done.
 
#112
#112
Reggie White
Doug Atkins
Justin Harrell
Jesse Mahelona
Eric Berry
Fred White
Deon Grant
Terry Fair
Jason Allen
Leonard Little
Al Wilson
Jerod Mayo
Kevin Simon
Aj Johnson
Eric Westmoreland
Raynoch Thompson
Parris Haralson
Billy Ratliff
Will Overstreet
Inky Johnson
Cam Sutton
Derek Barnett
Just to name many who have cam though in my lifetime obviously Atkins was before my time but he was an all time great.
 
#114
#114
If I’m putting the all time Tennessee defense on the field to defend against the all time Alabama offense, here’s who I got:

DL: Reggie White, Doug Atkins, Derek Barnett, John Henderson

LB: Jack Reynolds, Al Wilson, Carl Zander

DB: Roland James, Terry McDaniel, Eric Berry, Dale Carter

Linebacker was the hardest. Going to be a lot of good ones on the bench waiting to get in the game.
 
#115
#115
VOLINVONORE said:
Wrong. Those guys could have been All Americans today. They probably have made it on either side of the ball. By the way, there are players who play both sides of the ball as late as 1997. One of them was a Heisman Trophy winner.
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You really think 6-0 220lb OG (Charlie Rosenfelder, Etc) could play today by todays rules? 5-11 165lb tailbacks running the ball 25 times a game would make it thru the entire season?

I doubt few of days big guys could play both sides of the ball a majority of the game like they did in the 30s & 40s. Plus cover kicks? Hell, most can’t play more than 5-6 plays in a row now and they traine all yr long.

One guy in 1997 played a few select plays on offense. Playing both ways in 1930 meant playing the majority of plays on both. Paul Detzell brought mass substitution to the forefront in the 1950s with his Chinese Bandits (best defensive players together.)

The move to make multiple substitution, rule changes for blocking made the game significantly bigger and more wide open.
 
#117
#117
wmcovol said:
You really think 6-0 220lb OG (Charlie Rosenfelder, Etc) could play today by todays rules? 5-11 165lb tailbacks running the ball 25 times a game would make it thru the entire season?

I doubt few of days big guys could play both sides of the ball a majority of the game like they did in the 30s & 40s. Plus cover kicks? Hell, most can’t play more than 5-6 plays in a row now and they traine all yr long.

One guy in 1997 played a few select plays on offense. Playing both ways in 1930 meant playing the majority of plays on both. Paul Detzell brought mass substitution to the forefront in the 1950s with his Chinese Bandits (best defensive players together.)

The move to make multiple substitution, rule changes for blocking made the game significantly bigger and more wide open.
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I can pick out a few who were recruited as today’s stars would could not play 20 or 50 years ago. The strength and bulk of today’s players are mostly of today’s players are the result of much more refined strength and conditioning programs. When I was in high school, our weights were concrete poured into different sizes of tin cans and our S&C coach was usually one of our two coaches; either our head coach or his assistant, the history teacher. I still believe that Jim Thorpe was the best athlete that ever lived and he played multiple sports very well over a hundred years ago. So yes, I believe that the athletes from 50 years ago could play with those are playing today, give they had the same trading and coaching players get today.
 
#119
#119
1) Doug Atkins
2) Reggie White
3) Jackie Walker
4) Al Wilson
5) John Henderson
6) Deon Grant
7) Terry McDaniel
8) Dale Jones
 
#121
#121
VOLINVONORE said:
I can pick out a few who were recruited as today’s stars would could not play 20 or 50 years ago. The strength and bulk of today’s players are mostly of today’s players are the result of much more refined strength and conditioning programs. When I was in high school, our weights were concrete poured into different sizes of tin cans and our S&C coach was usually one of our two coaches; either our head coach or his assistant, the history teacher. I still believe that Jim Thorpe was the best athlete that ever lived and he played multiple sports very well over a hundred years ago. So yes, I believe that the athletes from 50 years ago could play with those are playing today, give they had the same trading and coaching players get today.
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You completely didnt understand my comment. I clearly stated that many of today's players couldnt play under the rules of the game years ago.

And I agree, players from prior to 1970 were discouraged from using weights. They were country strong.
 
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