Nov 22, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; A general view of Neyland Stadium home of theTennessee Volunteers following the game against the Missouri Tigers. Missouri won 29-21. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee Vols athletics will be switching to Nike July 1 after 20 years with Adidas. For the week leading up to the switch, we are recapping the Adidas era. Here are the Top 10 Vols football players during that time.
It is ironic, really, because the 20-year period in which Tennessee was sponsored by Adidas brought about one of the most successful football periods in school history, and the most successful football season.
But it also brought about the worst football period in school history.
More from Peyton Manning
- Tennessee football: Could Peyton Manning have had Randy Moss with Vols?
- Tennessee football: Signs, sights and sounds from College GameDay for Vols vs. Alabama
- Tennessee football: Peyton Manning is GameDay picker; Two skids might end
- Tennessee football: What took so long to name Peyton Manning an SEC legend?
- Peyton Manning a great coach but would struggle coaching; David Cutcliffe reveals why
Still, loaded with NFL Talent and major recruiting classes, the Vols put out stars all over the field during this era. That makes it extremely hard to narrow down the best football players in the time period.
As we break down the Top 10 Tennessee Vols football players during this time, we had to boil it down to the players who had the most value at Tennessee during their time there. That means that NFL productivity is irrelevant in this list.
It all comes down to the type of lasting impact players had and how they will be remembered. There are plenty of players who deserves spots among Tennessee legends. One way to eliminate them is if you have to think about it, they don’t belong. Not one of these guys requires a second thought as to whether or not they are Tennessee legends.
And their contributions will last forever in Knoxville. So with that criteria, here are the Top 10 Tennessee Vols football players of the past 10 years.
Next: Begin Slideshow