Top 10 Tennessee Vols Football Players During the Adidas Era
Sep 27, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning shown talking to fans on the sidelines during the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Even without a national championship, Manning elevated Tennessee football expectations in every way. He finally scored an ever-elusive win over the hated Alabama Crimson Tide, which the Vols had failed to do in 10 years at the time, and set Tennessee in motion on a seven-game winning streak. He also created a culture of winning and dedication, which carried over after he left.
And in addition to Alabama, he had some of the gutsiest performances ever, most notable of which was the 1997 SEC Championship game, in which he threw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns en route to a comeback to beat Auburn 30-29.
He also went 3-1 in bowl games. This is for all the critics who say he couldn’t win the big one. I fail to see how that’s true when you have that bowl record, you go 3-1 against arch-rival Alabama, and you go 3-0 against Georgia, but specifically the Florida game makes him a choke artist, even if he had 492 yards and four touchdowns in the 1996 loss to Florida and put up 36 points in the 1995 loss to Florida.
What he did goes beyond what almost every great college quarterback did.
Manning’s NFL career as maybe the greatest quarterback ever only elevates his status in Tennessee lore, and with a road named after him, his decision to stay until his senior season, and his connections to the football program, it is clear as to why he is the most beloved figure in Tennessee history.
But if all of this is true, why is he not No. 1?
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Peyton Manning
Quarterback, 1994-1997
The guy who finally took Tennessee Vols football to the next level, from good and sometimes great to always great, and restored Tennessee football to the Doug Dickey and Robert Neyland days, was obviously going to be on this list.
We don’t have to say too much about Peyton Manning’s accomplishments. He threw for more than 11,000 years, went 39-6 as a starter, had 89 touchdown passes, won an SEC Championship, and was a runner-up for Heisman. What is underrated, however, is how much he changed Tennessee football during his time.
Even without a national championship, Manning elevated Tennessee football expectations in every way. He finally scored an ever-elusive win over the hated Alabama Crimson Tide, which the Vols had failed to do in 10 years at the time, and set Tennessee in motion on a seven-game winning streak. He also created a culture of winning and dedication, which carried over after he left.
And in addition to Alabama, he had some of the gutsiest performances ever, most notable of which was the 1997 SEC Championship game, in which he threw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns en route to a comeback to beat Auburn 30-29.
He also went 3-1 in bowl games. This is for all the critics who say he couldn’t win the big one. I fail to see how that’s true when you have that bowl record, you go 3-1 against arch-rival Alabama, and you go 3-0 against Georgia, but specifically the Florida game makes him a choke artist, even if he had 492 yards and four touchdowns in the 1996 loss to Florida and put up 36 points in the 1995 loss to Florida.
What he did goes beyond what almost every great college quarterback did.
Manning’s NFL career as maybe the greatest quarterback ever only elevates his status in Tennessee lore, and with a road named after him, his decision to stay until his senior season, and his connections to the football program, it is clear as to why he is the most beloved figure in Tennessee history.
But if all of this is true, why is he not No. 1?
Next: #1: Al Wilson