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With Matt Darr Starting on Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Vols are Officially Punter-U

By Caleb Calhoun

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The Miami Dolphins naming Matt Darr their starting punter means three former Vols are now starting punters in the NFL, earning them the title Punter-U.

The Tennessee Volunteers football team already had the title of “Wide Receiver U” dating back to Johnny Majors. But now, dating back to Phillip Fulmer, they have earned another title.

Punter-U.

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Okay, it sounds kind of cheesy. But with the Miami Dolphins recently naming Matt Darr, who played at Tennessee from 2010 to 2014, as their new starting punter, there are now three former Vols starting in the NFL: Britton Colquitt of the Denver Broncos, Dustin Colquitt of the Kansas City Chiefs, and obviously Darr.

That means one out of every 10 or 11 teams has a former Vol starting at punter for them in the NFL, which is remarkable.

But the Punter-U title does not just start there.

Before you say the Colquitt family skews the stats, take a moment to acknowledge that having the Colquitt family does have to count for something. Craig Colquitt, Jimmy Colquitt, Dustin Colquitt, and Britton Colquitt do make up an elite class of punters from Tennessee who all started in the NFL.

But then comes Darr, who is not part of the family and is starting,

And there is one more player: David Leaverton.

He did not pan out in the NFL, but he was a draft pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2001 after punting for the Vols from 1997 to 2000, and he was clearly a very successful punter. In fact, while Britton Colquitt had the power and Matt Darr had the consistency, Leaverton is the best of all time at nailing punts on the one or two-yard line and keeping them from going into the end zone.

That was always remarkable.

Of course, the best in the NFL right now who played at Tennessee is Dustin Colquitt. Let’s not forget the fact that he is a punter who single-handedly led the Vols to victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Miami Hurricanes in 2003.

All of these guys together clearly earn the Vols the title “Punter-U,” as from 1997 to 2014, they had four punters who got NFL looks starting 15 of those 18 years.

If you are a punter coming to Tennessee, you now have a lot to look up to. The Colquitt family still has a few, Maryland transfer Nathan Renfro is a fifth-year senior this year who has proven to be a solid punter in the past, and Tommy Townsend is a highly touted freshman whom the Vols signed.

So the future is set at the position, and more NFL productivity is likely on the way.

Again, Tennessee is now Punter-U.

Next: Tennessee vs. Bowling Green: Five Keys for Each Team

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