Former Vol Chuck Smith to be Honored as a Member of the 2015 SEC Legends Class at SEC Championship

Former Tennessee Volunteers defensive linemen Chuck Smith will be recognized at this year’s SEC Championship as a member of the 2015 SEC Legends class.

A two-year star under Head Coach Johnny Majors in 1990 and 1991, Chuck Smith helped lead the Tennessee Vols to an SEC Championship one year and played in both the Sugar and Fiesta Bowls.

He followed that up with a 10-year NFL career. And he is now being recognized for his greatness as one of the SEC Legends for this year.

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Smith will represent Tennessee at the SEC Championship events on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 in Atlanta, Ga. this year, according to the Southeastern Conference website.

The former lineman came to Tennessee after a two-year stint at Oklahoma A&M, and he finished his senior season with 64 tackles, 13 of which went for a loss and nine of which were sacks, before being named MVP of the Senior Bowl.

Johnny Majors called him the “best defensive end” I ever coached.

Smith later enjoyed a nine-year career in the NFL, eight of which were with the Atlanta Falcons, when he earned All-Pro honors in 1997 and was a captain on the team that went to the Super Bowl in 1998.

He went into coaching after that, accepting a position as the defensive line coach at Tennessee under Derek Dooley in 2010. But the two parted ways in 2011, and from the looks of things at the time, it was not pretty.

However, Smith’s sourness over his departure may very well have healed, and there is a good chance he feels different about the program with Butch Jones as head coach anyway. Either way, congratulations to Chuck Smith for his recognition. He led the Vols to two great seasons in the early 1990s.

The other representatives from each team can be seen by clicking on the link to the article above.

Next: Five Things the Vols Must Do to Salvage the 2015 Season

Former Tennessee Volunteers defensive linemen Chuck Smith will be recognized at this year’s SEC Championship as a member of the 2015 SEC Legends class.

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