Tennessee Football: 10 Vols Who Were Robbed of Postseason Awards in School History

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fan cheers for his team during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Neyland Stadium. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

6. Travis Stephens

Year: 2001

Award: Doak Walker Award (Best RB)

Winner: Luke Staley, BYU Cougars

It is hard to figure out which part of this was worse: the fact that Travis Stephens was blatantly the better running back or the fact that he lost the award on the heels of the best rushing game of the year for any back in the country.

Stephens did not have as many yards as Luke Staley, but he had more than 1,400 on the ground and numerous touchdowns against SEC competition. Meanwhile, Luke Staley helped lead BYU to an 11-0 record before they lost their last two games, but that record was against the easiest competition they could possibly face.

They did not play one ranked team on the season, and this award was a blatant consolation for the voters who felt bad that an undefeated team would not come close to a chance to play in a national title game they had no business playing in.

And the worst part is when this award came. It came on the heels of Stephens setting a rushing record in The Swamp against the Florida Gators, who were No. 2 in the country and favored by 18 over the Vols when he walked into Gainesville the Saturday before those awards were announced. That game, Stephens had 19 carries for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

But to the anti-Tennessee voters, it simply was not enough.

Next: #5: Thorpe-Deon Grant in 1999