Tennessee football: 10 most underappreciated Vols in school history
Shawn Bryson had a decent NFL career as a fullback and does get some love among Vol Nation. But your casual fan wouldn’t remember his efforts for the 1998 national title team the way they remember Tee Martin, Peerless Price, Jamal Lewis the dynamic duo of Travis Henry and Travis Stephens, even Jeff Hall, and of course, Al Wilson.
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Still, he belongs in that list. Bryson was one of the most crucial parts of that championship team and one of the greatest fullbacks in Tennessee football history. Didn’t anybody ever wonder how the Vols could replace Lewis so easily after he went down with a season-ending injury?
Bryson was why. He cleared paths for Henry and Stephens and also helped protect Martin. Despite being built like a tailback and having the speed of one, the coaches maximized him at fullback. And again, he embraced it as a blocker, showing his willingness to be a team player.
But Bryson’s efforts as a blocker were not the only thing that made him crucial. His versatility in the offense made him a threat in every way. And he had two of the most important touchdowns on the year.
Against the Florida Gators, he outran everybody for a 70-yard touchdown run to give the Vols the lead and the momentum they needed. Then, he caught the touchdown pass that broke the scoreless tie in the national championship game against the Florida State Seminoles in the second quarter.
So Bryson was the centerpiece of keeping that offense versatile. And he also scored two of the key touchdowns in the season. That’s why he belongs on this list.