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Tennessee football: Top 10 Vols big game performers in school history

By Caleb Calhoun

5 Dec 1998: Linebacker Al Wilson #27 of the Tennessse Volunteers stands on a ladder during the SEC Championships against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome in Athens, Georgia. Tennessee defeated Mississippi St. 24-14.
5 Dec 1998: Linebacker Al Wilson #27 of the Tennessse Volunteers stands on a ladder during the SEC Championships against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome in Athens, Georgia. Tennessee defeated Mississippi St. 24-14. /
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Photo by Andy Lyons /Allsport
Photo by Andy Lyons /Allsport /

Among Tennessee football’s greatest players, some stood out specifically under the brightest lights. Here are the 10 greatest big-game Volunteers ever.

There are too many legendary Tennessee football players to count. Many have led the Vols to championships and huge wins, received national recognition, etched their way into the school record books and put together a Hall of Fame NFL career. A variety of factors can help somebody stand out above others on Rocky Top.

Sometimes, it’s the players who save their best moments for the biggest games. When you think about their play, it’s about how they stood out when the lights were at their brightest and the games meant the most.

Tennessee football has played in numerous big games throughout its history. And let’s face it, there’s a different vibe to a game on Saturday night or in the CBS primetime spot as opposed to an early afternoon game on regional television.

In this post, we’re going to break down those Vols who performed best in big games. To make this list, a player didn’t have to be perfect in every big game. But they had to have enough standout performances for us to mention them.

On top of that, just winning a lot of big games or being clutch alone does not mean making the list. For instance, Casey Clausen was incredibly clutch and went 14-1 on the road. But his numbers were mediocre in the three biggest road wins of his career, and he also struggled in some other huge games at neutral sites and at home.

Simply put, some of the biggest legends in UT history won’t be on this list. That’s because they can’t just stand out for their numbers. They have to stand out for performing in specific instances that were incredibly crucial.

Taking that into account, let’s start counting down the players. We’ll note when they played and the times they stood out the most for Rocky Top. These are the 10 greatest big game performers in Tennessee football history.

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