Tennessee football: Vols top 30 players since 1998 national championship

Before Jonathan Hefney, there was Rashad Baker. Eight years of free safety and punt returning for Tennessee football were covered with these two players. They were both leaders for their teams at different times.

Recruited as a wide receiver, Baker switched to safety in his fourth game in 2000 and became the starter. At the time, Phillip Fulmer was dealing with the departure of his entire secondary from the year before and desperately needed help. Baker obliged.

After a 2-3 start, Baker got a bye week to fully learn the system. He came out of that with the rest of the secondary and helped generate dramatic improvement, just as Casey Clausen came off that bye starting his first game. It was against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Vols won, 20-10.

They took that momentum to finish 8-3, largely due to great defensive performances against the Tide and the South Carolina Gamecocks on the road. And this was just the start for Baker on Rocky Top at safety.

The next three years, wearing Peyton Manning’s number before it was retired, Baker was a staple in the secondary. He had four interceptions in 2001 and averaged over nine yards a punt return. As the injury bug bit in 2002, Baker was a guy to hold the team together and secured five interceptions.

That was 10 interceptions in three years when you count the one he got in 2000. So in 2003, opposing teams completely avoided throwing his way. As a result, he didn’t rack up any stats outside of one interception at the end of the year, but his value was too great to pass up.

Baker made back to back All-SEC teams and turned his success into a six-year NFL career, despite not being drafted. He easily made this list as one of the top Vols since they won a national title and was the Clausen of the defense during this time.