2. 1981
1980 Tennessee football record: 5-6 (3-3)
NFL Draft picks: 5
- Tim Irwin, Offensive lineman, Minnesota Vikings (Round 3, pick 74)
- Danny Spradlin, Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys (Round 5, pick 137)
- Alan Duncan, Kicker, Philadelphia Eagles (Round 7, pick 174)
- Hubert Simpson, Running back, Cincinnati Bengals (Round 10, pick 258)
- Brad White, Defensive tackle, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Round 12, pick 310)
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After a rocky 1977 season, Johnny Majors went 5-5-1 in 1978 and then just barely made a bowl game at 7-5 in 1979. But in 1980, he fell back to a losing season again, as Tennessee football went 5-6.
The questions about Majors were really starting to get loud now, as he had been there for four years and not produced. But his good will, and the issues facing the program, were enough to keep him around.
And despite the issues, Majors still developed enough talent to load up this NFL Draft. Five players taken in the 1981 draft was a hint of the talent the Vols were about to bring on board in the 1980s as Majors rebuilt the program. One standout point is that the 1978 class saw a punter taken, and the 1981 class saw a place-kicker taken.
But after this, the slow process of the program on the rise really began, and throughout the mid 1980s Majors began to pump put lots more NFL talent. It just took some time, and this was the first real class he had put together. So it was able to get into the draft without lots of wins.