Tennessee football: Top 10 Vols who weren’t first round NFL Draft picks

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 10: Jason Witten
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 10: Jason Witten
8 of 12
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

We’re not done with offensive linemen yet, and the most successful Tennessee football offensive lineman of the modern era may just be Chad Clifton. A member of that 1995 recruiting class that had the most successful four-year run in school history, Clifton took a redshirt that season.

However, he became a four-year starter at tackle after that season and started his final three seasons at left tackle. There was no doubt that Clifton was the best offensive lineman on the team, and he was a key reason for the back to back SEC Championships and the 1998 national championship.

Amidst all that, though, he fell to the second round of the NFL Draft. But the Green Bay Packers selected a future star in Clifton, and he lived up to the hype. Over the course of 12 years, Clifton protected two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, and he made two Pro Bowls and won the Super Bowl in 2010.

The next year, Clifton helped the Packers become the best team in the league. He was a staple on the line, despite suffering a season-ending injury in 2002. On the left side, Clifton shouldered an awesome responsibility in Title Town for a decade, and that earns him a high spot on this list.