Tennessee football: Ranking Vols 5 previous seasons after no NFL Draft picks
5. 1963: 5-5 (3-5)
5th in SEC
Final ranking: Unranked
This was a year of transition for Tennessee football. The Vols had fallen on hard times under Bowden Wyatt. Sure, they went 10-0 in 1956 under him and behind Johnny Majors, but over time, the magic and mystique of Robert Neyland hanging over the program had worn off.
Heading into 1963, the Vols had been .500 the past two seasons and were 4-6 in 1962. They had not made a bowl game in six years. As a result, it was no surprise that they would fail to have anybody taken in the NFL Draft in 1963 which was the third time in four years that had happened.
Wyatt was not going to be the head coach the following year, though. Jim McDonald had taken over the program that just put out no NFL Draft picks. And McDonald continued the mediocrity that Wyatt had established.
In 1963, the Vols had a good start with a 34-6 win over the Richmond Spiders. But then they lost four straight games, highlighted by a 35-0 shutout at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide. They did rebound to win three of their last four games, and three of those wins were shutouts, but they also suffered another shutout loss on their own to the Ole Miss Rebels.
As a result, coming off no players being drafted, this team had fallen to 5-5. However, brighter days were ahead. McDonald would leave after just one year and become the Vols’ assistant athletic director. The next year, Doug Dickey would arrive and restore the program.