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Tennessee football: Ranking all 10 Vols head coaches’ second NFL Draft classes

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 11: Detailed view of the checkered endzone at Neyland Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Chattanooga Mocs on October 11, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 45-10. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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1. 1966

Doug Dickey

Number of NFL Draft picks: 6

  • Tom Fisher, LB (New York Giants: Round 3, Pick 40)
  • Frank Emanuel, LB (Philadelphia Eagles: Round 4, Pick 52)
  • Stan Mitchell, WR (Washington Redskins: Round 8, Pick 115)
  • Austin Denney, TE (Dallas Cowboys: Round 11, Pick 160)
  • Bob Petrella, DB (Minnesota Vikings: Round 12, Pick 181)
  • Hal Wantland, DB (Washington Redskins: Round 16, Pick 235)

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Credited for bringing Tennessee football into the modern era, Doug Dickey integrated the Vols and moved them away from the single-wing formation. That abandoned something the Vols had done dating back to the 1920s.

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In the process, coming off his second season in 1965 when got the Vols back to a bowl for the first time since 1957 and secured a top 10 finish for the first time since 1956, he would naturally have lots of players drafted. The curveball, however, was that some of these players were technically taken in the AFL Draft and elected to play there.

Frank Emanuel and Bob Petrella were both taken in both the AFL and NFL Draft but elected to play for the Miami Dolphins, in the AFL. Stan Mitchell also played for Miami. All three of them enjoyed at least five years there, including six by Petrella. Since the Super Bowl began the year they played for the Dolphins, we’re counting those years.

That resulted in 16 total years alone, and then there’s Austin Denney, who played three years for the Chicago Bears and two for the Buffalo Bills. Add in a year from Hal Wantland, and five of Dickey’s six players taken combined for 22 years in the pros. Ironically, the only one with no record in the league was the one selected the highest, linebacker Tom Fisher.

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Despite no 10-plus year veterans and no Pro Bowlers, this class was had the highest number of players among any Tennessee football coach’s second NFL Draft class to actually see action at the NFL level (AFL if you count 1966 and 1967, but it was just as elite then). That’s how this made the top spot on here.

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