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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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Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images
Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images /

4. 1972

Bill Battle

Number of NFL Draft picks: 7

  • Bobby Majors, DB (Philadelphia Eagles: Round 3, Pick 76)
  • George Hunt, K (Cleveland Browns: Round 5, Pick 122)
  • Jackie Walker, DB (San Francisco 49ers: Round 6, Pick 148)
  • Curt Watson, RB (New Orleans Saints: Round 6, Pick 150)
  • Ray Nettles, LB (Miami Dolphins: Round 6, Pick 155)
  • Gary Theiler, TE (Baltimore Colts: Round 12, Pick 308)
  • Joe Balthrop, G (New Orleans Saints: Round 16, Pick 397)

In terms of raw numbers, this is Tennessee football’s deepest draft class following a head coach’s second year. However, we said production at the next level from those players matters as well, and quite frankly, there is literally no pro production from anybody on this draft class.

That was again shocking, as Bill Battle was coming off his second 10-win season. Over the previous three years, the Vols had gone 9-2 and won the SEC, 11-1 and won the Sugar Bowl with a top five finish and 10-2 and won the Liberty Bowl with a top 10 finish. Of course, that success explains why this class was so deep. Phillip Fulmer was in this class and went into coaching.

But among the seven players, a total of four years of real NFL experience was accrued. Bobby Majors, the headliner, played one year, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, and then went to the World Football League. George Hunt had one year with the Baltimore Colts and one with the New York Giants. Ray Nettles chose Canadian Football League for more money.

Then there’s the story of Jackie Walker. A two-time All-American, he spent one year with the San Francisco 49ers. However, as an openly gay player in the 1970s, he was completely robbed of the opportunity to succeed at the next level. You wonder if things with him would be different today.

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