1. 2009
Number of NFL Draft picks: 1
Notable players:
- Robert Ayers, DE (Denver Broncos: Round1; Pick 18)
- Arian Foster, RB (Houston Texans: Undrafted free agent
- Ramon Foster, OL (Pittsburgh Steelers: Undrafted free agent)
- Britton Colquitt, P (Denver Broncos: Undrafted free agent)
Looking at this NFL Draft class, it’s one of Tennessee football’s most productive ever in the pros. And that’s crazy because only one player was drafted. This was Phillip Fulmer’s final class, as he was fired in 2008.
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The one player drafted was Robert Ayers, who spent five years with the Denver Broncos, two with the New York Giants, two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Detroit Lions, appearing in 120 games and starting in 59 of them. He was the only defensive player in this class. as Vols’ offense was the reason for the 5-7 year in 2008 since it couldn’t adjust to Dave Clawson.
Arian Foster joined the Houston Texans and made four Pro Bowls in seven years, leading the league in rushing in 2010. He played his eighth and final season with the Miami Dolphins. Meanwhile, Ramon Foster, who just recently retired, turned into a leader on the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line, appearing in 160 games over 11 years and started in 145 of them.
Punter Britton Colquitt’s stock fell because of a five-game suspension and lost his scholarship in 2008 because of a DUI crash. However, he found a home with the Denver Broncos, where he spent his first seven years and helped Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl. He then spent three years with the Cleveland Browns and this past year with the Minnesota Vikings.
So a bad offense and a character concern kept three of four players from being taken in this NFL Draft class, and all of them became regular pro starters while one of them became a superstar. Ayers, the one player drafted and also a first-rounder, became a regular pro starter as well. Simply put, this class dramatically overachieved and easily tops this list.