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Tennessee football: Ranking NFL careers of 10 Vols previously drafted by 49ers

By Caleb Calhoun

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 09: Parys Haralson #98 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field during player introduction before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Candlestick Park on October 9, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game 48-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 09: Parys Haralson #98 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field during player introduction before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Candlestick Park on October 9, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game 48-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images /

Pick Analysis. Linebacker. Craig Puki. player. 839. Scouting Report. 1980 (Round 3; Pick 77). 6

Similar to Cory Fleming, Craig Puki had a short career in the NFL but walked away with a Super Bowl championship as part of a dynasty in the process. Puki was with Tennessee football for five years, including being a part of the two-year decline under Bill Battle and then the rebuild of Johnny Majors while redshirting Majors’ first year in 1977.

In 1976, 1978 and 1979, however, Puki went over 100 tackles each time, and he forced eight career fumbles as well while coming away with three sacks his senior year. That season, he helped UT get back to a bowl game for the first time since 1974, the year before he arrived, and he was then taken in the third round of the NFL Draft by the 49ers.

Puki is the first guy on this list to actually play for the 49ers. After appearing in all 16 games as a rookie and coming away with an interception, he became a starter down the stretch of the 1981 season and helped Joe Montana, Bill Walsh and co. lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship. He finished his career in 1982, playing seven games with the St. Louis Cardinals.

So over three years, Puki played in 39 games and started six of them. He recovered two fumbles, came away with an interception and walked away with a championship ring. That’s a pretty solid resume for such a short career.

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