Tennessee football’s top 10 injury replacements in school history

Of all the surprise guys to step in for an injured player on Tennessee football’s legendary 1985 team, Daryl Dickey was the one who stood out the most. It’s ironic because he was the son of Doug Dickey, who was at the time the last UT head coach to actually win an SEC Championship and would go on to become the Vols’ athletic director.

Quarterback Tony Robinson had Heisman expectations  in 1985, and he lived up to them with a tie against the No. 10 ranked UCLA Bruins and a win over theNo. 1 ranked Auburn Tigers. He also held off the Wake Forest Demon Deacons before losing at he No. 7 ranked Florida Gators and winning at No. 15 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 16-14, where he suffered a season-ending injury.

Enter Daryl Dickey, a fifth-year senior who was a career backup. Against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Dickey struggled, but the defense had come alive, so the two tied. Then, thanks to Robinson navigating the brutal part of the schedule, Dickey cashed in on the easier part of the Vols’ schedule and one five straight to win the SEC Championship.

At the end of the year, Dickey won MVP of the Sugar Bowl as the Vols shocked the No. 2 ranked Miami Hurricanes 35-7 to finish with a 9-1-2 record and top five finish. Dickey set a record for 130 consecutive passes without an interception. It was a great finish for an underdog quarterback.