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Tennessee football’s top 10 NFL players of 2010s

By Caleb Calhoun

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 8: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos throws a pass during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Sports Authority Field Field at Mile High on December 8, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Titans 51-28. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 8: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos throws a pass during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Sports Authority Field Field at Mile High on December 8, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Titans 51-28. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images /

5. Cordarrelle Patterson

Wide Receiver/Returner (2013-present)

Teams played for:

  • Minnesota Vikings (2013-2016)
  • Oakland Raiders (2017)
  • New England Patriots (2018)
  • Chicago Bears (2019)

Accolades:

  • Three-time first-team All-Pro (2013, 2016, 2019)
  • Two-time second-team All-Pro (2015, 2018)
  • Three Pro Bowls (2013, 2016, 2019)
  • Super Bowl Championship (2018)

It’s kind of shocking how big of a deal Cordarrelle Patterson has been in the pros. He spent one year with Tennessee football, as a junior college transfer in 2012, Derek Dooley’s final year on the job. That season, Patterson helped turn the Vols into a historically great offense, and beyond Tyler Bray, Justin Hunter and Mychal Rivera, he was the catalyst for that.

Because of that incredible season, Patterson was a first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, and he immediately made himself a star. As a rookie, he made the Pro Bowl and earned All-Pro honors, returning two kickofss for a touchdown. He then earned All-Pro again in 2015 and 2016 with three kickoff returns for touchdowns during those two years.

After a one-year stint with the Oakland Raiders in 2017, Patterson thrived with the New England Patriots, returning another kickoff for a touchdown and winning a Super Bowl championship. Then he joined the Chicago Bears in 2019, following in Devin Hester’s shoes, and he returned another kickoff for a touchdown while earning All-Pro honors again.

So if you’re keeping score at home, Patterson has seven kickoff returns for a touchdown in seven years this decade, and he has also proven himself to be a solid receiver with an average of 391 total yards from scrimmage per year and another 17 touchdowns on that front.

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