Top 10 single seasons by Tennessee football players of all time

All-American; All-SEC

You have to love school records from an underdog guy. That was the case with Travis Stephens in 2001. Back in 1997, Stephens was part of an elite group of Tennessee football freshman running backs that included Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry. Lewis got all the action that year. In 1998, Stephens saw action after Lewis went down, but Henry was the main back.

When Lewis returned in 1999, Stephens took a redshirt so he could have a year to himself as the starter. That year was 2001, after Henry had graduated. heading into the season, the Vols were a top 10 team, but running back was considered to be a weakness for them. Stephens immediately proved them wrong.

Despite being undersized, Stephens ran behind an elite offensive line and took advantage with his speed. He went over 100 yards in five of his first six games, going for 95 in the other one and cracking 200 at the Arkansas Razorbacks, just his second game as a starter. He was a big part of the Vols going 11-2, winning the East and finishing in the top five, their most recent top five finish.

When Donte Stallworth got healthy and Kelley Washington and Jason Witten emerged, the offense relied more on the passing game down the stretch. As a result, Stephens’ usage dropped a bit. However, he saved his best for last. At the No. 2 ranked Florida Gators on Dec. 1, he had 19 carries for 226 yards and two touchdowns for an 18-point win.

Stephens finished with a single-season school record 1,460 rushing yards. He also had 169 receiving yards, five yards per carry and 11 total touchdowns. That rushing yards record stands today. Although the original record-holder, Jay Graham in 1995, had better averages, he also had a more effective passing game with Peyton Manning behind center. So Stephens gets the nod.