Tennessee football: Johnny Majors all-time depth chart
Return Specialist
1. Willie Gault (Kickoff Returner), 1979-1982
He wouldn’t be a starting receiver, but Willie Gault is one of Tennessee football’s two greatest return specialists of all time, the other being Evan Berry. If we’re being honest, he could be kickoff or punt returner, but for the purposes of a two-deep depth chart, we’re just making him the No. 1 return specialist with kickoff returner being his primary duty.
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Gault was known for his world-class speed, and that came out in 1981 when he returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. In 1982, Gault added a punt return for a touchdown, and he was an All-American in 1983. For his career, he also had 1,482 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in four years, so he could also be a speedy receiver. He’s easily Johnny Majors’ top returner.
2. Thomas Woods (Punt Returner), 1986-1989
Although Willie Gault could double on both fronts, Thomas Woods was actually the more elite punt returner. A 5’6″ speedster, Woods had 1,617 receiving yards and five touchdowns for his career given how athletic he was with the ball in his hands. Punt returning, though, is where he was at his deadliest, even though he was a solid kick returner as well.
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Woods returned 60 punts for his career and ran one back for a touchdown. He averaged nearly 11 yards a punt return, an incredible number, and never averaged fewer than nine yards a return. His threat on special teams is a big reason the Vols won the SEC Title in 1989. As a result, he’s the No. 2 return man on Majors’ all-time team and top punt returner.