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Tennessee football’s top 10 NFL WRs of all time

By Caleb Calhoun

14 Oct 1979: Wide receiver Stanley Morgan of the New England Patriots runs down the field during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago Illinois. The Patriots won the game 27 - 7.
14 Oct 1979: Wide receiver Stanley Morgan of the New England Patriots runs down the field during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago Illinois. The Patriots won the game 27 - 7. /
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Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images /

player. 839. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 1979-1982. Willie Gault. 4. Years in NFL: 11

Teams played for:

  • Chicago Bears, 1983-1987
  • Los Angeles Raiders, 1988-1993

Similar to Cordarrelle Patterson, Willie Gault partly became a Tennessee football legend due to his special teams efforts. In four years on Rocky Top, he had four kickoff returns for touchdowns, including three in a season, and one punt return for a touchdown. However, he also had nearly 1,500 yards receiving and 10 receptions for touchdowns while becoming an All-American in 1982.

Gault, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that boycotted the games, was taken in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. That was the same year Mike Ditka arrived. At 6’0″ 181 pounds, the speedy Gault would be the designated go-to receiver and return specialist on a team built around great defense and Walter Payton on offense.

The system worked. Gault led the Bears in receiving all five years he was there, helping them to win a Super Bowl as a member of arguably the greatest team of all time in 1985. After five years there, he then joined the Los Angeles Raiders, and in six years, he had more productivity, going over 500 yards receiving three times, including 985 yards in 1990.

Over his 11-year career, Gault had 333 receptions for 6,635 yards and 44 touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown, and he won a Super Bowl. Simply put, he accomplished everything he could, which is why he is so high on this list. Gault is one of the original speedsters to play for UT.

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