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Top 10 NFL careers of Tennessee football LBs

By Caleb Calhoun

31 Oct 1999: Al Wilson #56 of the Denver Broncos celebrates on the field during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Vikings defeated the Broncos 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport
31 Oct 1999: Al Wilson #56 of the Denver Broncos celebrates on the field during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Vikings defeated the Broncos 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport /
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Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images
Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images /

Scouting Report. 1967-1969. 1. player. Pick Analysis. Years in NFL: 15. Jack Reynolds. 839

Teams played for:

  • Los Angeles Rams; 1970-1980
  • San Francisco 49ers; 1981-1984

Playing with Steve Kiner in the late 1960s, Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds was part of the Golden Age of UT linebackers, all stars for Doug Dickey who had NFL talent. During that time, he earned All-American honors in 1969 and, along with Kiner, led the Vols to two SEC Championships and a retroactive national championship.

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For his play, the 6’1″ 232-pound Cincinnati, Ohio native was taken in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. After riding the bench his first three years but appearing in lots of games, Reynolds emerged as a full-time starter at middle linebacker in 1973, and he turned into a star at that point.

Over the next eight years, he would lead the Rams to eight straight playoff appearances and the Super Bowl in 1979, while he himself earned Pro Bowl honors in 1975 and 1980. If you want to know his value, the Rams missed the playoffs the three years before he became a starter, and they didn’t miss again until 1981, the year after he left to join the San Francisco 49ers.

Meanwhile, Reynolds turned San Francisco into a Super Bowl championship team. The Niners and Joe Montana won their first title the year he arrived there, in 1981, after going 6-10 and missing the playoffs in 1980. Three years later, he led them to another title, as they shut down the Miami Dolphins high-powered offense and regular season MVP Dan Marino in the championship game.

dark. Next. Vols all-time depth chart under Johnny Majors

After two Pro Bowls, two Super Bowl titles and a 15-year career, Reynolds then called it quits. He appeared in 198 games and started in 162 of them. Although Al Wilson was better at his peak than Reynolds was, the longevity of Reynolds gave him the slight edge. That career value makes him Tennessee football’s greatest pro linebacker ever.

For other posts ranking Tennessee football players at specific positions with the greatest NFL careers, please click here.

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