All for Tennessee
Fansided

Top 10 NFL careers of Tennessee football DBs

By Caleb Calhoun

11 Sep 1994: Defensive back Terry McDaniel of the Los Angeles Raiders returns an intereception for a touchdown during a game against the Seattle Seahawks at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Seahawks won the game, 38-9.
11 Sep 1994: Defensive back Terry McDaniel of the Los Angeles Raiders returns an intereception for a touchdown during a game against the Seattle Seahawks at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Seahawks won the game, 38-9. /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 12
Next
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images /

Scouting Report. 2007-2009. Years in NFL: 9. player. 839. Pick Analysis. Eric Berry. 2

Teams played for:

  • Kansas City Chiefs; 2010-2018

Injuries have limited the longevity advantage Eric Berry has. But in terms of peak value, very few people could do what he did. Berry is one of Tennessee football’s greatest players. A three-year starter with the Vols, he helped them win the SEC East in 2007 and then earned back-to-back All-American honors, taking home the Thorpe Award in 2009.

More from Vols Football

A do-it-all safety who had 14 interceptions and three pick-sixes in three years, Berry was the third pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was set to follow in Dale Carter’s footsteps as Vols who became superstars in KC.

Immediately, Berry became the starting safety at 6’0″ 212 pounds, coming away with four picks and helping the franchise get back to the playoffs en route to a Pro Bowl. After a season-ending injury in 2011, he resumed his starting role in 2012 and made another Pro Bowl.

Then Andy Reid arrived, and Berry became a star. He earned All-Pro honors in 2013, 2015 and 2016. The story of the decade, though, was when Berry had his 2014 season cut short because he had to undergo treatment for lymphoma. However, he returned in 2015 to earn Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Related Story. Vols top 10 NFL players of 2010s. light

The nagging injuries caught up with Berry his final two years, but every full season he started, he made a Pro Bowl, and every full season he started under Reid, he earned All-Pro. That’s incredible. He may rejoin an NFL roster this year after sitting out in 2019. If he doesn’t he already has 14 interceptions and five pick-sixes for his career.

Home/Vols Football