Honorable Mentions
Bob Petrella; 1966-1971
After helping Doug Dickey revitalize Tennessee football while playing with the Vols from 1963 to 1965, Bob Petrella then joined the Miami Dolphins in 1966. As an AFL player the first year of the Super Bowl, Petrella spent six years with this team, through the merger. The 5’11” 190-pound safety appeared in 61 games, started in 21 of them and had five interceptions.
Terry Fair; 1998-2002, 2005
Terry Fair played for UT from 1994 to 1997. He spent four years as the starting cornerback for the Detroit Lions before joining the Carolina Panthers in 2002. In 2004, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers but didn’t play, and he joined the St. Louis Rams in 2005. Over 60 games, Fair had 48 starts two kickoff return touchdowns as a rookie, seven career interceptions and two pick-sixes.
Jason Allen; 2006-2010
From 2002 to 2005, Jason Allen played cornerback and safety for the Vols. A first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins, he played there for five years, helping them make the playoffs in 2008. He then spent two years with the Houston Texans, helping them make the playoffs in 2011 before finishing his career with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012. Allen had 15 career interceptions.
Jonathan Wade; 2007-2011
Recruited as a receiver in 2002, Jonathan Wade redshirted for Tennessee football in 2003 and then converted to cornerback, where he stayed until 2006. That allowed him to enjoy three pro years with the St. Louis Rams, a fourth year with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals and a fifth with the Miami Dolphins. He appeared in 61 games and had 13 starts with two interceptions.
Justin Coleman; 2015-present
Butch Jones and Derek Dooley coached Justin Coleman from 2011 to 2014. He was an undrafted free agent who settled with the New England Patriots, where he played for two years and won a Super Bowl. Then he spent two years with the Seattle Seahawks, and he joined the Detroit Lions in 2019. So far, he has played 68 games and has 24 starts, four interceptions and two pick-sixes.