Ranking Tennessee football’s previous 10 draft classes with five picks
1. 2001
- Round 2: Travis Henry – Buffalo Bills (Pick 58)
- Round 3: Eric Westmoreland – Jacksonville Jaguars (Pick 73)
- Round 5: David Leaverton – Jacksonville Jaguars (Pick 142)
- Round 6: Cedrick Wilson – San Francisco 49ers (Pick 169)
- Round 6: David Martin – Green Bay Packers (Pick 198)
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This NFL Draft class for Tennessee football was made up of the players who decided not to leave early after the 1999 season. Combined they made up the 1997 recruiting class, one of the best in school history. In terms of productivity, you don’t get much better. One player on here made a Pro Bowl, one played a decade, and another won a Super Bowl.
Travis Henry, the all-time career UT rusher, played seven years in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, the Titans and the Denver Broncos. He appeared in 90 games with 69 starts, logging 6,086 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns on 1,488 carries for his career (4.1 yards per carry). Also, Henry made the 2002 Pro Bowl and had 141 career catches for 951 yards and two touchdowns.
While Henry was the star, David Martin represented longevity. As a No. 3 receiver with the Vols, he transformed into a tight end with Green Bay, where he spent his first six years before spending two with Miami and two with Buffalo. In that time, he appeared in 120 games with 52 starts and caught 159 passes for 1,562 yards and 15 touchdowns for his career.
Then there’s Cedrick Wilson, who was the Vols’ undersized No. 1 receiver in 1999 and 2000 after Peerless Price left. He spent four years in San Francisco and another three in Pittsburgh, winning a Super Bowl in 2005. For his career, he appeared in 100 games with 33 starts, catching 178 passes for 2,365 yards and eight touchdowns while running a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Wilson was a unique player who won a title at every level, winning a state championship with Melrose in Memphis in 1996, a national championship with Tennessee football in 1998 and a Super Bowl in 2005. He did it all while just being 5’10” as well.
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By the way, Eric Westmoreland played four years in the league with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland, appearing in 44 games with four starts. He registered 81 career tackles, 63 of which were solo. David Leaverton, the only player from this draft class to not play, was a punter. Simply put, this Tennessee football class was loaded for just five people.