Tennessee football: Ranking pro careers of Vols drafted by hometown teams prior to Theo Jackson
Last weekend, Theo Jackson became the eighth Tennessee football player ever selected by his hometown team in the NFL Draft. Jackson who hails from Nashville, Tenn., and graduated from Davidson County’s Overton High School, was picked by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round. He had one of the best feel-good stories of the draft.
However, as we know, feel-good stories don’t translate to success on the field. Does playing for your hometown team give you an advantage? Fans will be more likely to root for you, but you still have to produce. This post will analyze what past Vols drafted to their hometown did in the pros.
To make this list, players just have to be from the metro areas of the team, not specifically the city or county itself. Let’s break down who they are, starting on this page with the three players who never played in the NFL. Here is our ranking of all seven Tennessee football players before Jackson drafted by their hometown team.
Offensive lineman. Pittsburgh Steelers. Frank Kolinsky. 7. player. 55. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
McKees Rocks, Pa.; 1957 NFL Draft: Round 28, pick 329
Part of the peak Bowden Wyatt years, Frank Kolinsky played offensive line for the Vols and helped the 1956 team win the SEC Championship. Born just outside of Pittsburgh but in the same county, Allegheny County, he also played his part to make Johnny Majors a Heisman contender. However, as a late draft pick, he never saw action in the pros.
player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 6. 46. Tackle. New York Yanks. Norm Meseroll
New Brunswick, N.J.; 1950 NFL Draft: Round 15, pick 185
As a blocker through the start of Robert Neyland’s third stint, Norm Meseroll was born in New Jersey and graduated just before Neyland’s final dynasty. He was drafted higher than Frank Kolinsky, which is the only reason he is ahead of him, but also didn’t make the pros. The New York Yanks dissolved and became the Dallas Texans before becoming the Baltimore Colts.
53. Back. Cleveland Browns. 5. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Bill Barbish
Cleveland, Ohio: 1954 NFL Draft: Round 8, pick 95
Born in Cleveland, Bill Barbish was part of the 1951 national championship team and played primarily defensive back throughout his career. He did have three career interceptions with Tennessee football. Being picked higher than the other two guys puts him up here, but playing a year in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts also means he technically had some sort of pro career.