Tennessee football: 10 Vols who should be in CFB Hall of Fame

A 1999 First Team All-SEC selection, Tee Martin led Tennessee football to the national championship in 1998 the year after Peyton Manning left.

Although he doesn’t have any All-American honors, Tee Martin did earn First Team All-SEC, and what he did for the Vols coming out of Peyton Manning’s shadow has to count for something. It’s enough to say he belongs in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Martin didn’t just lead Tennessee football to the national championship in 1998 with a 13-0 record. He became the first Black quarterback from the SEC to win the national title. In fact, he became the first African American quarterback to start the whole season and lead a team to an SEC Championship outright.

Walter Lewis of the Alabama Crimson Tide captured a share of the SEC in 1981, as did Reggie Slack of the Auburn Tigers in 1988 and 1989. The Vols themselves had Tony Robinson partially play on the 1985 SEC Championship team, starting the first five games, and Sterling Henton started the first five games of 1989.

However, the 1989 Tennessee and Auburn teams had to split with an Alabama team led by Gary Hollingsworth. Martin won it outright and then capture the natty. He also set an NCAA record at the with 24 straight completions, 23 straight in one game, when he went 23-of-24 against the South Carolina Gamecocks. That’s all enough to be in the Hall.