Tennessee football career rushing leader No. 9: Montario Hardesty (2005-09)
- 2,391 rushing yards
- 26 rushing touchdowns
- 4.3 yards per rush
In 2005, Tennessee dipped to a new low in the Phil Fulmer era with a 5-6 record. That was Montario Hardesty’s freshman season when he only ran for 18 yards on six carries. Then the Vols bounced back as Hardesty got more involved in 2006 and 2007.
In 2008 Fulmer again won five games in his final season, so Lane Kiffin took over in 2009 and Hardesty finally took over as the lead back. His best season prior to ’09 was 2006 when he ran for 384 yards, but he smashed through that almost immediately.
The Vols managed a 7-6 record in Kiffin’s only season and Hardesty finished with 1,345 yards on 282 carries. He was fourth in the SEC in yards and first in attempts.
Hardesty was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Browns, but his career was cut short by a torn ACL after knee injuries nagged him early in his career at Tennessee.