Tennessee has produced 41 consensus All-Americans, and the list tilts hard toward defence: Reggie White, Doug Atkins, Steve DeLong, John Henderson, Al Wilson, Deon Grant and Eric Berry, who was unanimous in consecutive seasons and remains the standard for the program’s secondary. The offensive names, Beattie Feathers, Hank Lauricella, Johnny Majors, Bob Johnson, Peyton Manning and Jalin Hyatt, are fewer and better known.
Consensus Selections by Era
| Era | Names to know |
|---|---|
| Neyland era, 1930s to 1952 | Beattie Feathers, Bowden Wyatt, George Cafego, Bob Suffridge, Ed Molinski, Hank Lauricella, Doug Atkins |
| 1950s and 1960s | Johnny Majors, Steve DeLong, Bob Johnson, Chip Kell, Steve Kiner |
| 1970s | Bobby Majors, Larry Seivers, Roland James |
| 1980s | Jimmy Colquitt, Reggie White, Bill Bates, Willie Gault, Bruce Wilkerson, Harry Galbreath, Keith DeLong |
| 1990s | Antone Davis, Dale Carter, Chris Mims, Peyton Manning, Leonard Little, Al Wilson, Deon Grant, Marcus Nash |
| 2000s | John Henderson, Jason Witten, Eric Berry |
| 2010s | Derek Barnett, Trey Smith |
| 2020s | Jalin Hyatt, 2022, the most recent consensus selection |
Gold rows are the eras that produced the bulk of the honours. Names listed are first team All-Americans from each period, not a complete roster.
Eric Berry, Twice Unanimous
Berry was named first team by all five NCAA selectors in both 2008 and 2009, the first Tennessee player to be unanimous since Antone Davis in 1990 and the only one to do it twice. He won the Thorpe Award in 2009, was SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, finished with 14 interceptions in three seasons, and went fifth overall to Kansas City. His 494 interception return yards are seven short of the NCAA career record, and he left after his junior year.
Reggie White, 1983
White set the program’s single season record with 15 sacks as a senior, was named SEC Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American, and finished with 32 career sacks that stood as the record until 2016. He is one of three players whose numbers are retired at Neyland Stadium, and one of two Tennessee players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with Peyton Manning. Our NFL draft page covers both.
The Two Time Selections
Bob Suffridge was a first team All-American in 1938, 1939 and 1940, the only three time honouree in program history, on teams that did not allow a regular season point in two of those years. John Henderson was consensus in 2000, when he won the Outland Trophy, and again in 2001. Jimmy Colquitt was a first team punter in 1982 and 1983. Chip Kell was consensus at guard in 1969 and 1970.
The Neyland Era
Robert Neyland’s single wing produced a run of All-America tailbacks and linemen: Beattie Feathers in 1933, the program’s first consensus selection; Bowden Wyatt, who captained the 1938 champions and later coached the program; George Cafego, the first overall pick in 1940; Suffridge; and Hank Lauricella, the 1951 Heisman runner up. Doug Atkins, a consensus selection in 1952 in Neyland’s final season, went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Bears. Our Heisman page covers Lauricella and Majors.
Manning and the 1990s
Peyton Manning was a consensus All-American in 1997, the year he finished second in the Heisman vote and won the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and Unitas awards. The 1998 championship team produced Al Wilson at linebacker and Deon Grant at safety, and the decade also included Antone Davis at tackle, Dale Carter at cornerback and Leonard Little at defensive end, the most productive stretch of honours since Neyland.
Jalin Hyatt, 2022
Hyatt caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns in the 2022 season, including five touchdowns against Alabama in the 52 to 49 game, won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver, and was a consensus All-American, the program’s first at the position since Marcus Nash in 1997. Our Tennessee vs Alabama page covers that game.
The Award Winners
Steve DeLong won the Outland in 1964 and John Henderson in 2000, Berry the Thorpe in 2009, Hyatt the Biletnikoff in 2022, and Manning the Maxwell in 1997. Tennessee has never had a Heisman winner, and its All-America list is the clearest evidence that the shortage is on the ballot rather than the field.
The Bottom Line
Tennessee has 41 consensus All-Americans, weighted toward defence and toward the Neyland, Majors and Fulmer eras. Eric Berry is the only two time unanimous selection, Bob Suffridge the only three time first teamer, and Reggie White the most decorated of all. Jalin Hyatt in 2022 was the most recent consensus pick and the first Tennessee receiver honoured in 25 years.