Building a Vols football team with only Tennessee natives

Happy birthday, Tennessee!

The Volunteer State turns 228 years old on June 1 with the date marking Statehood Day. As the state's flagship university, Tennessee has drawn some of the best football players that grew up in the state to play for the Vols.

To celebrate the holiday, I put together a Tennessee football team of all natives from the state.

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The signal caller for the team is Andy Kelly. Born in Dayton, he played for the Vols from 1988-91 and wrote his name all over the record book. He is sixth in career passing yards at 6,397 including a 399-yard game against Notre Dame in 1990. He also fired an 87-yard pass against Auburn in 1991 which marks the second-longest in program history.

The running back position was between Johnny Majors and Travis Stephens. Ultimately, I went with Majors for the position. Born in Lynchburg, he is more known for his coaching tenure but was a great back from 1953-56. He was twice named the SEC MVP and was a unanimous All-American in 1956. His No. 45 is retired.

I named a trio of Vols at wide receiver. Larry Seivers, a native of Clinton, played 1974-76 and was a two-time consensus All-American. He caught 11 passes against Clemson in 1976 which is the fifth-most in a single game in school history.

A more recent player, Jauan Jennings from Cowan played from 2015-19. He was the heartbeat of some mediocre Tennessee squads coached by Jeremy Pruitt and caught one of the biggest throws in Vols history against Georgia in 2016. His 2,153 career receiving yards is the fourth-most in school history.

Also on the team is Cedrick Wilson. From Memphis, he played from 1997-2000 and helped win the 1998 national championship. His 24 receiving touchdowns is second-most in school history.

A Vol who put together a memorable career in the NFL from Tennessee is Jason Witten. Born in Elizabethton, he played from 2000-02 before being picked in the third round of the draft. He was First-Team All-SEC in 2002.

The five members selected for the offensive line were Raleigh McKenzie, Tim Irwin, John Gordy, Chad Clifton and Trey Smith. Combined, the group was named to eight All-SEC teams. They are natives of Knoxville, Knoxville, Nashville, Martin and Humboldt, respectively.

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Tennessee has had a rich history of producing defensive linemen that chose the Vols for their college career. Possibly the best player in Tennessee history, Reggie White, is included. A native of Chattanooga, White has his No. 92 retired by the team and was SEC Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American in 1983. He played from 1980-83.

Doug Atkins from Humboldt also has his No. 91 retired. He played from 1950-52 and was an All-American and national champion. Derek Barnett from Brentwood played from 2014-16. He was a consensus All-American and topped White's career sacks record in school history by one at 33.

A pivotal piece of the 1998 title team, Al Wilson goes down as one of the best defenders in school history. As a two-time First-Team All-SEC member and consensus All-American, he played his way into a first-round selection. He played from 1995-98 and is from Jackson.

Also at linebacker is Jackie Walker. From Knoxville, he played from 1969-71. He was elected team captain as a senior making him the first black player in SEC history to earn the distinction. He was twice named a First-Team All-American.

I listed four defensive backs to make the team. From Knoxville, Bill Bates played from 1979-82. He was a two-time All-SEC member.

Andre Lott out of Memphis was a national champion in 1998 after playing with the Vols from 1998-2001. He was a two-time All-SEC member including a first-team selection in 2001.

As the career leader in interceptions, Tim Priest makes the list. He grabbed 18 in his career that spanned from 1968-70. He is from Huntingdon and was a First-Team All-SEC member and Second-Team All-American.

Also on the list is Bobby Majors. He is from Lynchburg and the younger brother of Johnny Majors. He played from 1969-71 and was a two-time First-Team All-SEC member and unanimous All-American. His 10 interceptions in the 1970 season is the second-most in school history.

At kicker, Jeff Hall gets the nod. He was on the 1998 title team and a two-time First-Team All-SEC member. From Franklin, he played from 1995-98 and has made the second-most field goals in Vols history at 61.

At punter is Dustin Colquitt. He is from Knoxville and played from 2000-04. He was a consensus All-American and put together a long NFL career.

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