In the long history of the Tennessee football program, Eric Berry is now in elite company.
The former Vols' standout defensive back, who was twice named a unanimous first-team All-American, was selected to the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class on Monday — joining 25 other Tennessee players and coaches that have been enshrined since 1956.
“Congratulations to Eric Berry," Former Tennessee head coach Philip Fulmer said in a press release. "I am so proud of his great accomplishment of being inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Eric earned his way into the Hall of Fame by his great ability to run, tackle, play the ball and return an interception, but even more so because of his character, work ethic and love for the University of Tennessee and his teammates."
Berry, a Fairburn, Georgia native, played at Tennessee from 2007-09, earning All-America honors in 2008 and 2009 and becoming the only player in school history to do so twice in his career. He also became the first Tennessee player in 2009 to win the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the best defensive back in college football.
He was named All-SEC three times and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. Berry had a conference-leading seven interceptions that season.
Berry made an immediate impact as a freshman, snagging five interceptions and totaling 222 interception return yards, which topped former defensive back Bobby Majors' program record of 177 yards that was set in 1970.
Aside from the Tennessee records he broke as a player, Berry is also prevalent in the SEC record books. He currently holds the record for interception return yards in a single season with 265 yards in 2008, as well as all-time interception return yards with 494 yards over the course of three seasons.
He finished his Tennessee career with 245 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, 14 interceptions, 31 passes defended, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Berry turned in a stellar NFL career, too. He was the highest drafted defensive player that Tennessee produced since Reggie White in 1984, going fifth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2010 NFL Draft.
In nine seasons with the Chiefs, Berry appeared in the Pro Bowl five times and was a first-team All-Pro selection three times.
After missing the 2014 season due to Hodgkin's Lymphoma diagnosis, Berry returned to the NFL in 2015. He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year that season.
Berry retired in 2018 with 445 tackles and 14 interceptions in his pro career.
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