Tennessee will open its 2024 campaign against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium on Aug. 31.

In anticipation of the season opener, VolReport is highlighting a former Vols player whose jersey number matches the amount of days until kickoff.

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With 24 days to go, Haskel Stanback, who was an All-SEC tailback at Tennessee from 1971-73, finishing his career as one of the most prolific runners in program history.

A standout player at A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stanback arrived in Knoxville just two years after wide receiver Lester McClain became the first black player to start for the Vols, Stanback became the first black running back to have a standout career at Tennessee.

After sitting out his freshman season in 1970 due to NCAA rules, Stanback worked his way into a starting role as a sophomore in 1971.

Stanback had his best season in 1972, rushing for an SEC-best 890 yards and 13 touchdowns on 183 carries. He averaged around five yards per rush that year. One of his most memorable performances came in the second game of the season against Penn State.

In the first-ever night game at Neyland Stadium, Stanback posted more than 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a critical score late in the fourth quarter to secure a 28-21 victory over the Nittany Lions.

Stanback carried the ball nearly 400 times for 1,730 yards and 20 touchdowns over his three seasons headlining Tennessee's backfield. He was taken in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals but was traded to the Atlanta Falcons before the season.

Stanback spent the remainder of his pro career with the Falcons, rushing for a career-best 873 yards and six touchdowns in 1977. He finished his six-year run with the franchise inside the top 10 in rushing, accounting for 2,662 yards and 25 touchdowns.

In the Tennessee record book, Stanback ranks 25th among all-time rushing leaders.

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