7/15/2024 football Edit

Tennessee Football Jersey Countdown: No. 47, Dustin Colquitt

Dustin Colquitt wore No. 47 for Tennessee. (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

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 47 days to go, Dustin Colquitt, who was an All-American punter and Ray Guy Award finalist at Tennessee from 2000-04, is selected.

Colquitt had a family history of playing for the Vols when he signed with Tennessee out of nearby Bearden High School in 2000. His father, Craig Colquitt, was a punter for the program in the 1970s while his cousin Jimmy Colquitt also starred as a punter in 1980s. Dustin's brother, Britton Colquitt, was later a punter at Tennessee in the mid-2000s.

After red-shirting in 2000, Colquitt made an impact on the Vols' special teams as a freshman in 2001, as a doubling as a punter and kicker. He earned All-SEC Freshman Team after averaging nearly 40 yards in 51 punts.

As a sophomore the following year, Colquitt averaged 43.2 yards per kick and more than 41 yards on punts 10 times. He booted a 47.8 yard punt against Alabama and set a career high with a 68-yard punt against Miami a few weeks later.

Colquitt led the SEC and ranked sixth nationally in punting averaging at 45.3 yards and was named as a finalist for the Ray Guy Award.

Arguably Colquitt's most memorable punt cam against Miami in 2003. With the Vols clinging to a 10-6 lead against the No. 6 Hurricanes with less than two minutes to go, his 56-yard punt was muffed and Tennessee recovered to win and snap Miami's nation-leading home win streak at the Orange Bowl.

Colquitt was named a consensus All-American in 2003.

By the time Colquitt played his final game in 2004, he was the program's all-time leader in punts with 240. He also led the way with 10,216 punt yards and games played with 52, and games started at 51.

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Colquitt was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs where he spent most of his pro career, playing 15 years with the franchise and earning two Pro Bowl bids. He was a member of the Chiefs' Super Bowl LIV winning team in 2019.

Colquitt set franchise records for long punt (81 yards), games played (238), punting yards (50,393), punts (1,124) and punts down inside the 20-yard line (483).

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