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 57 days to go, Steve Kiner, who was a two-time All-American and All-SEC linebacker at Tennessee in the late 1960s, is selected.

Kiner was a two-way all-state player at Hillsborough High School in Tampa that was initially set to sign with Florida, but ended up at Tennessee to play for head coach Doug Dickey in 1966.

Kiner was a three-year starter at linebacker and was named both All-America and All-SEC in 1968 and 1969.

In the Vols’ 41-14 win over Alabama at Legion Field in Birmingham in 1969, Kiner recorded five tackles for loss, 14 total tackles and a forced fumble, later earning him SEC Player of the Year.

Kiner was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the New England Patriots and had stints with the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins before ending his career with the Houston Oilers for five season.

Kiner was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

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