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 six days to go, Jimmy Streater, who as an All-SEC quarterback at Tennessee weaved through defenses and passed over them to finish his career between 1976-79 as the all-time leader in total offense, is selected.

Streater was from Sylva, North Carolina and later nicknamed "Sylva Streak." He starred at Sylva-Webster High School before signing with the Vols in 1976. His contributions were limited as a freshman, but his role increased the following year, the first under head coach Johnny Majors in 1977.

As a sophomore, Streater passed for more than 740 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another 400 yards and eight scores, headlining Tennessee's offense despite a 4-7 season.

In his first game as the Vols' starting quarterback, Streater provided a glimpse of what was in store for the next three years, breaking off an 80-yard touchdown run in Tennessee's season opener against California.

Two years later, the Vols trajectory under Majors began to change. It started with a 35-17 win over Auburn, a game where Streater accounted for two rushing touchdowns while throwing for a another to help Tennessee to a 3-0 start.

The Vols stumbled in three of their next four games, including a home loss to Rutgers leading to many not giving them much of a chance against No. 13 Notre Dame the following week.

But the Fighting Irish had few answers for Streater, who totaled 141 yards of offense on his own with a 48-yard pass, 51-yard and 5-yard touchdown on fourth down to pace Tennessee to a 40-18 victory--the first signature win of the Majors era.

In his final season with the Vols, Streater helped Tennessee to its first bowl game in four seasons and earned First Team All-SEC before playing two seasons with Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.

Streater put up record numbers in three years with the Vols, including 4,807 yards of total offense and 3,433 passing yards, both of which topped all-time career records at the time.

Streater passed away in 2004. He was 46.

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