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.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

With 72 days to go, George Cafego, who was the SEC Player of the Year and played on some of the most dominating teams of the Robert Neyland era, is selected.

Cafego came to Tennessee by way of West Virginia, joining the Vols in 1936. He served as a halfback, totaling 2,139 yards while averaging more than six yards per carry over three seasons and earning All-America honor twice in his college career.

Cafego, who earned the moniker, "bad news," was key part of two consecutive unbeaten Tennessee teams in the regular season in 1938 and 1939, starring for the Vols as a runner, passer, blocker and on special teams.

Tennessee won the first of four national championships under Neyland following an 11-0 season and Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma in 1938.

"On the practice field he couldn't do anything right," Neyland said of Cafego. "But for two hours on a Saturday afternoon he did everything an All- American is supposed to do."

Cafego was taken in the first round of the 1940 NFL Draft, playing two seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940 and 1943 with two years interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Army during World War II.

He played for the Washington Redskins for one season in 1943 and Boston Yanks in 1944-45 before beginning his coaching career.

Cafego was an assistant coach at Furman, Wyoming and Arkansas before returning to Tennessee in 1955. He served on the staff of four different Vols' head coaches over nearly 30 years in Bowden Wyatt, Jim McDonald, Doug Dickey, Bill Battle and Johnny Majors.

Cafego was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

–––––

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.

–––––