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 82 days to go, Tennessee tight end Ken DeLong, who was an All-SEC player under head coach Doug Dickey in the late 1960s, is selected.

A Norfolk, Virginia native, DeLong followed his brother, Steve DeLong, who was an All-American defensive lineman for the Vols from 1961-64, to Knoxville.

DeLong made his own name at tight end, where he was a three-year letterman that caught 76 passes for 844 yards and nine touchdowns, which is tied with Austin Deeney for the most scores by a tight end in program history.

He led Tennessee in receiving in 1968, totaling 34 receptions for 393 yards with an average of 11.6 yards per catch, earning First Team All-SEC recognition.

DeLong was the hero in the Vols’ opener that season against Georgia, catching the game-tying two-point conversion with no time left on the clock to complete a come-from-behind 17-17 tie at Neyland Stadium.

DeLong was selected in the 15th round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970 NFL Draft.

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