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 84 days to go, Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who made the most of his lone season with the Vols in 2012 before embarking on a lengthy, on-going NFL career, is selected.

Patterson was a standout player at Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina before spending two seasons at Hutchinson Community College where he became one of the most coveted junior college prospects in 2012.

After fielding a plethora of offers from major college football programs, including Auburn, Georgia and Oklahoma, Patterson committed to play at Tennessee under then-head coach Derek Dooley ahead of the 2012 season.

A two-way player that starred for the Vols on special teams as a kick returner and at receiver, Patterson totaled a school-record 1,858 all-purpose yards, breaking the record of former Tennessee running back Reggie Cobb, previously set in 1987.

Patterson averaged 28.0 yards per return, which ranked second in a single season in the SEC all-time. He was the first the Tennessee player to score a touchdown on a punt and kick return since Bobby Gordon in 1957.

On offense, Patterson had 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns and ran the ball 25 times for more than 300 yards and three scores.

Patterson quickly made a name for himself in the NFL as a returner. He began his career Minnesota Vikings, where he was taken in the first round as the 29th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and spent four seasons there.

Patterson played one season with the Oakland Raiders in 2017 and was part of the New England Patriots' Super Bowl LII Champion team in 2018. After two seasons with the Chicago Bears, Patterson signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in 2019.

Ahead of his 12th season in the NFL, Patterson signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2024.

A four-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, Patterson has accounted for 7,839 kick return yards and nine touchdowns. He averages 29.3 yards per return and led the NFL in kick return yards in 2019 and 2020.

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