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 85 days to go, Tennessee wide receiver Lester McClain, who was the first Black player in school history, is selected.

McClain played most of his high school football at Haynes High School in Nashville before being able to transfer to Antioch High School in his hometown of Antioch, Tennessee after the school was integrated his senior year.

One of McClain's high school coaches, Bill Garrett reached out to Tennessee head coach Doug Dickey on his behalf and offered him a spot on the team, pairing him with fellow incoming freshman Albert Davis, who was expected to be the first integrated player for the Vols.

Davis instead enrolled at Tennessee State, making McClain Tennessee's first Black student-athlete when he arrived on campus in 1967. Due to NCAA rules, McClain was ineligible as a freshman that year, but he made his playing debut in the Vols' season opener against Georgia at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 14, 1968.

McClain caught a 14-yard pass from quarterback Bubba Wyche on fourth down to extend Tennessee's game-tying drive in the final minute. Three weeks later, he became the first Black player to score a touchdown in SEC history in the Vols' 24-7 win over Georgia Tech at Grant Field in Atlanta.

McClain led Tennessee in receiving touchdowns with six that season and finished second in receptions with 29 and third in receiving yards with 329.

As a sophomore in 1969, McClain hauled in 17 passes for more than 330 yards and his 23-yard touchdown catch highlighted the Vols' SEC title-clinching 40-27 win against Vanderbilt.

By the end of McClain's senior year in 1970, he had totaled 70 receptions for 1,003 yards and 10 touchdowns.

McClain was selected by the Chicago Bears in the ninth round of the 1971 NFL Draft.

Tennessee unveiled four bronze statues outside of Gate 21 at Neyland Stadium in 2021 honoring four black players, including McClain, Condredge Holloway; the first black starting quarterback in the SEC, Jackie Walker; the first Black All-American player in the SEC and Tee Martin; the first black quarterback to start for an SEC team in a national championship game.

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