biglon68 Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Who's the greatest all-time football player to play his prep ball in Tennessee? Includes college and pro accomplishments. My top ten: 1. Doug Atkins - Humboldt (Tennessee) - Pro Football and College Hall of Fame 2. Reggie White - Chattanooga (Tennessee) - College HOF, Soon NFL HOF 3. Steve Spurrier - Johnson City (Florida) - '66 Heisman, College HOF 4. Bill Wade - Nashville (Vanderbilt) - #1 Draft Pick, 13 years NFL Star. 5. Ed Jones - Jackson (TN State) - #1 Draft Pick, All Pro 6. Leroy Thompson - Knoxville (Penn State) - #1 RB in nation SR YR, solid pro 7. Bob Cifers - Kingsport (Tennessee) - still holds NFL record 8. Todd Collins - Jefferson City (Carson Newman) -HS,College,Super Bowl Champ 9. Bob Johnson - Sparta (Tennessee) - All Pro, College HOF 10.Bobby Dodd - Kingsport (Tennessee) - 1st All Amer at TN, HOF player & coach I know I've overlooked alot of hometown heros. I think the top 5 are solid, the next five could be endless debate, so let's hear from you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Oakland Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 i think shelton quarles should gettin some recongnition, has fit in nicely with the bucs now. i know he played college at vanderbilt but cant remember what HS he played at, i know it was in nashville Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawse40 Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 I'll throw out afew names to talk about! E.J. Junior(Maplewood) Preston Brown(maplewood)Dennis Harrison(Murfreesboro)Orlando "PAPA"Wade(Spring Hill)Antonio London(Tullahoma)Reggie Cobb(Knoxville Central) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Oakland Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 geez how could i forget this one, fernando bryant(riverdale) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indian Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 John Hannah, Baylor, Alabama, NFL, generally regarded as the best offensive lineman ever. Only problem, not from Tennessee but did play here in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglon68 Posted September 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Shelton Quarles is from Whites Creek H.S. I was not aware that John Hannah went to Baylor. Being a Cowboys fan as a kid two of my favorite players were D.D. Lewis (Knox Fulton, Miss St) and Bill Bates (Farragut, Tennessee). Does anyone remember Robert Shaw who played center for the Cowboys? Is he from Maryville? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moose3542 Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 A more recent guy is John Henderson. Pearl Cohn, UT, Jacksonville Jags. He has torn it up every step of the way in football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodscanner Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 for your consideration bob suffridge--knox central and ut college football news--#80 of top 100 http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100...20Suffridge.htm "You talk about the heyday of Tennessee football and most modern football fans will look at the amazing success the Vols have had in the 90's. What many don't know is just how good Tennessee was many, many years before. The same way Knute Rockne built up Notre Dame, Robert Neyland made Tennessee a power after being named head coach in 1926. During the 1930's, Neyland and the Vols went on unbeaten streaks of 33 and 28 games. After the Army took away Neyland from 1934 to 1935, Neyland came back in 1936 and put together another dynasty which really started rolling in 1938. The best player on his teams from 1938 to 1940 was guard Bob Suffridge. Suffridge paved the way to a 30 game win streak and helped the defense which shut out 10 consecutive opponents in 1939. From 1938 through 1940, they held opponents scoreless for 71 straight quarters with 17 straight shutouts. On a team with three college football Hall of Famers, Suffridge was the star with a 1940 season that ranks among the best ever for a lineman. Honors: College Football Hall of Fame - 1961 Finished 4th in Heisman Trophy voting - 1940 Knute Rockne Memorial Lineman of the Year - 1940 Atlanta Touchdown Club SEC Player of the Year - 1940 All-SEC - 1938, 1939, 1940 All-American - 1938, 1939, 1940 Tennessee Hall of Fame - 1961 Named to All-Time SEC team FFWA All-Time Team " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglon68 Posted September 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Suffridge was a stud! I did not include him in my top 10 due to a short pro career, now I think he deserves to be there. Other great Tennesseans on that team were Ed Cifers an NFL All Pro from Kingsport and Bowden Wyatt HOF player and coach from Kingston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodscanner Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 re suffridge I've heard/read several stories about his speed one was neyland was complaining about him going offsides during practice or being called for it during a game--they looked at the film and he had not moved before the ball was snapped the other was him blocking a pat three times in a row being called offsides each time (played both ways) and the film proved otherwise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-unit Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 The best player ever in TN is Andrew Beck who play at Sullivan South. He play at ETSU and would've played pro but he blew out both of his knees his senior year in college. He would've been the best O-line in NFL history if he wouldn't have gotten injured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdm2003 Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 It has to be the late great John Henderson. He's definitely going to be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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