Who's Tennessee's all-time best football player? VOTE now

98 – John Henderson, Tennessee (1999-2001): Henderson was a two-time All-America defensive tackle and 2000 Outland Trophy winner at Tennessee. He played 10 NFL seasons.

EJ Junior, linebacker, Maplewood

Some consider Junior the greatest player to come out Metro Nashville Public Schools. He played at Maplewood from 1974-76 and played for Bryant at Alabama (1977-1980) where he was a consensus All-American (1980) and helped lead the Crimson Tide to the 1978 and 1979 national championships. He was a first-round NFL draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981 and was named Pro Bowler (1984, 1985) and All-Pro (1984). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2016).

LB E.J. Junior, Maplewood High: Here, the standout Junior (80) is playing against Hendersonville High Oct. 21, 1976.

Johnny Majors, running back, Huntland

Majors played high school football at Huntland in Franklin County and played under his father Shirley Majors in the early 1950s. Their 1951 team finished a perfect 10-0. Majors had a standout career at Tennessee (1953-56) where he was named All American in 1956 and was the UPI's college player of the year while finishing runner-up for the Heisman Trophy that year to Notre Dame's Paul Hornung. Majors coached at Iowa State (1968-72), Pittsburgh (1973-76, 1993-96) and Tennessee (1977-92) where he won 116 games.

Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors doesn't like the official call in their SEC battle with Alabama. The Vols won their fourth straight over the Tide 16-14 at Legion Field in Birmingham on Oct. 19, 1985.

Jalen Ramsey, defensive back, Brentwood Academy

Born in Smyrna, Jalen Ramsey played his freshman season at Ensworth then transferred to Brentwood Academy where he led the Eagles for three seasons. He was a five-star recruit who played at Florida State (2013-15) and quickly became among the top cornerbacks in the NFL after being the fifth overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. The current Pittsburgh Steeler has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, LA Rams and Miami Dolphins. He's a three-time NFL All Pro, an eight-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with LA in 2022.

Jul 23, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey talks to the media at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steve Spurrier, quarterback, Science Hill

Spurrier was born in Florida but moved to Johnson City, Tennessee at 12 years old. He took over the starting QB role at Science Hill as a junior and became a high school All American by his senior year in 1963 and was later inducted into the NFHS Hall of Fame in 2016. He college ball at Florida (1964-66) where he won the 1966 Heisman Trophy. He played eight years in the NFL with Tampa Bay and San Francisco but became a standout college coach, most of which spent at Florida (1990-2001) where he captured the 1996 national championship with the Gators.

Patrick Willis, linebacker, Bruceton

Willis is a member of the NFHS Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame (2019) and the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame (2021). He starred at Bruceton and was the only high school football player in Tennessee to be named a finalist for both defensive and offensive Mr. Football Awards in the same season, winning the Lineman Award in 2002. He played at Ole Miss (2003-2006) where he won the Butkus Award (2006) and was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2006). He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024 after being a six-time All Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler during his 49ers career (2007-2014).

Patrick Willis, a former all-pro linebacker with the San Francisco 49ers, was the guest speaker for the 37th Annual Jackson-Madison County Hall of Fame Banquet that was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. The inductees for 2023 included James Johnny Gowe, Lee Mayhall, Tommy Sadler, and Tim Sikes. Jimmy Duke was recognized as the Billy Schrivner Distinguished Service Award, winner. High school and college athletes of the year and scholarship award winners were recognized during the banquet.

Jason Witten, tight end, Elizabethton

Witten became a star at Elizabethton after growing up in Washington D.C. He led his high school team to three straight TSSAA state semifinal appearances the last of which came in 1999. He played defensive end at Tennessee before being switched to tight end midway through his freshman season in 2000. He was a two-time All SEC performer. He was selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys and missed only one game in 17 NFL seasons. He was a four-time All Pro and named Pro Bowl 10 times in 11 years (2004-2014). He was the 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Reggie White, defensive end, Chattanooga Howard

Arguably the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history, White got his high school football start at Howard in Chattanooga. He became an ordained minister at 17 years old, earning the nickname "Minister of Defense". He played under Majors at Tennessee (1980-83) where was named All American and SEC Player of the year in 1983. He began his pro career in the USFL with the Memphis Showboats in 1984 but landed with the Philadelphia Eagles (1985-1992) and played at Green Bay (1993-1998) and one season with Carolina (2000). He was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 13-time All Pro and Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion with the Packers (1998) and elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, posthumously in 2006.

Tennessee senior Reggie White, a candidate for the prestigious Lobardi Trophy that goes to the nation’s outstanding lineman, rests on the sidelines during the Vols 34-24 victory over Vanderbilt before 93,426 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Nov. 26, 1983.

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