Dec. 4, 2006

Tennessee's newly elected Hall of Fame member Chip Kell will be inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame on Tuesday in New York City.

The former standout offensive lineman is on hand for the 49th Annual Awards Dinner for the Hall of Fame in the Grand Ballroom at The Waldorf-Astoria.

The powerful lineman will be the 21st former Vol to earn admission to the Hall of Fame. The Decatur, Ga., native ranks as one of the Vols' best road-pavers in school history, and Kell is the last UT lineman to earn the Jacobs Award for the best blocker in the SEC twice.

Kell was also a two-time All-America and was an All-SEC selection in each of his three seasons at UT. He helped lead the Vols to 28 wins during his career, which he capped with a 34-13 blowout win over Air Force in the 1971 Sugar Bowl.

He anchored a crew that opened holes allowing running back Curt Watson to pace the Vols attack for three seasons - including an 807-yard campaign in 1969. The following season the Vols rushed for 2,365 yards, the highest output in 19 years for UT. The offensive line also was integral in turning the Vols offense into a dynamic group that also set a school record for passing yards (1,996).

"Chip Kell was one of the most powerful athletes I ever coached," Doug Dickey -- Kell's coach for his first two campaigns -- said earlier this year. "He was way ahead of his time in development by use of weight training, and he became a true leader on the football team."

Kell led the Vols to an SEC championship in 1969 and helped them finish No. 4 in the nation the following year. UT lost just five games during Kell's three years - none of which came on Shields-Watkins Field.

He was drafted in the 17th round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1971 NFL Draft, and Kell played for two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL before starting his coaching career.