2009 Key Returnees

	14 ERIC BERRY DB, 5-11, 195, So., Fairburn, Ga. Honors: 2008 All-America NCAA Unanimous (AFCA, Sporting News, AP, FWAA and Walter Camp), SEC Defensive Player of the Year Coaches and AP, All-SEC Coaches and AP, Jim Thorpe Award Finalist, Draddy Trophy and Bednarik Award Semifinalist, Tennessee Sports Writers Player of the Year, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Male Amateur Athlete of the Year, Jack Tatum Award (Nation's Best Defensive Back by Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio), Vince Dooley Award (Top Defensive Back in Southeast by Touchdown Club of Atlanta), SEC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18 and Nov. 22), 2007 Defensive Freshman of the Year (CollegeFootballNews.com), Freshman All-America (FWAA, Rivals.com, CollegeFootball- News.com), SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year (Sporting News), All-SEC (Coaches 2nd, AP 2nd), SEC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 10 and 24), SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. First Tennessee player to claim All-America unanimous honors since 1990 ... Led nation with 265 interception return yards, and his seven interceptions tied for tops ... Only 2008 player with interception in seven different games ... First two interceptions of season were returned for zero and one yard, then had five picks for 264 yards ... Interception returns for TDs against Mississippi State (72 yards) and Vandy (45 yards) ... For career in just 25 games, 12 interceptions for 487 return yards and three touchdowns ... Enters 2009 season just 14 yards shy of major college record (501) ... Broken interception return yardage records that had stood for combined 187 years ... Now owns records for UT season (previously stood 37 years), UT career (39 years), SEC season (52 years) and SEC career (59 years) ... 72 tackles placed him third on UT team and 18th among SEC leaders ... Started every game of his young collegiate career ... Interception return of 96 yards for TD at Florida 2007 tied for third-longest in UT history and was longest in 35 years ... Career Totals: 158 total hits (101 tackles, 57 assists), 101/2 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 22 passes defensed, 12 interceptions.

	94 WES BROWN DE, 6-4, 257, Sr., Athens, Ala. Honors: 2007 Academic All-SEC. Tennessee's top returning defensive end with 37 tackles last season ... Made at least one tackle in last 24 games ... Joined Dan Williams as only Vols linemen to record a tackle in every game of 2008 ... Led Vols last year with 12 quarterback hurries ... Three pressures each against UCLA and Wyoming; two more at Vandy ... Finished with 21/2 sacks for minus-12 yards ... Career highs against Wyoming with eight tackles and 11/2 tackles for loss ... His 51/2 tackles for loss were sixth best on 2008 team ... Career Totals: 77 total hits (37 tackles, 40 assists), 81/2 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery.

	3 LENNON CREER TB, 6-1, 211, Jr., Tatum, Texas Vols second leading rusher and top reserve back in 2008 with 388 yards ... Finished with second best average per attempt (5.3) among regular ball-carriers ... Scored four TDs, also second best on team ... Carried eight times for career bests of 93 yards and two TDs against UAB ... Back-to-back games against Wyoming and Vandy of 82 and 80 yards ... Also career high 17 carries against Mississippi State for 68 yards and one score ... Added six kickoff returns last year for 17.3-yard average ... During 2007, set SEC Championship Game record with 50-yard kickoff return against LSU ... Career Totals: 109 rushes, 602 yards, 5.5 per att., 5 TDs.

	2 MONTARIO HARDESTY TB, 6-0, 212, Sr., New Bern, N.C. Paced 2008 Vols with six touchdowns, all rushing ... Second on team with 76 rushing attempts, finishing with 271 yards ... Hard-nosed ball carrier scored twice at UCLA while gaining 66 yards on 12 attempts -- all season highs ... Rushed 10 times for 35 yards and TD at Auburn ... Also scored touchdowns against UAB, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt ... Topped career 1,000-yard rushing mark against Commodores on 27-yard gain -- his longest from scrimmage since that highlight-reel TD run against California in 2006 ... Steady performer for Vols throughout his tenure, with at least three touchdowns scored each year and no fewer than 270 rushing yards ... Career Totals: 278 rushes, 1,046 yards, 3.8 per att., 13 TDs.

	4 GERALD JONES WR, 6-0, 199, Jr., Oklahoma City, Okla. Honors: 2008 SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 29). Tennessee's most versatile offensive performer finished with 714 all-purpose yards in 2008 ... Had 323 yards receiving, 150 via punt return, 126 rushing and 115 on kickoff returns ... Led Vols with 30 catches and four receiving touchdowns ... Career highs with five catches against both Florida and Wyoming ... Added one rushing TD to finish just behind Montario Hardesty for combined team honors ... Scored twice on just three catches against UAB ... Other touchdowns came against Georgia, Wyoming and Kentucky ... Best breakaway run was 55-yarder against Wildcats ... Rushed 23 times last season, almost exclusively from “G-Gun” quarterback position ... Seventh among SEC punt return leaders with 10-yard average on 15 attempts ... Added three kickoff returns for 38.3-yard average that led the team ... Missed Alabama game because of injury ... Career Totals: 41 receptions, 434 yards, 10.6 avg., 5 TDs, 31 rushes, 184 yards, 5.9 per att., 3 TDs, 15 punt returns for 150 yards, 10.0 avg.

	26 DANIEL LINCOLN PK, 6-0, 204, Jr., Ocala, Fla. Honors: 2008 Academic All-SEC, 2007 All-America (FWAA) ... Freshman All-America (Rivals.com 2nd, Sporting News honorable mention, CollegeFootballNews.com honorable mention) ... All-SEC (Rivals.com, Associated Press 2nd, Coaches 2nd) ... Freshman All-SEC (Coaches, Rivals.com, Sporting News) ... Groza Award Semifinalist ... ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV ... Academic All-SEC, SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 27), 2006 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. Tied for 10th on UT's career field goal list with 31 made (47 att.) ... 115 points in 2007 most by kicker in Vols history, trailing only McEver (130 in ‘29) and Cobb (120 in ‘87) ... Multiple FGs in four games last year ... Connected on 47-yarders -- one yard from career high -- at UCLA and Auburn ... Career Totals: 31-of-47 FGs, 74-of-75 PATs, 167 points, Long-48 vs. SC.

	5 RICO McCOY LB, 6-1, 220, Sr., Washington D.C. Honors: 2008 All-SEC (Coaches 2nd), 2007 All-SEC (Associated Press 2nd, Coaches 2nd). Tied for ninth among 2008 SEC leaders with 87 tackles ... Led Vols in tackles six games last season, including last five consecutive ... Best outing was 13-tackle effort against Alabama that was just one shy of personal best ... Also had double-figure totals against Florida (10), Wyoming (10) and Vanderbilt (11) ... Now owns seven games with at least 10 tackles ... Added 31/2 tackles for loss and three passes defensed ... Already has 231 tackles for his career after finishing sixth (106) in SEC as sophomore ... Career Totals: 231 hits (115 tackles, 116 assists), 11 TFLs, 2 sacks, 9 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception.

	50 JOSH McNEIL C, 6-4, 280, Sr., Collins, Miss. Honors: 2007 All-SEC (AP honorable mention), SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week (Oct. 13), 2006 Freshman All-America (Rivals.com), Freshman All-SEC (Coaches), 2005 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. Enters 2009 with team-high 35 consecutive starts at center ... Started fifth game of his collegiate career and hasn't missed since ... Helped Vols rush 51 times for 222 yards at Vandy and another 53 times for 210 yards against Kentucky in pair of wins ... Part of Vols offensive line in 2007 that led nation with only four sacks allowed.

	41 DENNIS ROGAN DB, 5-10, 178, Jr., Knoxville Honors: 2007 SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (Nov. 17) Second in SEC last season with 24.9-yard kickoff return average ... Broke Willie Gault's 38-year-old UT record with 698 kickoff return yards, while tying Gault's mark of 28 kick return attempts ... Led Vols with 798 all-purpose yards, including 38 on first career INT return at Auburn ... Started all 12 games in 2008 -- 10 at cornerback, two at free safety ... Career-high nine tackles at Georgia ... Two pass breakups against both Mississippi State and Alabama ... Career Totals: 72 total hits (46 tackles, 26 assists), 2 TFLs, 7 passes defensed, 1 interception, 30 punt returns for 227 yards (7.6 avg), 42 kickoff returns for 1,081 yards (25.7 avg.).

	55 DAN WILLIAMS DT, 6-3, 327, Sr., Memphis Paced defensive tackles with 48 total tackles ... Second on team with nine quarterback pressures and tied for third with 81/2 tackles for loss, for minus-19 yards ... Career high eight tackles at Auburn ... Added six tackles at Georgia and five at Vanderbilt ... One of two Vols with at least three tackles in every game last season ... Still remembered for signature play of 2007 -- blocking Kentucky OT field goal try that kept Vols alive in Eastern Division-clinching game ... Career Totals: 90 total hits (43 tackles, 47 assists), 16 TFLs, 41/2 sacks, 1 pass defensed.

2008 Honors

ALL-AMERICA

Eric Berry, SS - NCAA Unanimous (AFCA, Sporting News, AP, FWAA, Walter Camp)

ALL-SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

Robert Ayers, DE - Coaches, Associated Press (2nd)

Eric Berry, SS - Associated Press, Coaches

Rico McCoy, LB - Coaches (2nd)

Anthony Parker, OG - Associated Press (2nd), Coaches (2nd)

FRESHMAN ALL-SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

Daryl Vereen, LB - Coaches

ADDITIONAL HONORS

Eric Berry, SS - SEC Defensive Player of the Year (AP, Coaches); Nation's Top Defensive Back (Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio); Southeast Defensive Back of the Year (Touchdown Club of Atlanta); Player of the Year (Tennessee Sports Writers Association); Male Amateur Athlete of the Year (Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame); Jim Thorpe Award Finalist; Draddy Trophy and Bednarik Award Semifinalist; SEC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 20 and Nov. 24).

Josh Briscoe, WR - SEC Good Works Team

Gerald Jones, WR - SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (Dec. 1)

Chris Scott, OT - SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week (Sept. 15)