Dating back to the days of Robert Neyland, Tennessee football has produced legendary pro defensive ends. In fact, it may be the Vols’ most dominant position historically in the NFL despite the program’s label of Wide Receiver U.
Two of UT’s retired jerseys were the jerseys of guys who became Hall-of-Fame defensive ends at the pro level. Regardless of what system the Vols ran, they had a knack for filling the pros up with elite edge rushers.
Of course, many of those players were actually defensive tackles or linebackers when they played for Tennessee football, but their strength combined with their speed and athleticism led to coaches moving them over to defensive end in the pros.