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Tennessee football has lured notable players from Florida through the years | Mike Strange

mike strange
·3 min read

As Tennessee travels to Florida this week, something about the Vols’ roster caught my attention.

There aren’t many Floridians on it. Only five.

The Sunshine State is usually well represented on a Tennessee roster. The number fluctuates through the decades, but five is on the low end.

The 1985 SEC champions included 11 Floridians. The 2001 East Division champs had nine. The ’98 national champs numbered only three.

Virtually every school recruits the state where proverbial recruits fall off proverbial trees. Ohio State does. Oklahoma does. North Dakota State does. Michigan found Joe Milton in Pahokee.

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III, a transfer from Michigan, is one of only five Floridians on the Vols' roster this year.
Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III, a transfer from Michigan, is one of only five Floridians on the Vols' roster this year.

Furthermore, of Tennessee’s 2023 Floridians, three of the five came through the transfer portal – Milton, John Campbell (Orlando) and Gerald Mincey (Fort Lauderdale).

Defensive back De’Shawn Rucker (Tallahassee) and redshirt freshman Brian Grant (Fort Walton Beach) are the only Florida prospects whom the Vols landed through traditional high school recruiting. The only Floridian in the 2024 commitment class, Jonathan Echols, is a Georgia native who transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

I’m not saying the Floridian count on the roster matters one way or the other. You take good players where you can find them. Georgia is traditionally a more important recruiting ground for Tennessee.

Still, the Vols have lured a stream of significant contributors from Florida to Knoxville. In no particular order, here are some of them:

Travis Henry (Frostproof) is Tennessee’s career rushing leader. Frostproof, pop. 2,993, also sent receiver Alvin Harper to UT and the NFL.

After 20 years, Travis Henry, who played 1997-2000, remains the leading all-time rusher at Tennessee. His record 3,078 yards may be safe for a while.
After 20 years, Travis Henry, who played 1997-2000, remains the leading all-time rusher at Tennessee. His record 3,078 yards may be safe for a while.

Bill Bevis (Marianna) was a two-time Jacobs Award winner as the SEC’s top blocker in 1944-45.

You probably know the name Bill Nowling as one of the four VFLS killed in World War II. Nowling (St. Petersburg) was a three-year letterman at fullback and a captain in 1942.

Steve Kiner (Tampa) was an All-America linebacker in 1968 and ’69, en route to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Haslam (St. Pete) was a starting lineman on the 1951 national champion team. A self-made billionaire, his philanthropy to his alma mater has been immense.

There wouldn’t have been a 1991 Miracle at South Bend without Floyd Miley (Fort Lauderdale) returning a blocked Notre Dame field-goal try for a touchdown to end the first half.

Tony Robinson (Tallahassee) was an All-SEC quarterback in 1984 and made the cover of Sports Illustrated in the 1985 upset of No. 1 Auburn. When Robinson went down, Daryl Dickey (Gainesville) finished the run to the ’85 SEC title and was named Sugar Bowl MVP.

Bill Anderson (Bradenton) was a three-year starter at wingback in the 1950s and beloved as John Ward’s broadcast partner on the Vol Network for 30 years.

Fuad Reveiz (Miami) is UT’s most prolific field-goal kicker (74), made the longest (60 yards) and hit on 74.7 percent of his tries from 1981-84. Then brother Carlos Reveiz took over for two years.

Michael Palardy (Coral Springs) wasn’t UT’s best-ever kicker or punter, but nobody combined the two better. He ranks fourth in career field-goal percentage and third in punting average.

Albert Dorsey (Tampa) was an All-America defensive back in 1967 who once intercepted three passes against Alabama.

Tony Thompson (Lake Wales) replaced injured Chuck Webb and was an All-SEC tailback on the 1990 SEC title team.

Bobby Frazier (Bartow) was an All-SEC defender in ’65, as was Ray Nettles (Jacksonville) in ’71. Kelly Ziegler (Miami) ranks fourth in career solo tackles.

Finally, a trivia question. Who was UT’s last first-team All-SEC pick from Florida? Julian Battle (Royal Palm Beach), way back in 2002.

Maybe Milton changes that answer this year.

Mike Strange is a former writer for the News Sentinel. He currently writes a weekly sports column for Shopper News.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football lured notable players from Florida