The two most prolific pass thieves in UT history played for the 1969 and 1970 secondaries,
and both show up in picks 6 through 10 on my list of Tennessee’s greatest
safeties for the 1964-2004 time frame.
That said, here are picks 6 through 10:
10. MIKE JONES: After starting at free safety in ’67 and ’68, Jones moved to
cornerback in ’69. He ranks second on Tennessee’s career list in interceptions
(16) and is tied for first in return yardage (305). He had a 71-yard
interception return vs. Kentucky in ’67.
9. GIBRIL WILSON: A big-time hitter, this junior college transfer registered a
whopping 196 tackles as the starting strong safety in 2002 and 2003. He ranked
second on the team as a senior with 114 stops, eight of them for minus yardage.
He also recorded a team-high 12 pass breakups that season. Tabbed in Round 5 of
the 2004 NFL Draft, he soon will begin his third season with the New York Giants.
8. BILL BATES: The No. 1 strong safety in 1979, ’80 and ‘82, Bates also spent
one year (1981) as the first-team free safety. Pound for pound, he may have been
UT’s most physical player of the past four decades. His tenacity, toughness and
excellence on special teams enabled him to make the Dallas Cowboys as a free
agent, then stick with the team for 15 years.
7. TIM PRIEST: Tennessee’s starter at strong safety in ’69 and ’70, Priest was
voted team captain, All-SEC and first-team Academic All-America as a senior. His
18 career interceptions (two as a sophomore, seven as a junior, nine as a
senior) rank No. 1 on UT’s all-time list. He is tied for first in career return
yardage with 305. He now provides expert analysis on Vol radio broadcasts.
6. BOBBY MAJORS: The starting free safety in 1970 and ’71, he set a UT record
with 10 interceptions in ’70 that still stands. Majors was All-SEC as a junior
and senior, All-American as a senior. His 13 career interceptions rank sixth in
program history. A third-round pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, he spent two years
with the Cleveland Browns and a year with the Memphis Southmen of the World
Football League.