Stadium Era Top 100 - Player Notes

Bill Spears (QB · 1925-27)

• Three-year starter at quarterback for some of Dan McGugin’s best Vanderbilt teams
• In 1927, was selected first-team All-America by NEA and The Associated Press and was inducted into College Football Hall of Fame in 1962
• Concluded career by outgaining the entire Alabama squad in a 14-7 Vanderbilt win

Dick Abernathy (TE · 1927-29)

• Earned All-America honors as an end in 1928, leading Vanderbilt to an 8-2 record
• Had a key 38-yard touchdown catch that enabled the Commodores to defeat visiting Colgate, 12-7
• Blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone which would stand up to be the winning score in the Commodores’ 13-12 win over Texas

Buford “Baby” Ray (OL · 1935-37)

• All-SEC in 1937
• Returned as an assistant coach from 1949-66
• Two-time NFL champion and in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame along with Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame

Bill Fuqua (Back · 1945-46, 1948)

• Named All-SEC in 1945
• Helped team to 8-2-1 mark in 1948

Herb Rich (RB · 1946-49)

• Led team in rushing in 1948 and 1949
• Commodores did not have a losing season during his time on campus
• Played in the first Senior Bowl

Bucky Curtis (WR · 1947-50)

• Led the nation in several receiving categories and received All-American honors from several outlets in 1950
• One of five Vanderbilt alumni to have won the prestigious NCAA Silver Anniversary Award
• Named SEC Legend in 1997 and inducted into Vanderbilt Hall of Fame in 2010

Bill Wade (QB · 1949-51)

• 1951 SEC Player of the Year after throwing for 1,609 yards and 13 touchdowns
• School-record five TD passes versus Auburn in 1950 (Jay Cutler tied the mark)
• First overall pick in the 1952 NFL Draft (Los Angeles Rams) and won the 1963 NFL Championship with the Chicago Bears

John Hall (OL · 1951-54)

• Inducted into Vanderbilt Hall of Fame in 2008 and named SEC Legend in 1996
• Vanderbilt’s first Academic All-American and only Vanderbilt student-athlete elected to CoSIDA’s Academic Hall of Fame
• Team captain in 1954

Art Demmas (OL · 1952-53, 1955-56)

• Helped lead the Commodores to 1955 Gator Bowl and a win over Auburn. Earned All-SEC honors in 1956
• Became NFL official, working four Super Bowl assignments
• Inducted into Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1997

Charley Horton (RB · 1953-55)

• First-team All-SEC and third-team All-American in 1955
• Inducted into Vanderbilt Hall of Fame in 2015 and named SEC Legend in 1998
• Drafted 11th overall by Los Angeles Rams in 1956 NFL Draft

Don Orr (QB/DB · 1954-56)

• MVP of 1955 Gator Bowl vs. Auburn, Vanderbilt’s first bowl game
• Inducted into Vanderbilt Hall of Fame and named SEC Legend in 2017
• Led team in passing in 1955 and was a team captain in 1956

Toby Wilt (RB · 1963-65)

• Inducted into Vanderbilt Hall of Fame and Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 2017, inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2022
• Led team in kick return yards three times and receiving yards once
• Co-founder of the Music City Bowl

Bob Goodridge (WR · 1966-67)

• Placed among the top six seasons all-time in 1976 with 79 receptions for 1,114 yards
• SEC MVP and All-SEC in 1967
• Drafted in sixth round of 1968 NFL Draft by Minnesota

Chip Healy (LB · 1966-68)

• Vanderbilt’s first All-American in 1968 and was All-SEC in 1966
• Topped the team in tackles as a senior and posted six interceptions in his career
• Drafted third round of 1969 NFL Draft by St. Louis

Christie Hauck (DB · 1967-69)

• 11 career interceptions to rank seventh in school history
• Five interceptions in 1969 are tied for 10th in a single season
• Returned a fumble 70 yards for a touchdown at Tulane in 1969

Pat Toomay (DL · 1967-69)

• Played quarterback, safety, linebacker and defensive end after being recruited to Vanderbilt to play both football and basketball
• Competed in the Blue-Gray Football Classic as a senior before being taken in seventh round of 1970 NFL Draft
• Authored several books including Any Given Sunday

Bob Asher (OL · 1967-69)

• Two-time All-SEC selection started every game of three-year career, earning All-America honors in 1969
• Named SEC Legend in 1995
• Drafted in second round by Dallas in 1970 NFL Draft

Watson Brown (QB · 1969-70, 1972)

• Led Vanderbilt past No. 13 Alabama in 1969
• Team leader in passing yards during 1969 season with completion rate of 62.2 percent
• Returned to Vanderbilt as head coach from 1986-90

Doug Nettles (DB · 1971-73)

• Inducted to Vanderbilt Hall of Fame in 2021
• Left Vanderbilt as the program’s all-time leader in return yardage, including a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Virginia in 1971
• Drafted in fifth round of 1974 NFL Draft by Baltimore, becoming first Black Commodore to play in the league

Hawkins Golden (K · 1972-73)

• All-SEC in 1973 after making 12-of-14 field goals for a school-record percentage of .857
• Set school record with four field goals vs. Georgia in 1973
• 55-yard field goal vs. Tampa is tied for longest in program history

Tom Galbierz (DL · 1972-75)

• All-SEC in 1974
• School’s leading tackler at end of his career with 413 tackles
• Posted 100-plus tackles as a sophomore, junior and senior

Jay Chesley (DB · 1972, 1974-75)

• Two-time All-SEC selection
• Returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 1974
• Drafted seventh round of 1976 NFL Draft by San Francisco

Barry Burton (TE · 1973-75)

• All-America honors in 1975 and two-time All-SEC
• Along with receiving, was also one of Vanderbilt’s best punters, averaging 39.7 yards
• Drafted in seventh round of 1976 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh

Dennis Harrison (DL · 1974-77)

• First-team All-SEC as a senior and two-time Academic All-SEC
• Drafted by Philadelphia Eagles and went on to play in Super Bowl XV and 1983 Pro Bowl
• Defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl as a freshman

Frank Mordica (RB · 1976-79)

• Led Vanderbilt in rushing in three consecutive seasons and held school career rushing record (2,632 yards) for 33 years
• Earned SEC All-Freshman honors in 1976, then led team in rushing as a sophomore
• First Vanderbilt back to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in 1978, earning All-SEC honors

Preston Brown (WR · 1976-79)

• All-America and All-SEC in 1979
• Ranks top-10 in program history for both kick return and punt return yards
• Drafted in sixth round of 1980 NFL Draft by New England

Ken Hammond (OL · 1978-81)

• Four-year starter and two-time All-SEC selection
• Known for being a sound blocker, would emerge as one of the best in the SEC during his final two years on campus
• Taken in the sixth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys

Joe Staley (LB · 1979-82)

• 457 career tackles is second in school history
• Team captain on the 1982 squad 
• Picked off a pass and returned it 40 yards to set up Vanderbilt’s game-sealing touchdown in the fourth quarter vs. Ole Miss in 1982

Jim Arnold (P · 1979-82)

• First Vandy kicking specialist to earn All-America honors (first-team in 1982)
• Career punting average (43.9) remains fifth all-time in the SEC
• Punted in the NFL for 11 seasons

Whit Taylor (QB · 1979-82)

• MVP of the 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl
• Two-time All-SEC honoree named an SEC Legend in 2003
• Holds Vanderbilt single-game passing record with 464 yards at Tennessee in 1981

Leonard Coleman (DB · 1980-83)

• All-America and All-SEC in 1983, finishing career with school-record 15 interceptions
• Three interceptions vs. Chattanooga in 1980 matches program single-game record and eight interceptions in 1982 matched single-season record
• Drafted eighth overall by Baltimore in 1984 NFL Draft

Allama Matthews (TE · 1981-82)

• All-America and first-team All-SEC in 1982
• School-record 14 receiving touchdowns in 1982
• Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1983 draft

Rob Monaco (OL · 1981-84)

• Part of 1982 team that went 8-4 and reached the Hall of Fame Bowl
• All-SEC in 1984
• Drafted in eighth round by St. Louis in 1985 NFL Draft

Ricky Anderson (K/P · 1981-84)

• Consensus All-American and first-team All-SEC in 1984
• 40 field goals and 71 extra points from 1981-84
• Third all-time in program history for made field goals and all-time leader in punting average at 45.6 yards per punt

Chuck Scott (TE · 1981-84)

• 145 career receptions for 2,219 yards and 20 touchdowns, all ranking top-10 in program history
• All-America honors in 1983 and named SEC Legend in 2007
• Drafted second round of 1985 NFL Draft by Los Angeles Rams

Will Wolford (OL · 1982-85)

• Unanimous first-team All-SEC as a senior after starting the last 33 games of his career
• Played on 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl team as a freshman
• First Vandy offensive lineman to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (1986), played in three Super Bowls and three Pro Bowls

Chris Gaines (LB · 1984-87)

• Kodak All-American in 1987 after making 214 tackles (19.5 per game)
• School-record 37 tackles versus Tulane in 1987
• Played for three NFL teams and won the 1991 Grey Cup with Toronto in the CFL

Gerald “Boo” Mitchell (WR · 1985-88)

• ·Third-team All-American in 1988 with 1,213 receiving yards
• Finished career with a school-record 2,964 receiving yards
• School-record 45 receptions as a freshman (remains second behind Earl Bennett)

Steve Kosanovich (WR · 1986-88)

• 47 career receptions for 511 yards and four touchdowns
• Caught late touchdown in Dores’ win over No. 20 Florida in 1988

David Lawrence (P · 1989-92)

• Two-time All-SEC selection was also named conference all-freshman in 1989
• More than 9,000 career punting yards to rank top-five in program history
• Averaged 41.4 yards per punt for his career, ranking among the program’s top 10

Alan Young (DL · 1989, 1991-93)

• 12 sacks in 1993 and 21.5 career sacks are both program records
• All-SEC in 1993 and SEC All-Freshman in 1989
• Finished career with 34 tackles for loss, fourth most all-time at Vanderbilt

Shelton Quarles (LB · 1990-93)

• Tallied nearly 400 career tackles to finish among the program’s all-time top 10 and led team in tackles three of four seasons
• Five forced fumbles in 1991 tied a school record
• Won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002

Jeff Brothers (QB · 1990-93)

• All-SEC in 1992
• Member of team that won Vanderbilt’s 500th game in 1993

Bill Marinangel (P · 1993-96)

• Owns the Vanderbilt single-game (560) and season (3,586) records for punting yards and is second in program history with 11,336 career punting yards.
• Averaged 46.6 yards per punt during 1996 season, second-best in school history
• Scored on an 81-yard fake punt at Alabama in 1996 for Vanderbilt’s third-longest rushing touchdown of all-time

Corey Chavous (DB · 1994-97)

• Finished career with 12 interceptions, sixth-most in program history
• First-team All-SEC in 1997 and named an SEC Legend in 2010
• Played 11 seasons in the NFL and made 2003 Pro Bowl

Jamie Duncan (LB · 1995-97)

• 1997 SEC Defensive Player of the Year was a two-time All-American and two-time all-conference selection
• Finished career with 425 tackles, fifth all-time at Vanderbilt
• Selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft and named an SEC Legend in 2009

Todd Yoder (TE · 1996-99)

• Averaged 15.84 yards per reception during career, third-best in program history
• Named SEC All-Freshman in 1996 and selected to SEC Community Service team twice
• Won Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jimmy Williams (DB · 1997-2000)

• Started career on offense, leading team in rushing, receiving and kick return yards in 1997, earning SEC All-Freshman honors
• Transitioned to defense and finished career with 10 interceptions, earning All-SEC honors in 1998 at CB
• SEC Legend in 2013 and drafted by Buffalo in sixth round of 2001 NFL Draft

Ryan Aulds (DL · 1997-2000)

• Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman in 1997
• Team captain in 2000
• Shared team lead in fumble recoveries during 1997 season

John Markham (K · 1997-2000)

• School-record 47 career field goals
• 209 career points rank fifth in program history
• Tied school record with four field goals vs. Duke in 2000, including the overtime game-winner

Jamie Winborn (LB · 1998-2000)

• Three-time All-SEC honoree named All-American in 1999
• Program record 23 tackles for loss in 1999
• Played 11 seasons in the NFL after being drafted by 49ers in 2001

Hunter Hillenmeyer (LB · 1999-2002)

• First-team All-SEC, CoSIDA Academic All-American and NFF Scholar-Athlete in 2002 while also earning an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
• Led the nation with 168 total tackles and 116 tackles in 2002
• Played eight seasons for the Bears and named an SEC Legend in 2003

Dan Stricker (WR · 1999-2002)

• Three-time All-SEC selection
• Finished third all-time with 2,880 yards and sixth all-time
• Eclipsed 100 receiving yards in 11 games, second-most by a Commodore

Brandon Smith (WR · 2001-04)

• Exceeded 100 receptions for nearly 1,500 yards
• Surpassed 500 receiving yards in each of his final two seasons
• Led Vanderbilt with 553 receiving yards in 2004

Jovan Haye (DL · 2002-04)

• All-SEC in 2003 after making 76 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 8.5 sacks
• Ended career with 11.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 149 tackles
• Played seven seasons in the NFL before returning to Vanderbilt to join the coaching staff in 2018

Clark Lea (FB · 2002-04)

• Played fullback for two seasons, working his way from walk-on to scholarship player
• Won an NAIA national championship playing baseball at Birmingham-Southern
• Became Vanderbilt’s 29th head football coach in 2020

Moses Osemwegie (LB · 2002-05)

• Freshman All-America, SEC All-Freshman in 2002 and two All-SEC selections
• Ranks top-10 in Vanderbilt history for career tackles and tackles for loss
• Team captain in 2005

Jay Cutler (QB · 2002-05)

• Second all-time passing yards
• Leader in career passing percentage
• Highest-picked Vandy QB in NFL Draft since 1953

Dustin Dunning (TE · 2002-05)

• All-SEC in 2005
• 61 career receptions with 598 yards and two touchdowns

Erik Davis (WR · 2002-05)

• Caught 124 passes for 1,767 yards and 14 touchdowns
• Finished collegiate career ranked seventh in school history in receptions and receiving yards
• Signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots in 2006

Marcus Buggs (DB · 2004-07)

• Led team in tackles for loss in 2006 and 2007
• Two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Signed by Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2008

Jonathan Goff (LB · 2004-07)

• All-SEC in 2006 and 2007 and SEC All-Freshman in 2004
• Two-time team captain
• Drafted in fifth round of 2008 NFL Draft by New York Giants

Chris Williams (OL · 2005-07)

• Two-time All-SEC player named SEC Legend in 2016
• Did not allow a sack in final 11 games of junior campaign and conceded just one sack as a senior
• Drafted 14th overall in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Chicago Bears

Earl Bennett (WR · 2005-07)

• Three-time All-SEC and named an SEC Legend
• Finished career with an SEC-record 236 receptions in three seasons
• Drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2008 and played fives seasons with Chicago

D.J. Moore (DB · 2006-08)

• Tied for third-most career interceptions (13) in program history
• Two-time All-SEC selection and an All-American in 2008
• Played six NFL seasons after being drafted in the fourth round in 2009 by the Bears

Myron Lewis (DB · 2006-09)

• Two-time All-SEC selection and member of SEC Community Service team in 2009
• Finished career with 10 interceptions, tied for eighth all-time on Commodore lists
• Drafted in third round of 2010 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay

Casey Hayward (DB · 2008-11)

• Two-time All-SEC selection
• Second-team All-American as a senior
• 15 career interceptions tied the school record

Chris Marve (LB · 2008-11)

• Two-time captain finished career in program’s top 10 for carer tackles
• Freshman All-American in 2008, helping Commodores to Music City Bowl
• All-SEC selection all four seasons on campus

Ryan Seymour (OL · 2009-12)

• Started 35 career games, anchoring the offensive line for one of the most explosive offenses in Vanderbilt history
• SEC All-Freshman in 2009
• Drafted in seventh round by Seattle Seahawks in 2013 NFL Draft

Andre Hal (DB · 2010-13)

• Two-time All-SEC selection
• Led SEC with 18 passes defended as a senior
• Made 12 career interceptions in five NFL seasons

Kenny Ladler (DB · 2010-13)

• Two-time All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman
• Topped the SEC and shared NCAA lead while setting a team record with five forced fumbles in 2013
• Led team in tackles twice and interceptions once

Walker May (DL · 2010-13)

• Two-time captain and two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection
• Named SEC All-Freshman in 2010 after making 29 total tackles
• 41 total tackles as a senior with 9.5 for loss

Carey Spear (K · 2010-13)

• Made 39 field goals and 101 extra points during Vanderbilt career
• School-record 99 points in 2013 and finished career with second-most points (224) in program history
• Owns top career (.780) field goal percentage in school history

Wesley Johnson (OL · 2010-13)

• All-SEC selection in 2013 and SEC All-Freshman pick in 2010
• Finished career with school-record 51 consecutive starts
• Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2014 draft

Jordan Matthews (WR · 2010-13)

• All-American, All-SEC and Biltenikoff Semifinalist in 2013
• Ended career as SEC’s all-time leader with 262 receptions and 3,759 receiving yards
• Had a pair of touchdown receptions in BBVA Compass Bowl victory

Jordan Rodgers (QB · 2011-12)

• Completed 55.5 percent of his passes over two seasons, fourth on Vanderbilt’s all-time list
• 15 passing touchdowns in 2012 and 24 career touchdowns are both top 10 in Vanderbilt’s single-season and career rankings
• Totaled 4,500 yards of total offense in just two seasons and was named to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2013

Andrew East (LS · 2011-14)

• Two-time captain, named NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2015 and AFCA Allstate Good Works team in 2014
• Two-time member of SEC Community Service team
• Invited to Senior Bowl in 2014

Spencer Pulley (OL · 2011, 2013-15)

• Paved the way for Ralph Webb to produce 1,152 rushing yards, second-highest total in team history, in 2015
• Registered 46 knockdown blocks and 67 blocks that led to TDs or first downs in 2013
• Selected to compete in the Tropic Bowl in 2016 before signing with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent

Caleb Azubike (DL · 2012-15)

• Totaled 14.5 sacks and 121 tackles
• Made 39 tackles, including six for a loss, and four sacks during dominant 2014 season
• Signed with Dallas Cowboys an undrafted free agent in 2016

Andrew Jelks (OL · 2013-14)

• FWAA Freshman All-America and SEC All-Freshman in 2013
• Participated in nearly 90 percent of team’s offensive snaps, contributing 16 pancake blocks and 14 domination blocks in 2014
• Registered 42 blocks that led directly to Commodore first downs or TDs in 2013

Stephen Weatherly (DL · 2013-15)

• School-record five tackles for loss versus Tennessee in 2014
• Led 2014 team in sacks (4.5) and tackles for loss (12.5)
• Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft

Adam Butler (DL · 2013-16)

• 113 career tackles with 10 sacks, two blocked PATs and one defensive touchdown
• Led team with four sacks in 2016, along with 31 total tackles
• Won Super Bowl LIII with Patriots in 2019

Will Holden (OL · 2013-16)

• Started last 37 consecutive games of career
• Named All-SEC in 2016
• Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round in 2017

Zach Cunningham (LB · 2014-16)

• First in team history to earn unanimous first team All-America recognition and the seventh player ever to claim consensus All-America honors
• Finished career with program-record seven fumbles recovered and ranked third with 39.5 tackles for a loss
• Drafted in the second round by the Houston Texans

Tommy Openshaw (K · 2014-17)

• Second on Vanderbilt’s all-time points list with 38 field goals and 110 extra points
• 110-111 on extra points during career to set program record for extra point percentage
• Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society and AFCA Allstate Good Works Team in 2017

Oren Burks (LB · 2014-17)

• AFCA Allstate Good Works Team member and nominee for Wuerffel Trophy and Senior CLASS Award as a senior
• Finished career with 237 total tackles and five interceptions in 45 games played (40 starts)
• Drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers

Ralph Webb (RB · 2014-17)

• Rushed for 4,178 yards and 32 touchdowns while hauling in 68 catches for 572 yards and three touchdowns
• Finished career as Vanderbilt record holder in career rushing yards (4,178), single-season rushing yards (1,283), career rushing touchdowns (32), career 100-yard rushing games (16) and single-season 100-yard rushing games (seven)
• Signed with the New England Patriots

Trent Sherfield (WR · 2014-17)

• 136 career receptions for 1,869 yards from 2014-17
• 240 receiving yards vs. Austin Peay in 2015 set program record
• Signed with Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent

Khari Blasingame (RB · 2015-17)

• 10 rushing touchdowns in 2016, sixth-most in a single-season by a Commodore
• Two-time captain and two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District
• Arthur Ashe Jr. Award and selected to NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2018

Justin Skule (OL · 2015-18)

• Started 40 consecutive games, protecting Kyle Shurmur and paving way for Ke’Shawn Vaughn’s 1,000-yard rushing season in 2018
• Named NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2018
• Drafted by San Francisco 49ers in sixth round of 2019 NFL Draft

Kyle Shurmur (QB · 2015-18)

• Finished career as school record holder in career passing yards (8,865) and touchdowns (64)
• Candidate for the Campbell Award as a senior
• Quarterbacked three Vanderbilt wins over Tennessee, including a 416-yard passing performance against the Vols in 2016

Joejuan Williams (DB · 2016-18)

• Named All-SEC as a senior starting all 12 games
• Made four interceptions and 61 total tackles as a senior in 2018
• Second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2019 NFL Draft

Jared Pinkney (TE · 2016-19)

• All-SEC in 2018
• Finished career with 14 receiving touchdowns, among the program’s top 10
• Preseason All-American in 2019

Kalija Lipscomb (WR · 2016-19)

• Finished career in the program’s top 10 for career receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions
• Led the team in receptions (47) and receiving yards (511) as a senior in 2019 after leading the SEC with 87 receptions as a junior
• Signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020

Ke’Shawn Vaughn (RB · 2018-19)

• Rushed for more than 2,200 yards with 21 touchdowns in two seasons
• 1,244 rushing yards in 2018 were the second-most in school history
• Rushed for 243 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries in 2018 Texas Bowl
• Third-round pick by Tampa Bay, won a Super Bowl as a rookie

Ryley Guay (K · 2017-19)

• Finished career with the third-best field goal percentage in program history
• Perfect (47-for-47) on extra points in 2018 and scored 86 points, fourth-most by a Commodore
• Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2019

Dayo Odeyingbo (DL · 2017-20)

• Second-team All-SEC in 2020 after leading team in tackles for loss
• Led Vanderbilt in tackles losses in three of his four seasons
• Drafted in second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Indianapolis