The 1980s
Johnnie Jones (1981-84)
Up until Johnnie Jones, no Vol had ever run for 1,000 yards in a season. Then Jones did it not only once, but twice in back-to-back seasons. And no other Vol has ever run for 1,000 yards twice in a career since. Jones broke Tennessee’s season rushing mark with his 1,116 yards in 1983 then would break his own mark the following season with 1,290 yards as a senior. That mark in his senior season is still the sixth-most rushing yards in a single year by a Vol. Jones finished his career with 2,852 rushing yards, breaking the previous school record by nearly 500 yards. His career total still stands as the fourth-most in school history.
Reggie Cobb (1987-89)
Injuries marred what could’ve been a truly record-breaking career for Reggie Cobb. His teammate, Chuck Webb, could be argued as the more talented back, but Cobb was no slouch in the talent department by any means. Cobb burst onto the scene with 1,197 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in his first year as Tennessee’s starter in 1987. Injuries and an eventual dismissal from the team would prevent him from ever duplicating those numbers, but Cobb would still finish with 2,360 career rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
