Two former Tennessee Volunteers have landed on the NFL Players’ All-Pro list, according to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning.
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson has been selected as the kick returner. Additionally, Tennessee Titans long snapper Morgan Cox has also been selected to the Players’ All-Pro team.
This is the inaugural Players’ All-Pro team in league history. According to the NFLPA’s Twitter account, the selections on Wednesday are the “very first Players’ All-Pro team–voted on league-wide to determine the best of the best this season.”
Twenty-nine players were selected to the team in total.
Here is the inaugural Players’ All-Pro Team, via the NFL Players Association: pic.twitter.com/KyeqjecgEG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2023
More from RTI: Where Tennessee Football Lands in Final Power, SP+ Rankings
Just a few days before Christman on Dec. 21, VFL Morgan Cox was selected to the Pro Bowl as the only player representing the University of Tennessee. This will be Cox’s fifth Pro Bowl appearance as one of the top long snappers in the entire league.
Cordarrelle Patterson, a 10-year veteran in the league, has been a First-Team All-Pro selection four times in his career: 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2020. Patterson was a Second-Team All-Pro selection in 2015, 2018, and 2019. The former Volunteer also has four Pro Bowls under his belt: 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2020.
On Nov. 20, during a game against the Chicago Bears, Patterson ran back a 103-yard kick return for a touchdown for the ninth kick return score of his career. That touchdown officially gave Patterson the record for the most kick return touchdowns in NFL history. Patterson had five with Minnesota, two with Chicago, and one for Atlanta and New England respectively.
On the year, as a running back, Patterson found 695 yards and eight touchdowns on 144 rushing attempts this season. The former Tennessee standout also added in 122 receiving yards on 21 receptions this year for the Falcons.
Patterson, in particular, has been a gigantic supporter of the Tennessee Volunteers this season. The VFL was at the Tennessee-Alabama game in mid-October while supporting the Vols.
Patterson has also had plenty of fun making bets with his Atlanta teammates – especially regarding a certain pair of checkerboard overalls.
Cordarrelle Patterson posted a picture of Falcons tight end and former Florida Gators player Kyle Pitts wearing the aforementioned overalls after the Vols’ win over the Gators in September.
I heard you guys been looking for @kylepitts__ @Vol_Football @GatorsFB #ROCKYTOP #VOLS pic.twitter.com/5Ll3Iuv978
— cordarrelle patterson (@ceeflashpee84) September 28, 2022
Then, after Tennessee beat Alabama, Patterson gave former Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans the same treatment.
“If you can’t beat em then join em!”@616evans4 pic.twitter.com/sBIZ1y1Lc8
— cordarrelle patterson (@ceeflashpee84) October 19, 2022
It wasn’t just Evans, though… Patterson let the whole team know about that game-winning field goal victory over the Crimson Tide.
.@ceeflashpee84 is all about his @Vol_Football and will make sure everyone knows it 😂 pic.twitter.com/bYNWsNlIuW
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 18, 2022
Patterson then closed out the season by having Falcons punter and former Clemson specialist Bradley Pinion wear the bright orange-and-white after the Vols’ Orange Bowl victory in December.
@bpinion05 nice doing business with you my boy!! pic.twitter.com/Qf3l4ktf7h
— cordarrelle patterson (@ceeflashpee84) January 7, 2023
