#Chiefs legend Eric Berry was honored by the University of Tennessee.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ history of elite players runs long at every position throughout the franchise’s history. The star players who wore red and gold made significant names for themselves professionally and were standouts in the collegiate ranks.
A player that symbolizes excellence at the college and NFL level was former Chiefs safety Eric Berry. After being announced as the latest inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Chiefs legend was honored over the weekend by his alma mater, the University Of Tennesse. Berry will be the school’s 25th inductee and was celebrated during the team’s home matchup against Texas A&M.
An incredible Neyland Stadium scene, saluting Tennessee's 25th inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.
“It was amazing. I didn’t know what to expect all those times staying up late, working out, being with my teammates.” said Berry in the Tennessee Athletics video montage, “I knew I wanted to be in the Hall of Fame, but nothing about today right there… that was amazing.”
Berry was a two-time First-Team All-American member of the Volunteers before being drafted by the Chiefs in 2010 and starring in the secondary for eight seasons. He finished his NFL career as a five-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL 2010’s All-Decade team as one of the best safeties of his era.
A look at the highest rated recruits in Tennessee football history.
Third-year head coach Josh Heupel is on pace for a top 10 2024 recruiting class.
Tennessee has 19 commitments for its 2024 recruiting class ahead of the upcoming season. The Vols’ 2024 class ranks No. 8 nationally and No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference.
Tennessee’s 2024 recruiting class is headlined by five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews. Matthews ranks as the No. 13 overall prospect in 2024. He is the Vols’ ninth-highest rated commit all time.
Prior to the 2023 season, Vols Wire looks at Tennessee’s highest rated recruits all time. The list below excludes players who committed to Tennessee and did not sign with the Vols.
#Chiefs legends Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry were teased as Hall of Fame candidates by Adam Schefter over the weekend.
The Kansas City Chiefs have had several players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and could add two more to the list in 2024.
Two of the team’s most cherished legends, running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry, will be eligible for the ballot next year and were teased as potential selections by ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter on Twitter.
Notable first-time eligible players for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 include Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles, Antonio Gates, Brandon Marshall, Haloti Ngata and Julius Peppers. pic.twitter.com/NUqtHCZRQQ
While neither player was on Kansas City’s Super Bowl rosters in 2019 or 2022, both helped lay the foundation for the success that the Chiefs have found in recent years.
Charles was among the most dominant runners of his generation and is among the NFL’s all-time leaders in yards per attempt. A homerun hitter, Charles was known for his exceptional speed and shiftiness that made opposing defenders tremble every time he touched the ball.
Berry, on the other hand, was a hard-hitting safety who was an absolute menace in Kansas City’s secondary from 2010 until 2018. He overcame a cancer diagnosis in 2014 to continue his career with the Chiefs and cement his place as one of the team’s most influential leaders until his retirement.
Former #Chiefs S Eric Berry, LB Derrick Johnson and WR Jeremy Maclin have been selected for the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs will be well-represented when the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class is officially inducted during the 65th National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Dinner next December.
The NFF officially announced the 18 players and four coaches set to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023. The group includes a trio of former Chiefs players, who all played with the team during the beginning of Andy Reid’s tenure as head coach.
“We are extremely proud to announce the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class,” NFF Chairman Archie Manning said, via press release. “Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments.”
During their collegiate careers, this trio of former Chiefs players earned three unanimous First-Team All-American selections, two consensus First-Team All-American honors, three multi-year All-American selections, and two conference player of the year selections. All three players still hold records at their colleges to this day. Each player was made a first-round draft pick in the NFL, but only two were selected in the draft by Kansas City.
Without further ado, here are the latest Chiefs players heading into the College Football Hall of Fame:
Eric Berry selected to the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class.
Former Vol Eric Berry was selected to the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class Monday.
Berry played defensive back at Tennessee from 2007-09.
He appeared in 39 games at Tennessee, totaling 245 tackles, three sacks, 17.5 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 31 pass deflections and 14 interceptions.
Berry came to Tennessee from Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia.
The former Vol was selected No. 5 overall in the first round during the 2010 NFL draft by Kansas City.
Berry becomes the 26th Vol to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
22 of the 26 inductees were enshrined as players and four as coaches. The 22 players represent the most of any program in the SEC and the eighth-most nationally.
Motivational speaker Inky Johnson shed light on his friendship with former #Chiefs S Eric Berry, whom he helped through his cancer diagnosis. | from @EdEastonJr
The everyday life of football players has its own set of challenges that have little to do with the game’s final score. The relationships formed amongst the players around the league have also carried on past their playing days.
The relationship between former Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry and former college football player turned motivational speaker Inky Johnson was displayed on a recent episode of “The Pivot Podcast.” Johnson was a guest on a show hosted by former NFL Stars Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor & Ryan Clark. He explored the close friendship he’s had with Berry and the assistance he gave during his cancer diagnosis in 2014.
“EB is like a little brother to me,” said Johnson. “When he got drafted, I’ll never forget when he called me, and he was like, ‘Big bro, I’m gonna wear 29. I was like, ‘You ain’t gotta do that. Your dad played; wear your dad’s number. You’re a great player, rock your own number, you ain’t gotta wear a number for me.’”
Johnson was a former college football defensive back for the University of Tennessee before his career ended prematurely in 2006 due to injury. He was expected to be an NFL draft pick that year and was left paralyzed in his right arm after a tackle in a game against Air Force. He has since dedicated his life to helping others, including members of the University of Tennessee football program. He was honored to have played the role of a big brother to Berry.
“We all know how EB plays the game, and to be able to watch him every Sunday when he did play, it was special for me and my family,” said Johnson, “Because we know what that number meant, but also the relationship that me and EB cultivated.”
In December of 2014, Berry was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and forced to sit out the rest of that season. He endured an entire offseason of chemotherapy to be declared cancer-free for the following season eventually. Johnson discussed a personal moment between the two that helped motivate Berry’s 2015 Comeback Player of the Year win.
“‘Bro, we going to treat this like camp. Every single day you show up, you gonna do your thing, you handle your business, and you gonna beat it,’” Johnson told Berry. “I remember seeing him. We was at church, and this is when his hair was coming out. I saw him, and I saw his spirit; his spirit was still strong, but his hair was coming out at the time. I was like, ‘How you doing 2-9, you good?’ He’s like ‘Ink, I’m good. I’m getting through it.’”
Berry, of course, did get through it. The friendship of Berry and Johnson is an example of the special bond players build in this game, just by sharing their stories and struggles. It took great strength for Berry to finish his career on his terms and one day his story will help empower others to do the same.
The rookie is getting compared to a former All-Pro safety.
The Miami Dolphins defense has really turned a corner in recent weeks. During their five-game winning streak, they’ve held opponents to just 11 points per game and have moved up to the 11th-best scoring defense on the year.
Josh Boyer’s unit has seen the veterans play at the top of their game, and the young players have adjusted well to the level of competition and have improved quickly.
Everybody is noticing how well these young guys are playing, including some of their own top talent like Xavien Howard. On Richard Sherman’s podcast, the Dolphins cornerback compared safety Jevon Holland to one of the best players at the position in recent memory.
“He gonna be a great safety in this league, bro,” Howard said. “He rangy as hell, bro. The crazy part, he remind me of Eric Berry. I never told him that, but he remind me of Eric Berry, but I never told him that though. I think he gonna be special, bro.”
Berry was a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2010 and played with them until 2018. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro, and if it hadn’t been for a torn Achilles and heel injury in his last two seasons, Berry could still be playing to this day.
For Howard to drop Berry’s name in comparison to his rookie teammate, that’s extremely high praise and respect for Holland. He has had a great start to his career, and if he continues on this trajectory, a similar career is a lofty goal, but it isn’t out of the question.
Two defensive linemen are where the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2021 dead money comes from.
Things are looking good for the Kansas City Chiefs this year in terms of their dead money. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, dead money is essentially the guaranteed salary remaining on the contract of a player who has been released.
As of last February, the Chiefs had the fourth-most dead money for the 2020 NFL season with $8.1 million. Nearly the entirety of that dead money charge was due to the six-year, $78-million-dollar contract that then-Chiefs GM John Dorsey gave to Eric Berry back in 2017.
Berry’s release back in 2019 saved the Chiefs nearly $10 million against the salary cap that year, but they also paid for the release over the past two seasons. They incurred a total of over $15 million in dead money charged against the salary cap from 2019-2020. They would have had to pay that all in 2019, but they spread it out with the June 1 designation. Now, two years removed from his release, the team is finally cleared of any salary cap obligations related to Berry’s contract.
Heading into the 2021 NFL season, the Chiefs are much better off. They have the 13th-lowest in dead money charges, with just under $2.7 million according to OverTheCap. That number can still change as Chiefs GM Brett Veach makes roster decisions to get the team under the salary cap, but right now it’s in a pretty good place. The Chiefs also don’t have to release any players in order to get under a salary cap of $180 million. The salary cap is expected to be higher once the number is finalized, but that’s the NFL’s current floor for 2021.
Only two contracts make up the dead money charges that the team is currently dealing with. The first is the 2020 release of former second-round draft pick Breeland Speaks. Speaks will carry a $629K hit against the salary cap in 2021 and then the team will be clear of any salary cap charges related to the failed draft pick.
The rest of the dead money comes from the 2020 contract restructure of DE Alex Okafor. When his 2021 contract year voided on Feb. 23, it cost the Chiefs $2 million in dead money. They used the cap space freed last year to re-sign WR Marcus Kemp and add C Daniel Kilgore. It also left some money free so the team could add RB Le’Veon Bell in the middle of the season.
Dead money is really the cost of doing business in the NFL, but it’s worth noting that the Chiefs are in a much better place now than they were just a few seasons ago. There are teams spending upwards of $40 million this season on players who aren’t on their roster. Luckily, Kansas City isn’t one of the teams dealing with that anymore. As things currently stand, they also don’t have any dead money on the books for the 2022 NFL season. That could change, but the Chiefs would be wise to keep the dead money low moving forward.
Two defensive linemen are where the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2021 dead money comes from.
Things are looking good for the Kansas City Chiefs this year in terms of their dead money. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, dead money is essentially the guaranteed salary remaining on the contract of a player who has been released.
As of last February, the Chiefs had the fourth-most dead money for the 2020 NFL season with $8.1 million. Nearly the entirety of that dead money charge was due to the six-year, $78-million-dollar contract that then-Chiefs GM John Dorsey gave to Eric Berry back in 2017.
Berry’s release back in 2019 saved the Chiefs nearly $10 million against the salary cap that year, but they also paid for the release over the past two seasons. They incurred a total of over $15 million in dead money charged against the salary cap from 2019-2020. They would have had to pay that all in 2019, but they spread it out with the post-June 1 designation. Now, two years removed from his release, the team is finally cleared of any salary cap obligations related to Berry’s contract.
Heading into the 2021 NFL season, the Chiefs are much better off. They have the 13th-lowest in dead money charges, with just under $2.7 million according to OverTheCap. That number can still change as Chiefs GM Brett Veach makes roster decisions to get the team under the salary cap, but right now it’s in a pretty good place. The Chiefs also don’t have to release any players in order to get under a salary cap of $180 million. The salary cap is expected to be higher once the number is finalized, but that’s the NFL’s current floor for 2021.
Only two contracts make up the dead money charges that the team is currently dealing with. The first is the 2020 release of former second-round draft pick Breeland Speaks. Speaks will carry a $629K hit against the salary cap in 2021 and then the team will be clear of any salary cap charges related to the failed draft pick.
The rest of the dead money comes from the 2020 contract restructure of DE Alex Okafor. When his 2021 contract year voided on Feb. 23, it cost the Chiefs $2 million in dead money. They used the cap space freed last year to re-sign WR Marcus Kemp and add C Daniel Kilgore. It also left some money free so the team could add RB Le’Veon Bell in the middle of the season.
Dead money is really the cost of doing business in the NFL, but it’s worth noting that the Chiefs are in a much better place now than they were just a few seasons ago. There are teams spending upwards of $40 million this season on players who aren’t on their roster. Luckily, Kansas City isn’t one of the teams dealing with that anymore. As things currently stand, they also don’t have any dead money on the books for the 2022 NFL season. That could change, but the Chiefs would be wise to keep the dead money low moving forward.
On the eve of early signing day, Vols Wire recalls the most hyped commits in school history.
As the early signing period quickly approaches, Tennessee football is looking to lock in its 2021 recruiting class. The Tennessee program has been able to sign highly touted prospects over the years.
Along with all of the other College Wire sites, Vols Wire has put together a Mount Rushmore of the greatest recruits in Tennessee football history.
The criteria to make this list fairly simple.
Each player must have signed a national letter of intent out of high school to play for the Vols, and must have taken part in at least one full season at Tennessee.
This is not a list that consists of the greatest players in Tennessee history. It is a list of student-athletes who made the most national headlines when signing to play at the University of Tennessee and who went on to have a productive career for the Vols.
More Mount Rushmores from the College Wire Network:
