KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee has a proud football program rich in history and tradition, and over the years many great players have played on Rocky Top.
Vols Wire looks at which players wore each jersey number for the Volunteers.
No. 40
The number was first worn for the Vols by Ralph Eldred in 1937. He played end on Rocky Top and wore the number in 1937 and 1938.
It was later worn by a trio of Knoxville Area high school stars. Former Farragut High School standout Bill Bates, Bearden’s kicker and punter Dustin Colquitt and former Farragut linebacker Nick Reveiz sported the number.
Bates was an All-Pro defensive back and special teams player for the Dallas Cowboys. He is a Super Bowl champion and member of the Farragut High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Colquitt, the son of two-time Super Bowl champion and former UT punter, was an All-American for the Vols and won the 2020 Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dustin’s brother, Britton, also punted for the Big Orange and won a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. The younger Colquitt now plays for the Cleveland Browns.
Reveiz, a linebacker at UT, also has deep roots in the Big Orange family.
Nick’s father, Fuad, and uncle, Carlos, both kicked for Tennessee.
After his playing career, Nick, a member of the Farragut High School Sports Hall of Fame, (going in 2016 with Bates) went on to coach under the late Ken Sparks at nearby Carson-Newman in Jefferson City.
Nick, who also wrestled for Farragut, is now the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Albany State University.
All-time players to wear No. 40 at Tennessee:
Ralph Eldred (1937-38)
Webster Hubbell (1939-41)
Don Shipley (1945)
Dillard Whittier (1946)
Bobby Brengle (1952-54)
Al Carter (1955-57)
Bobby Finley (1958-59)
Jake Pope (1960)
Hal Wantland (1963)
Mike Mondelli (1965-67)
Mike Jones (1968-69)
Kevin Milam (1971)
Ernie Ward (1973-75)
Bobby Emmons (1976-78)
Lyon Fleming (1979)
Bill Bates (1980-82)
Lavosier Fisher (1983-85)
Shazzon Bradley (1988-1991)
Chris Harris (1993)
Billy Ratliff (1996-99)
Dustin Colquitt (2001)
Nick Reviez (2007)
Jake Story (2009)
Chris Cates (2010-11)
Austin Johnson (2008-11)
Raiques Crump (2012-13)
Alex Ellis (2012-13)
Dimarya Mixon (2014-16)
Nick Humphrey (2017)
J.J. Peterson (2018)
Fred Orr (2019)
*Source: 2019 Tennessee Football Media Guide