KNOXVILLE — A former University of Tennessee football player is returning to Knoxville to be a high school coach.
Robert Ayers, who played for the Volunteers from 2005-08, has accepted a job as an assistant coach at Knoxville Catholic High School. He fills a vacancy for the Irish that was created when Kris White left the program to become the head coach at Moore County High School in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
White served as a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under head coach Steve Matthews.
Ayers, a Jersey City, New Jersey native, came to UT in 2004 as an outside linebacker. He redshirted and moved to defensive end in 2005 and was an All-Southeastern Conference standout in 2008.
Ayers, who attended high school in South Carolina, started as a senior for the Volunteers during his breakout senior season. He led the SEC with 15.5 tackles for a loss.
During the 2008 campaign, he also posted 49 tackles, three sacks, six quarterback pressures and an interception.
He was a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the 18th overall pick, and was selected by the Denver Broncos.
Ayers played in Denver until 2013. He also played for the New York Giants (2014-15) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-17).
He signed a one-year deal with Detroit the following year and was released after just one day in training camp.
Ayers officially retired from the NFL in 2019 after recording 257 career tackles, 35 sacks, 14 pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown.