Latest news with #SECSophomoreoftheYear
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee great Steve Kiner, hailed by Bear Bryant as SEC's best, dies at 77
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Steve Kiner, a stalwart of the Tennessee defense in the late 60s and a College Football Hall of Fame member, has died. He was 77 years old. After playing the 1966 season with the freshman team, Kiner established himself as one of the SEC's most dominant linebackers from 1967 to 1969. The Volunteers captured two SEC championships and a won 15 of their 18 conference matchups during that time. Alcoa's Halle Bailey following mom's famed footsteps to Tennessee softball team He was named 1967 SEC Sophomore of the Year, helping Tennessee earn a berth to the Orange Bowl. As an upperclassman he was All-SEC and All-America in 1968 and 1969, becoming the first Tennessee player under head coach Doug Dickey to twice earn the consensus recognition. Kiner was named 1969 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and finished ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. His remarkable performance in a win over Alabama where he recorded 14 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble prompted legendary Tide coach Bear Bryant to call Kiner 'the best in this league since Leroy Jordan played for us.' CONTINUING COVERAGE: University of Tennessee Football Kiner played nine season in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Houston Oilers. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, the SEC Legends class in 1999 and the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Steve Kiner, Tennessee All-American LB, College Football Hall of Fame member, dies at 77
Steve Kiner, Tennessee All-American LB, College Football Hall of Fame member, dies at 77 Show Caption Hide Caption Knoxville and Neyland Stadium on a Tennessee football game day The experience is unmatched in Knoxville on a Tennessee football game day. Take a look at the excitement! Steve Kiner, a former All-American linebacker at Tennessee and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, died on April 24. He was 77. Kiner's career with the Volunteers began in 1967 as he joined the program as a sophomore after Florida revoked his scholarship offer. Under coach Doug Dickey, Kiner became an immediate impact player, earning SEC Sophomore of the Year. Kiner was fierce and teamed with Jack Reynolds and Jackie Walker to form one of college football's most formidable linebacking corps. Kiner was named All-SEC and All-America in 1968-69, becoming Dickey's first player to be a two-time consensus All-American. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1969, highlighted by 11 tackles, five sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in a 41-14 victory over Alabama. He finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year. In a 2012 interview with the News Sentinel, former teammate Tim Priest recalled he was told as a sophomore by Kiner, " 'You don't go to class this week. It's Alabama week. Get ready.' I did whatever Steve said because he was tough.'' Kiner was the leading tackler in his junior and senior seasons and had nine career interceptions. Tennessee went 26-6-1 in his three years and won two SEC titles in 1967 and 1969. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft, but he was traded to the New England Patriots after the season. He bounced around teams, including stints with the Miami Dolphins, Washington and a second run with New England, before he was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1974, where he spent the last four years of his career. He had 10 career interceptions in the NFL. FLORIDA: Tennessee football has lured notable players from Florida through the years Kiner played high school football at Hillsborough in Tampa, Florida. In 1994, Kiner earned his doctorate in clinical psychology, starting a practice in mental health therapy in Carrollton, Georgia. In 1999, Kiner was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. "This is a tremendous honor for me," Kiner said during the induction ceremony, "and from the time I was notified, it made me think a lot about my career at Tennessee. To be the first of a number of great linebackers who have played at Tennessee is very special." Kiner is also a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (1998) and the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame (2016). Phil Kaplan is sports director for the South Region of the USA TODAY Network and sports editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
