Tennessee Football's Mount Rushmore: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, and more

Tennessee football has seen a lot of talented players throughout the history of the program. They have won 13 conference championships and a pair of national championships, so some outstanding players have worn the orange jersey over the years.

In this article, we're going to be creating the Mount Rushmore of Tennessee football players. Will your favorite make the cut?

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Peyton Manning

One of the greatest quarterbacks in history has a definitive spot on the Tennessee football Mount Rushmore.

Peyton Manning didn't win the Heisman Trophy during his collegiate career from 1994-1997 but was top-eight in voting in three of those years. He started all four seasons and finished going 863-of-1381 (62.5% completion percentage) for 11,201 yards with 89 touchdowns to 33 interceptions.

Despite not being much of a running threat, he also added 12 rushing touchdowns to his ledger, too. To this day, Manning leads the Volunteers in career passing yards and touchdowns so it's a lock for him to 'Omaha' his way onto this list.

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Reggie White

One of the most feared defensive linemen in college football history, Reggie White was a force to be reckoned with.

He dealt with some injuries throughout his Tennessee football career but still recorded 32 sacks from 1980-1983. That includes a monster senior season, where he had 15 sacks and 100 tackles.

In a win over The Citadel, White recorded four sacks, and that record stood for over 30 years. When he was playing injured, he was great, but when healthy, White was one of the most dominant players ever seen.

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Tennessee football Mount Rushmore: Joey Kent

Joey Kent was one of the best wide receivers the Tennessee Volunteers have ever had.

He was with the program from 1993-1996, and his incredible numbers overlapped a bit with Manning's. Kent was able to be the primary target. During his college career, he finished with 183 receptions for 2,814 yards (15.4 yards per catch) with 25 touchdowns.

He still holds the program records for catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns almost 30 years after hanging it up for Tennessee. The best wide receiver definitely belongs on this list.

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Doug Atkins

If you know Tennessee football, it should be no surprise to hear this name, as Doug Atkins is one of three retired numbers in the program's history.

Atkins was a huge reason for the program having a 29-3-1 record, as he was a force on the defensive line. He was part of the Vols program from 1950-1953. He finished with three interceptions with one returned to the house and three punt returns with one returned to the house, too.

He was arguably the most feared player, as he was the first to be inducted into the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame. He also was named to the SEC's Player of the Quarter Century Team (1950-1974). Omitting him from this list would either be criminal or ignorant.