KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It was another successful season for Tennessee’s crop of former players in the National Football League. In total, 21 former Vols saw action in the league this season while numerous others were on rosters throughout the year.
With the playoffs now in full swing, check out how all the former Vols fared this season below.
Four Vols Set to Compete in Divisional Round
On Saturday and Sunday, four VFLs will compete in the 2019 NFL Divisional Playoff Round.
For the Minnesota Vikings, punter Britton Colquitt saw action in all 16 games. He punted the ball 62 times for 2,802 yards, landing 24 punts inside the 20-yard line. The Vikings travel to San Francisco on Saturday to play the 49ers at 4:35 p.m. ET.
Emmanuel Moseley has been a mainstay in the 49ers secondary all season, appearing in all 16 games while starting nine. The VFL collected 50 tackles, defended eight passes and made one interception this season. San Francisco will host Minnesota on Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET.
Punter Dustin Colquitt will represent the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs when they host the Houston Texans on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. ET. Colquitt appeared in all 16 regular-season games, punting the ball 48 times for 2,126 yards while landing 21 inside the 20-yard line.
Zach Fulton started 15 games at guard for Houston this year and helped pave the way for the NFL’s ninth-best rushing attack during the regular season, averaging 125.6 yards per game. Fulton and the Texans will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday.
Witten Shines in Return to the NFL
VFL and future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten came out of retirement to join the Dallas Cowboys for a 16th season and did not disappoint. He amassed 529 yards on 63 catches, finding the end zone four times. Witten ends the season at No. 4 on the NFL’s all-time receptions list with 1,215, which ranks second among tight ends and active players. His 12,977 career receiving yards rank 19th all-time in the NFL’s 100-year history.
Alexander Johnson Has Breakout Season in Denver
Former UT linebacker Alexander “AJ” Johnson had a breakout season for the Denver Broncos. The second-year pro took over a starting role early in the season and finished second on the team with 93 tackles this year. Johnson also had seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Coleman and Moseley Both with Big Years
The Tennessee defensive back duo of Justin Coleman and Emmanuel Moseley both had extremely productive seasons for their respective teams.
Coleman had arguably the best season of his five-year NFL career, finishing with 54 tackles – one away from matching his career high that he set in 2018. During his first year with the Detroit Lions, Coleman led the team with a career-high 13 passes defended and also set a career high with three forced fumbles.
In his second year in the league, Moseley came out of nowhere to become one of the 49ers most reliable defensive backs. After playing in just one game in 2018, Moseley played in all 16 this year and finished tied for fourth on the team with eight passes defended. He also had 50 total tackles, two tackles for loss and intercepted a pass for San Francisco, who finished the regular season with a 13-3 record to capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
Kamara Puts Forth Another Productive Season
While his numbers were slightly down from the previous two seasons, Alvin Kamara was still one of the most versatile and productive players in the NFL this season. Despite missing two games because of injury, Kamara still led the Saints with 797 rushing yards and was third on the team with 533 receiving yards in the regular season. He also scored six touchdowns and helped lead New Orleans to a 13-3 record and NFC South Division title.
The Saints were eliminated from the playoffs by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card round, dropping a heartbreaker in overtime, 26-20. Kamara had seven carries for 21 yards and a touchdown while also making eight catches for 34 yards in the loss.
Regular Season Stats for VFLs
Tyler Bray, QB – Chicago Bears
Did not play Practice Squad
Derek Barnett, DE – Philadelphia Eagles
14 GP/14 GS, 30 tackles, 6.5 sacks
Justin Coleman, DB – Detroit Lions
16 GP/11 GS, 54 tackles, 13 passes defended, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles
Britton Colquitt, P – Minnesota Vikings
16 GP, 62 punts for 2,802 yards, 24 inside the 20-yard line
Dustin Colquitt, P – Kansas City Chiefs
16 GP, 48 punts for 2,126 yards, 21 inside the 20-yard line
Morgan Cox, LS – Baltimore Ravens
16 GP
Jason Croom, TE – Buffalo Bills
Did not play Injured Reserve
Joshua Dobbs, QB – Jacksonville Jaguars
Did not play
Ramon Foster, G – Pittsburg Steelers
14 GP/14 GS
Zach Fulton, G – Houston Texans
15 GP/15 GS
Malik Jackson, DT – Philadelphia Eagles
1 GP/1 GS
Ja’Wuan James, T – Denver Broncos
3 GP/3 GS
Alexander Johnson, LB – Denver Broncos
15 GP/12 GS, 93 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles
Jakob Johnson, FB – New England Patriots
4 GP/3 GS, 1 reception for 5 yards
Colton Jumper, LB – New Orleans Saints
Did not play Injured Reserve
Alvin Kamara, RB – New Orleans Saints
14 GP/9 GS, 171 rushes for 797 yards and five touchdowns, 81 receptions for 533 yards and one touchdown
Daniel McCullers, DT – Pittsburg Steelers
16 GP, 8 tackles, one pass defended
Khalil McKenzie, G – Seattle Seahawks
Did not play Practice Squad
Emmanuel Moseley, DB – San Francisco 49ers
16 GP/9 GS, 50 tackles, 8 passes defended, 1 interception
Michael Palardy, P – Carolina Panthers
16 GP, 75 punts for 3,452 yards, 25 inside 20-yard line
Cordarrelle Patterson, WR – Chicago Bears
16 GP/4 GS, 11 receptions for 83 yards, 17 rushes for 103 yards
Special Teams: 29 kickoff returns for 825 yards and one touchdown.
Kyle Phillips, DE – New York Jets
15 GP/4 GS, 39 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 pass defended
Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB – Detroit Lions
16 GP/3 GS, 37 tackles, 1 forced fumble
Matt Sims, QB – Atlanta Falcons
Did not play Injured Reserve
Luke Stocker, TE – Atlanta Falcons
15 GP/9 GS, 8 receptions for 53 yards
Cameron Sutton, DB – Pittsburgh Steelers
16 GP, 16 tackles, 5 passes defended, 1 interception
Shy Tuttle, DL – New Orleans Saints
16 GP, 1 GS, 18 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, 1 interception
Jason Witten, TE – Dallas Cowboys
16 GP/16 GS, 63 receptions for 529 yards and four touchdowns
Ethan Wolf, TE – Los Angeles Rams
Did not play Practice Squad
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