IRVING, Texas – Tennessee football legends Willie Gault (1979-82), Bobby Majors (1969-71) and Al Wilson (1995-98) were announced to the 2021 National Football Foundation (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame ballot, the organization announced Tuesday.

The 2021 list includes 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.

The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Courts, which will deliberate and select the class.

The announcement of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2021, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7, 2021, at the New York Hilton Midtown.

A total of 24 Volunteers have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including Peyton Manning most recently in 2017.

To view the complete list of players and coaches on the 2021 ballot, click here (PDF).

Vols on the 2021 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot

Willie Gault – WR/Return Specialist (1979-82)
Gault was one of the fastest receivers in college football history. He earned first-team All-America honors his 1982 senior season after hauling in 50 receptions for 668 yards. Gault, also a prolific hurdler and sprinter for Tennessee, finished his career with the Vols holding 12 school records in football and three in track and field. Half of his football records were SEC records as well. He had more total yards in kickoff returns (1,854) than in receiving (1,482) and returned five kickoffs for touchdowns in his career. Gault averaged 16.4 yards each time he touched the football. As a sophomore in 1980, he tied the then-NCAA record for most touchdowns by kick return in a single season with three. Gault led UT to three bowl game appearances before going onto an 11-year career in the NFL. He was a member of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX title squad, catching four passes for 129 yards in the victory.

Bobby Majors – DB/Return Specialist (1969-71)
Majors, a standout defensive back for UT from 1969-71, was named a first-team All-SEC performer twice and earned unanimous first-team All-America honors 1971. A native of Sewanee, Tennessee, Majors set the school record for interceptions in a single season, leading the SEC with 10 in 1970. Majors was also a dangerous return man as he holds numerous Tennessee records for punt and kick returns. His 117 punts returned, 1,163 punt return yards and four punt return touchdowns all still rank first all time at UT. Majors led the Vols to win in the 1971 Sugar Bowl and 1972 Liberty Bowl before being selected in the third round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Al Wilson – LB (1995-98)
Remembered as one of the greatest leaders in program history, Wilson played linebacker and was a captain on UT’s 1998 team that won the inaugural BCS National Championship. Wilson was the Vols’ only All-American on the 1998 national championship team, earning consensus first-team honors. The Jackson, Tennessee, native ranked third on the team in tackles that year with 77 despite missing three games to injury. His highlight was a 12-tackle performance against Florida in which he set a school record with three forced fumbles. Wilson also helped lead the Vols to four straight AP top 10 finishes and back-to-back SEC championships in 1997 and 1998. He was a two-time first-team All-SEC pick as well as a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and a semifinalist for the Butkus Award as a senior. Wilson was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos in 1999 and went on to have a stellar pro career, making five Pro Bowls and earning All-Pro honors twice in his eight-year career.

-UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt announced Monday that A.J. Artis has been named director of football sports performance. Artis, who has played a valuable role in the strength and conditioning development of the Volunteers since 2018, replaces Craig Fitzgerald, who accepted a similar position with the New York Giants earlier this spring.

“A.J. understands the standard we expect in this role and will continue to push our strength and conditioning efforts to the forefront of college football,” Pruitt said. “Since he first joined our staff in 2018, he has helped instill physical and mental toughness in our program through his contagious energy, hard work and innovation. Our players have tremendous respect for him, and I have no doubt they will continue to develop under his mentorship.”

“I would like thank Coach Pruitt and Coach Fulmer for the opportunity to lead a great group of young men,” Artis said. “I will give my all to our student-athletes and the Tennessee football program. I am excited for this opportunity and look forward to helping Vol football continue its resurgence.”

Artis’ staff includes assistant football sports performance directors Mike Farrell, Byron Jerideau and Shaq Wilson, all of whom enter their third season with the program. Artis joined Pruitt’s staff in January 2018 and served alongside Fitzgerald as the Vols became one of the fittest teams in the country.

Prior to his arrival in Knoxville, Artis spent two seasons at Duke working as assistant director of strength and conditioning. He joined the Blue Devils in the summer of 2016 and primarily trained the football and field hockey programs. He also helped direct high-performance efforts with several other varsity sports. The Duke field hockey squad he trained in 2016 was ranked in the top five for the entire season and advanced to the NCAA Championships.

Artis collaborated with head football sports performance coach Noel Durfey during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The 2017 Blue Devils won the Quick Lane Bowl led by future NFL first round draft choice Daniel Jones, who Artis worked with.

Artis’ time at Duke was preceded by stints at Appalachian State and Campbell. As a graduate assistant at Appalachian State, he worked with the Mountaineers football program, which recorded its first-ever bowl win during his tenure. Appalachian State, in just its second season in the Football Bowl Subdivision, beat Ohio in the 2015 Crampton Bowl. Artis also oversaw the strength and conditioning efforts of the Mountaineers’ field hockey and golf programs.

At Campbell, he logged valuable experience with football, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, softball, track & field and wrestling.
Artis was a three-year football letterman at Campbell from 2012-14, playing wide receiver as an underclassmen before transitioning to tight end his last two seasons. He was a three-time academic honor roll member and graduated with a degree in exercise science in 2015. He later earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Appalachian State in 2017.

A native of Eden, North Carolina, Artis is married to the former D Janelle Brown of Edmond, Oklahoma.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: August 14, 1993
Hometown: Eden, North Carolina
Education: Bachelor’s in exercise science (Campbell, 2015); Master’s in exercise science (Appalachian State, 2017)
Playing Experience: Campbell, WR/TE (2011-14)
Wife: Janelle

COACHING HISTORY
2014-15: Campbell, Strength and Conditioning Intern
2015-16: Appalachian State, Strength and Conditioning Graduate Assistant
2016-18: Duke, Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning
2018-20: Tennessee, Assistant Director of Football Sports Performance
2020-present: Tennessee, Director of Football Sports Performance

-UT Athletics