When you talk about the great linebackers in Tennessee football history, the name Steve Kiner comes to mind immediately. For three seasons in the late 1960s, Kiner was an absolute terror for opposing offenses. He was everything a linebacker should be: quick and hard-hitting, with a deep love of the game. Kiner played for Coach Doug Dickey from 1967 to 1969. He was SEC Sophomore of the Year in 1967, a year in which the Vols won the SEC and were ranked number two in the nation. Kiner teamed with the great Jack Reynolds to give the Vols a pair of linebackers who were the envy of the nation. Kiner twice led the team in tackles and intercepted nine passes during his career. Ranging far and wide from his linebacker post, he set a standard for all future Vol linebackers. Alabama coaching legend Paul “Bear” Bryant called Kiner the SEC’s best linebacker to play during the late 1960s. A two-time All-America and All-SEC selection, Kiner played in the 1970 Senior Bowl. A third-round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys in 1970, he went on to play professionally with Dallas, New England, Washington, and finally Houston. His playing days ended in 1978. Topping off a brilliant football career, Kiner was in 1990 named to the “100 Years of Volunteers” all-time team, securing his place in the proud annals of UT history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
