The center of attention wearing jersey No. 57
By Tom Mattingly
When the news arrived the morning of April 25 that former Tennessee linebacker and College Football Hall of Fame member Steve Kiner (June 12, 1947-April 25, 2025) now belonged to the ages, the memory banks worked overtime recalling his impact on the Vol program.
Kiner was a starter from the beginning, the center of attention wearing jersey No. 57.
He was the 1967 SEC “Sophomore of the Year,” a year in which the Vols were 9-2 overall and 6-0 against the SEC. The Vols won their first SEC title since 1956 and repeated in 1969.
Kiner was fast enough to cover the field sideline to sideline, while Jack (“Hacksaw”) Reynolds, his sophomore running mate at linebacker, anchored the middle. His head coach, Doug Dickey, once said that Kiner was as fast (or faster) than many of the offensive backs he was chasing.
The 1967 Alabama game was something special. Tennessee went to Birmingham with a third-string quarterback (Bubba Wyche), two sophomore linebackers (Kiner and Reynolds) and a whole bunch of other sophomores in key spots. The Vols were ranked No. 7, Alabama No. 6 (AP).
It also didn’t hurt that the Vols also had one of the best offensive lines in school history. The final score was 24-13, Tennessee – the Vols’ first win over the Tide since 1960. It was a memorable time in Big Orange Country.
The Vol performance that October day had to have had a positive impact on prep prospects in Tampa, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Kingsport, Jackson, Johnson City, Nashville and Oliver Springs, Tennessee. That’s where some of the top prospects for the 1966 freshman class were located, and the Vols got them all: Kiner, Reynolds, Vic Dingus, Don McLeary, John Rippetoe, Mike Jones and Gary Kreis.
Kiner was a two-time All-American and All-SEC selection in 1968 and 1969. He was the 1969 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
The Vols were 26-6-1 during his tenure, playing in the Orange, Cotton, and Gator Bowls against Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida, respectively.
In the 1969 Alabama game, a 41-14 Vol triumph, he had 5 sacks, 14 tackles, 5 assists, 4 quarterback hurries, an interception, and a forced fumble. He was named National Lineman of the Week.
During his career, he was 3-0 against Alabama and never lost a game on Shields-Watkins Field. “He was the best linebacker in this league since Lee Roy Jordan played for us,” said Bear Bryant.
In 1969, Tennessee was ahead comfortably in the fourth quarter, as Dickey was ready to unleash a number of subs on the Crimson Tide. Before Kiner came off the field to the Vols’ bench area, he unleashed a memorable (and unprecedented) tirade directed toward players wearing crimson jerseys. His comments were a frontal assault on the Vols’ long-time rival.
“Look over there at that poor old man,” he said. “Can you see him? You sorry guys have let him down. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”
After the game, he told how happy he was to have been a part of beating Alabama for a third straight year. “But, I swear, I can remember when there was some pride associated with wearing those red jerseys,” he said.
He was an alternate captain of the 1969 team. He was ninth in the 1969 Heisman Trophy vote with 109 votes.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
We were talking one day when someone noticed Steve’s fingers went in all different directions and how his knuckles showed the impact of hand-to-hand combat in college and in the NFL.
His response? He pointed at each finger and offered the name of a running back he had to tackle. That made the point succinctly.
Is Kiner the best linebacker in Tennessee football history? There are three Tennessee linebackers in the College Football Hall of Fame, Kiner (1967-69, 1999), Frank Emanuel (1964-66, 2004), and Al Wilson (1995-98, 2021). The answer is not an easy one, because their careers speak for themselves. You can make an excellent case for each to be so honored.
Emanuel led the way in 1965. The Vols played in the school’s first bowl game since 1957 and compiled a record of 8 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties, defeating Tulsa in a rain-swept Bluebonnet Bowl.
Wilson willed the Vols to the national championship in 1998 with a leadership style that brought out the best in his teammates. He earned the respect of everybody connected with the Vol program.
You can get in a whole bunch of trouble comparing players across the generations. Each of them has a great deal to offer, from the way they played on the field to their leadership over the course of their careers. Those of us who saw each of them in action or heard the voices of George Mooney, John Ward, and Bob Kesling on the Vol Network can readily attest to their bona fides.
Steve Kiner was 77 when he left this earth, but through the magic of videotape and the collective memories of those who watched him play, his place in Tennessee football history is secure. He gave his all for the Vols play after play, game after game, and season after season. He definitely earned the title “Vol For Life.”
