University of Tennessee Athletics
NASH, NORTH SELECTED AS LEGENDS OF TENNESSEE FOR CALIFORNIA GAME
August 31, 2006 | Football
Aug. 31, 2006
Tennessee brought in offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe to rejuvenate the Vols' offense in the offseason.
Having these two Legends of Tennessee at his disposal surely could have helped.
One of Peyton Manning's favorite targets and a road-paving center return to Neyland Stadium on Saturday as UT opens its season against California at 5:30 (TV: ESPN). Marcus Nash and Lee North will be on the sidelines as the Vols host the Golden Bears, hoping to see UT kick-off 2006 the right way.
Marcus Nash, WR (1994-97)
A game-breaker like Nash, a wide receiver from 1994-97, would surely be a security blanket for any quarterback. Manning and Nash played all four years together at Rocky Top, with each helping the other etch their names in the UT record books.
Nash caught 177 passes for 2,447 yards - both totals that rank second in school history - and 20 touchdowns in his career at UT. Nash also authored the greatest single season ever for a Vols' wide receiver during the 1997 campaign, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,170 yards and 13 touchdowns- all of which still stand as single season records for UT and helped Nash earn All-SEC honors.
Nash and the Vols wrapped up the record-setting season with a 48-28 win over Northwestern in the Florida Citrus Bowl, improving UT's record to 3-1 in bowl games during Nash's four-year stay in Knoxville.
Nash was drafted in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and played with the team for two seasons. He spent a season with the Baltimore Ravens and another with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, and Nash currently plays with the Las Vegas Gladiators in the Arena Football League.
Lee North, C (1978-81)
Lee North was 1-1 in bowl games with UT, wrapping up his career as an elected captain for the Garden State Bowl champions that dispatched Wisconsin 28-21 thanks to some huge holes opened up front by the two-time All-SEC selection.
North started his career in 1978 as a defensive tackle before moving to the other side of the ball and excelling. North was a quick study, lining up for the Vols' offensive line as a sophomore and setting up a number of big runs for UT in the school's 40-18 win over No. 13 Notre Dame.
North is one of only three former Vols to earn consecutive All-SEC honors at center, and no UT centers have accomplished the feat since North earned his second award in 1981.
North, who played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL, currently lives in Knoxville and works with the 3M Company in the Electrical Markets Division.
