University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Jersey Countdown #26
August 05, 2012 | Football
Aug. 5, 2012
PLAYER SPOTLIGHTWillie Gault
Wide Receiver (1980-82)
Willie Gault was in a class of his own, and his performances spoke for themselves. The speedy receiver earned All-America honors his senior season in 1982 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 as he posted more total yards in kickoff returns (1,854) than in receiving (1,482) and returned five kickoffs for touchdowns in his career, including a school-record 100 yard return against Pittsburgh in 1980. For his career, Gault averaged 16.4 yards each time he touched the football and covered 2,513 total yards in returns.
The Big Orange legend was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1983 draft and played in the NFL for 11 seasons for the Bears and Los Angeles Raiders. He was a member of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX and was part of the team's highly-popular Super Bowl Shuffle rap song and video.
WHY I WORE THE NUMBERJim Watts
Defensive Back (1971-74)
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