University of Tennessee Athletics
All-Americans
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Berry, Eric
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Jersey Number 14
Eric Berry
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Year(s) Awarded:
- 2008, 2009
- Hometown:
- Fairburn, Ga.
- High School:
- Creekside
Bio
It didn't take Eric Berry long to put his name among the all-time Tennessee greats, earning consensus All-America honors in just his sophomore season. At regular season's end, Berry was tied for the national lead in interceptions with seven and had set school and SEC records for interception return yards in season (265) and in a career (487). He finished third on the team with 72 tackles and posted 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks as well. Berry twice earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors; first after breaking the SEC career interception return yardage record vs. Mississippi State and again after breaking the SEC single-season record at Vanderbilt. Through his first two seasons on Rocky Top, Berry posted 158 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 12 interceptions, which rank ninth on UT's all-time career list.
Career Totals
- Tackles: 245
- Tackle for Loss: 17.5
- Sacks: 3
- Forced Fumbles: 2
- Fumble Recoveries: 4
- Fumble Recovery Return Yards: 103
- Interceptions: 14
- Interception Return Yards: 494
- Touchdowns (INT): 3
- Passes Defended: 31
CAREER HONORS
- 2009 All-America NCAA Consensus and Unanimous (AFCA, Sporting News, Associated Press, Football Writers and Walter Camp)
- 2009 Jim Thorpe Award (Nation's Best Defensive Back by Jim Thorpe Athletic Club)
- 2009 All-SEC Coaches and Associated Press
- 2009 Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team
- 2009 Vince Dooley Award (Top Defensive Back in Southeast by Touchdown Club of Atlanta)
- 2009 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Male Amateur Athlete of the Year
- 2009 Tennessee Sports Writers Player of the Year
- 2009 Lott Trophy Player of the Year Finalist
- 2009 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Finalist
- 2009 Lott Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 20 and Nov. 11)
- 2009 CBS Player of the Game (Sept. 19)
- 2008 All-America NCAA Consensus and Unanimous (AFCA, Sporting News, Associated Press, Football Writers and Walter Camp)
- 2008 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Coaches and Associated Press
- 2008 All-SEC Coaches and Associated Press
- 2008 Jim Thorpe Award Finalist
- 2008 Jack Tatum Award (Nation[apos]s Best Defensive Back by Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio)
- 2008 Vince Dooley Award (Top Defensive Back in Southeast by Touchdown Club of Atlanta)
- 2008 Draddy Throphy and Bednarik Award Semifinalist
- 2008 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Male Amateur Athlete of the Year
- 2008 Tennessee Sports Writers Player of the Year
- 2008 SEC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 20 and Nov. 24)
- 2007 National Defensive Freshman of the Year Collegefootballnews.com
- 2007 Freshman All-America FWAA, Rivals.com and Collegefootballnews.com
- 2007 All-SEC Coaches (2nd) and Associated Press (2nd)
- 2007 SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year Sporting News
- 2007 Freshman All-SEC Coaches, Rivals.com and Sporting News
- 2007 SEC Freshman of the Week (Nov. 10 and 24)
- 2007 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll
2009 - JUNIOR
- Tennessee's most decorated footballer of this decade added the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation's top defensive back
- Unanimous All-America for second straight year
- Selected to both coaches and writers All-SEC teams
- Finalist for Nagurski and Lott trophies
- Twice this season earned Lott Trophy National Defensive Player of the Week honors, making Berry a three-time recipient for career
- Led all SEC defensive backs and second on team with 87 tackles
- Led team with 19 defensive big plays, which included seven pass breakups, seven tackles for loss (minus-21 yards), two fumble returns (48 yards), two interceptions (seven yards) and one forced fumble
- Departed as active NCAA leader and second in major college history with 494 interception return yards
- Finished fifth in UT history with 14 interceptions, and tied for sixth in total passes defensed with 30
- Made diving pick against Tim Tebow for second interception in three career games against the Heisman Trophy quarterback -- both picks coming at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Tied for team lead in interceptions with two in 2009, becoming first player in Vols history to lead UT in that category three consecutive seasons
- Recorded double-figure tackles against UCLA (10), Florida (11) and Auburn (14), giving him seven such games for three-year career
- Had a 46-yard fumble return against Georgia, pushing his career yardage total for that category to 103 - that fumble return was Tennessee's longest since Berry ran one back 52 yards against South Carolina in 2007
2008 - SOPHOMORE
- First Tennessee player to claim unanimous All-America honors since 1990
- Led nation with 265 interception return yards, and his seven interceptions tied for tops naitonally
- Only player in 2008 with an interception in seven different games
- First two interceptions of season were returned for 0 and 1 yard, then had five picks for 264 yards
- Had interception returns for TDs against Mississippi State (72 yards) and Vandy (45 yards) - also had big returns against Georgia (54 yards), South Carolina (47 yards) and Northern Illinois (46 yards)
- Owns interception return records for UT season (previously stood 37 years), UT career (39 years), SEC season (52 years) and SEC career (59 years)
- 72 tackles placed him third on UT team and 18th among SEC leaders
- Led team in tackles vs. Mississippi State (10) and tied for team honors vs. UAB (7)
- Recorded first career sack against Florida
- Season-high 11 tackles against Alabama
- Joined Dan Williams as only Vols with at least three tackles in all 12 games
- Never had fewer than three tackles in game in his career
2007 - FRESHMAN
- SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year by Sporting News
- Consensus Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC
- Second team All-SEC selection by Coaches and Writers
- Finished freshman season with five interceptions for 222 interception return yards, breaking old Tennessee mark of 177 yards set by Bobby Majors in 1970
- Led all SEC freshmen with 86 tackles
- Twice named SEC Freshman of the Week in final three weeks
- First honored after breaking 37-year-old UT record in win over Arkansas - returned two interceptions against Razorbacks for combined 98 yards
- Set career-high with 14 tackles and had one PBU against Kentucky, earning second SEC freshman honor
- Ranked seventh among SEC interception leaders and ranked third nationally among freshmen
- Interception return yardage total ranked second nationally and second in SEC history book
- Interception return of 96 yards for TD at Florida tied for third-longest in UT history and was longest in 35 years
- Became first defensive player - and just third player overall - in Phillip Fulmer era to start season-opener as true freshman
- Recorded four tackles and first career TFL against Alabama - set up two first-half touchdowns in that game by returning fumble 52 yards and intercepting second career pass and returning it 13 yards
- Had a career-high 14 tackles against Kentucky
- Recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass on consecutive possessions in the third quarter of SEC Championship Game against LSU
- Second interception of season at #12/13 Georgia (9/27), along with three tackles in homecoming
- Career-high eight tackles and broke up a pass at #4/3 Oklahoma (9/13)
- Four stops including a TFL vs. Arkansas State (9/6)
- Began 2014 with third-career interception vs. Utah State (8/31), also made four tackles with a TFL
HIGH SCHOOL
- Parade All-America and selected nation's top cornerback by Rivals.com, Scout.com, ESPN and PrepStar
- U.S. Army All-American Bowl starter
- Gatorade Player of the Year for Georgia and state's No. 1 prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com
- Georgia Player of the Year by Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- G&W Recruiting Report All-America defensive back and Southeast's No. 3 player
- As two-way player, he rushed for more than 1,500 yards and threw for more than 1,000 yards as senior in 2006
- Added three interceptions and more than 40 tackles on defense
- As junior, totaled 67 tackles and five interceptions - rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 12 TDs while passing for 1,100-plus yards and nine touchdowns
- Led team to a combined 37-5 record as four-year starting quarterback
- Also started four years at safety
PERSONAL
- Born: Dec. 29, 1988
- Father, James, was 1981 Vols captain, four-year letterman and three-year starter
FB | Cinematic Recap vs. UAB (9.20.25)
Wednesday, September 24
FB | Braylon Staley Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB | Chris Brazzell II Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB | Rodney Garner Press Conference (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
