Former Tennessee star linebacker Steve Kiner, a College Football Hall of Famer and two-time consensus All-American, died Thursday morning, according to a report from Knoxville’s WBIR-TV. He was 77.
Kiner played for the Vols in 1967-69 and helped them win a pair of SEC championships. They posted a 26-6-1 overall record and a 15-2-1 record in SEC play during his time at Tennessee, and he led the team in tackles twice in addition to intercepting nine passes during his college career.
He was a consensus first-team All-American as a junior in 1968, and he was named SEC defensive player of the year in 1969 while playing alongside teammate Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds. Kiner recorded five interceptions during his senior season, and he finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting in addition to again earning consensus All-America honors. He also was named SEC sophomore of the year in 1967 after playing on Tennessee’s freshman team during the 1966 season.
After wrapping up his college career, Kiner played in the 1970 Senior Bowl and was selected with the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing for the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Houston Oilers.
Kiner was inducted to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, and he was part of the SEC Legends class in 1999. He joined the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
The hard-hitting linebacker, who played at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Fla., rose to prominence in 1967, playing in 10 games for the Vols as a sophomore and helping them post a 9-1 record on the way to a No. 2 final ranking. Kiner intercepted two passes that year, helping Tennessee win the SEC title and earned a trip to the Orange Bowl.
The following year, Kiner was a first-team All-SEC selection despite playing with a broken wrist for much of the season. He helped the Vols set a school record by holding opponents to an average of 93 rushing yards per game. He racked up 12 tackles and intercepted two passes during Tennessee’s 31-0 rout of Ole Miss in 1968, and the Vols went on to finish with an 8-1-1 record.
He left his mark as one of the program’s all-time greats in 1969, lifting Tennessee to its second SEC title in three years as a senior. He also helped the Vols pick up their third consecutive win over rival Alabama.
Kiner’s most prominent performance during his senior season came on Oct. 19, 1969, when he recorded 14 tackles — 11 solo — including five tackles for loss, along with an interception and a forced fumble in a 10-9 victory against the Crimson Tide. Kiner’s showing caused legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant to call Kiner “the best in this league since Leroy Jordan played for us.”
