Hall of Fame
Position: Center/Guard
Years: 1968-1970
Place of Birth: Atlanta, GA
Date of Birth: Mar 10, 1949
Place of Death: Dalton, Georgia
Date of Death: May 26. 2024
Jersey Number: 50
Height: 6-0
Weight: 240
High School: Avondale (Decatur, GA)
A versatile performer who played both center and guard for the Volunteers, Chip Kell was a powerful blocker with the speed and strength to explode off the ball.
Kell came to the Vols as part of the 1966-67 recruiting class from Avondale High School in Decatur, Georgia. He played center in 1968 as a sophomore and moved to guard in 1969 without missing a beat. The Vols earned an 8-2-1 record in 1968, a 9-2 record and the SEC title in 1969 and an 11-1 mark and final No. 4 ranking in 1970. During his Tennessee varsity career, he and his senior classmates never lost on Shields-Watkins Field, with only a 17-17 tie against Georgia in the 1968 season opener as the only blemish. Kell and his Vol teammates closed their careers with a rousing 34-13 win over Air Force in the 1971 Sugar Bowl, ending their time at Tennessee on a 10-game win streak and an 28-5-1 overall record.
A three-time all-SEC selection, Kell twice won the Jacobs Memorial Award as the top blocker in the Southeast Conference. He was named a consensus All-America in 1969 as the Vols captured the SEC crown and finished 15th nationally. As a senior, Kell was a finalist for the Lombardi Award and upped his All-America status to that of a unanimous selection.
Kell also demonstrated his exceptional strength at shot put. He won both the 1969 Indoor and Outdoor SEC titles and the 1968 Indoor title as well. At his career end, he held the school shot put record with a mark of 58-7, which he set in 1968.
Kell was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 17th round of the 1971 draft, but he opted to play two seasons with the CFL Edmonton Eskimos. After football, Kell entered a long career in coaching and education.
