Hall of Fame
Position: Defensive Back
Years: 2007-09
Place of Birth: Fairburn, GA
Date of Birth: December 29, 1988
Jersey Number: 14
Height: 6-0
Weight: 212
High School: Creekside (Fairburn, GA)
A two-time unanimous First Team All-American, Eric Berry quickly etched his name among the all-time greats in Tennessee history with his acrobatic interceptions and defensive prowess. The Fairburn, Georgia, native now becomes the 22nd Vols player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Berry earned unanimous First Team All-America honors in 2008, and he repeated the feat in 2009. He claimed the Jim Thorpe Award in 2009 as the nation's top defensive back after being a finalist in 2008.
A finalist for the 2009 Nagurski Trophy, he also twice claimed the Jack Tatum Award from the Touchdown Club of Columbus as the nation's top defensive back. Berry helped Tennessee to two bowl berths, including a 21-17 win over Wisconsin in the 2008 Outback Bowl, which gave the Vols a final No. 12 ranking. A Freshman All-American, Berry helped the Vols bring home the SEC East title in 2007.
A three-time All-SEC selection, including First Team honors in 2008 and 2009, Berry was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 after leading the conference with seven interceptions. Playing for Hall of Fame Coach Phillip Fulmer and one year under Lane Kiffin, Berry's tenure in Rocky Top established him as the SEC's all-time leader in career interception return yards (494) and single-season interception return yards (265 in 2008). He also holds the Vol record for career yards (35.3) per interception.
The two-year team captain twice led the Vols in interceptions, collecting five in 2007 and seven in 2008. He finished his career with 245 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, 14 interceptions, 31 passes defended, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
Drafted in the first round (fifth overall) during the 2010 NFL Draft by Kansas City, Berry played with the Chiefs until 2018, making five Pro Bowl appearances and earning First Team All-Pro honors three times. After being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2014, Berry was named the 2015 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Following his NFL career, Berry returned home to Fairburn, and he currently works as an entrepreneur. He established the Eric Berry Foundation in 2011, which provides safe environments for children to participate in sports, and he hosts annual youth football clinics in Atlanta, Kansas City and throughout Tennessee. He has donated more than $100k to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and he installed field turf in Duncan Park (GA) where he learned to play football.
