Tennessee Football Legend Steve Kiner Passes at 77: Uncovering the Legacy of a Hall of Famer
Tennessee football has seen so many heroes over the years, but none who had the heart quite like Steve Kiner. With his passing at age 77, I can’t help but think back on how he was a legend in a linebackers’ hall of fame. Seriously, if Knoxville, Tennessee had a Mount Rushmore for sports legends, Steve Kiner’s face would undoubtedly be chiseled into that mountain. From his days at Hillsborough High in Tampa, where he honed his craft before even stepping onto a college field, to his monumental career with the Volunteers, Kiner was the epitome of grit and greatness. Voted a two-time consensus All-American, he was one of those guys who wore their heart on their sleeve…and their helmet, occasionally, from a hard hit or two. His dedication to Tennessee football resulted in two SEC titles and left an indelivarate mark that the university still talks about. Here was a man who not only made his mark on the field, but off it too, earning a doctorate in clinical psychology and setting up practice. It’s rare to find such a combination of athletic prowess and intellectual fortitude in one package, but Steve Kiner was just that—a fierce linebacker with a compassionate side, ready to tackle life’s challenges head-on. From all accounts, he lived a full life after football, which given his legacy, was just what fans would expect from him. LEARN MORE.
He finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year. In 1999, Kiner was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. He bounced around teams, including stints with the Miami Dolphins, Washington, and a second run with New England, before he was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1974, where he spent the last four years of his career. “This is a tremendous honor for me,” Kiner said during the induction ceremony, “and from the time I was notified, it made me think a lot about my career at Tennessee. To be the first of a number of great linebackers who have played at Tennessee is very special.”
In a 2012 interview with the News Sentinel, former teammate Tim Priest recalled he was told as a sophomore by Kiner, ” ‘You don’t go to class this week. It’s Alabama week. Get ready.’ I did whatever Steve said because he was tough.”Steve Kiner, a former All-American linebacker at Tennessee and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, has died. He was 77.
Kiner is also a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame (1998) and the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame (2016).Phil Kaplan is sports director for the South Region of the USA TODAY Network and sports editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1969, highlighted by 11 tackles, five sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in a 41-14 victory over Alabama. Kiner played high school football at Hillsborough in Tampa, Florida.
He had 10 career interceptions in the NFL. Kiner was the leading tackler in his junior and senior seasons and had nine career interceptions. Tennessee went 26-6-1 in his three years and won two SEC titles in 1967 and 1969. Kiner was fierce and teamed with Jack Reynolds and Jackie Walker to form one of college football’s most formidable linebacking corps.Kiner was named All-SEC and All-America in 1968-69, becoming Dickey’s first player to be a two-time consensus All-American.
Kiner’s career with the Vols began in 1967, joining the program as a sophomore after Florida revoked his scholarship offer. Under coach Doug Dickey, Kiner became an immediate impact player, earning SEC Sophomore of the Year.He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 1970 NFL Draft, but he was traded to the New England Patriots after the season.
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