KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Three Tennessee football greats will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame later this year.
Charles McRae, Antone Davis, and the late Reggie Cobb are the first members of the 2026 induction class to be revealed. More inductees will be announced over the coming weeks ahead of the induction ceremony on July 11 in Nashville.
McRae was a standout offensive lineman who earned All-SEC and All-American honors while playing under legendary Tennessee coaches Johnny Major and Phillip Fulmer. He selected seventh overall in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played several seasons before joining the Oakland Raiders in 1996.
The Clinton High School graduate was enshrined on the school’s Wall of Fame in 2011 and joined the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
Davis, a fellow offensive lineman, was picked one spot after McRae in the NFL Draft. It marked the first time in league history that two college teammates who played the same position were selected back-to-back. He was a unanimous All-American, Jacobs Trophy winner, and Outland Trophy finalist in his senior season on Rocky Top. He started 87 games over seven NFL seasons, including five with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cobb starred at Central High School in Knoxville before a historic career on Rocky Top from 1986 to 1989. He is one of Tennessee’s all-time leading rushers, with over 2,300 career yards. His 1,721 all-purpose yards in 1987 stood as a school single-season record for nearly 25 years before Cordarrelle Patterson eclipsed the mark in 2012.
He went on to a seven-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, rushing for over 3,700 career yards and scoring 27 total touchdowns. He died in 2019 at the age of 50.
“These three men represent excellence at the highest levels of Tennessee football,” said Brad Willis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “Each left a distinct legacy at the University of Tennessee, went on to compete at the professional level, and continued to influence the game and their communities long after their playing careers ended. We are proud to recognize Charles McRae, Antone Davis, and Reggie Cobb as members of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026.”
