Tennessee's Berry trumps Tebow in SEC vote

The Orlando Sentinel

There is one player who got more total votes than Tim Tebow on the media's all-SEC team.

He's got his own Heisman Trophy campaign, too.

So who dare challenge Tebow's supremacy?

Eric Berry, defensive back, Tennessee.

The former star at Creekside High School in South Fulton has quickly become known as one of hardest hitters in the country, and one of the nation's best players in the defensive backfield. He has started all 26 games he has played in for the Vols. Last season he was the first Tennessee player to get unanimous All-America honors since 1990.

Berry needs just 15 interception return yards to break the NCAA record of 501 set by FSU's Terrell Buckley from 1989-91. Bank on him getting that in the season opener against Western Kentucky on Sept. 5.

For all of his talent and exploits, Tennessee has launched a Heisman Trophy campaign for the 5-foot-11, 203-pound Berry. Charles Woodson is the only primary defensive player to win the award, beating out Tennessee QB Peyton Manning in 1997.

"That would be cool, being put in the same category as Charles Woodson," said Berry, who got 62 out of 64 votes on the media All-SEC team. Tebow got 61.

"But I'd rather be in the same category as USC and Florida with the national championship, the SEC championship. That's a bigger accomplishment in my eyes. That's what we're trying to get done."

New Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin raved about Berry at SEC Media Days last week. Kiffin's father, Monte Kiffin, is Tennessee's defensive coordinator and has fallen in love with his best player. Monte, who was the Bucs' defensive coordinator for 13 years, should know a thing or two about NFL talent and he sees plenty of it from Berry, who is already rated as one of the top prospects for the 2010 draft.

"He made a statement, 'I don't know how he couldn't be the first pick of the draft,'" Lane Kiffin said of his father. "I think that's a pretty powerful statement about Eric.

"[My dad] has been tirelessly watching so much film from last year. He continues to get so excited about using Eric in different ways. He's not had a safety over the years that he's been able to play at nickel, a bigger safety that couldn't play guys man-to-man. There aren't very many guys like that. There aren't very many guys in the NFL like that."

There might be other Berrys on their way to Knoxville, too. Berry's brother, Evan Berry, made headlines earlier this summer when he committed to Tennessee ... as a 13-year-old ... who hasn't played a down of high school football yet. Their father, James Berry, also played for the Vols. Tennessee isn't allowed to offer scholarships to players as young as James, and oral commitments are nonbinding.

"I'm excited about it," Eric Berry said. "I know my brother better than anybody else. He loves Tennessee. He already loves Coach Kiffin and the staff. I'm very excited to see him carry on the Orange bloodline."

Berry is far and away the best player the Vols have as they try to improve on a 5-7 season. There might not be a more anticipated matchup when the Gators and the Vols play in Gainesville on Sept. 19 than Berry vs. Tebow. When Tebow decides to run, will Berry deliver one of his crushing hits?

Or will Tebow deliver one of his?