Most football historians consider Reggie White to be the greatest defensive lineman ever to play the game. So even today, as the Chattanooga area continues to produce impressive talent at that position, each new high school star draws immediate comparisons to the former Howard and University of Tennessee star who went on to NFL fame.
So while former Marion County running back and linebacker Eric Westmoreland tops the Times Free Press sports department's list of the area's top 20 players of the past 20 years, it seems only fitting that seven of the players on the list are defensive linemen. That is by far the most of any position and includes City's Tony Brown, Howard's Terdell Sands, Tyner's Demonte Bolden and Greg Smith, Ooltewah's Jacques Smith, McCallie's Jason Hall and North Jackson's Kenny Smith.
"I always took it as a compliment any time somebody said my name in the same sentence with Reggie White," said Sands, who played with the Oakland Raiders for seven seasons. "I always wanted to live up to that and prove this is just what we do from where I'm from. Every few years we have a kid from around here that's special, and it is kind of funny that so many of them are D-linemen.
"I'm impressed that our area produces these type kids."
Brown has been a four-year starter for the Tennessee Titans, missing just two games in that time, and is considered one of the team's most consistent defensive players.
Bolden and Ooltewah's Smith were both rated the state's top overall prospect coming out of high school. Bolden became a two-year starter at UT before playing briefly in the Canadian Football League, and Smith is expected to take over a starting role at end this season for the Volunteers.
Kenny Smith, who was recruited as both a tight end and defensive end by numerous SEC schools, signed with Tennessee. However, academic problems cut his college career short. Similarly, Greg Smith was a highly touted defensive tackle who signed with Auburn but never played for the Tigers. Grade issues and weight concerns led him to transfer and eventually finish his career at NAIA member Cumberland University.