Tennessee first fielded a football team in 1891. International players have played for the Vols through the years. Student-athletes from Australia, Canada, Germany, Nigeria and Northern Mariana Islands have played at Tennessee.
One player went to Tennessee from Nigeria.
Offensive lineman Chris Akporoghene played for the Vols from 2019-21. He appeared in seven games and graduated with a degree in communications.
Akporoghene transferred to Tulsa in 2022. He appeared in 10 games for the Golden Hurricane. In 2023, he was at Bowling Green and did not play due to injury. Akporoghene transferred to Florida A&M in 2024.
A native of Warri, Nigeria, he began his high school career at The King's Academy in Seymour, Tennessee. With the Lions, the former Vol
received All-State honors from the Tennessee Sports Writers Association as the organization named him to its Division II-A All-State Team.
As a senior in 2018, Akporoghene, played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He helped the team earn a No. 4 national ranking and appeared in nine games.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tennessee football players all time from Nigeria
