Aug. 7, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET
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.
Two players went to Tennessee from Germany: Constantin Ritzmann and Jakob Johnson.
Ritzmann was a defensive end for the Vols from 1999-2003. He became a starter midway through his junior season. Ritzmann was a captain as a senior and led Tennessee to a victory at Miami, ending the nation’s longest home win streak.
Following his college career with the Vols, he played two seasons in the NFL. Ritzmann signed with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent. He played for the Bills from 2004-05 and Atlanta in 2005. Ritzmann made Buffalo’s opening day roster in 2004, becoming the first German born non-kicker to appear on an opening day NFL roster. He concluded his football career in NFL Europa with the Berlin Thunder.
Johnson played at Tennessee from 2014-17. He began his football career with the Stuttgart Scorpions U19 before moving to Jacksonville, Florida.
After his college career, Johnson returned to Stuttgart and played for the Scorpions in the German Football League in 2018. He totaled 43 receptions for 474 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson also recorded 45 rushing yards on 10 attempts, while appearing in 12 games.
The former Vol entered the NFL through an International Pathway Program and signed with New England’s practice squad in 2019. He was promoted to an active roster on Sept. 21, 2019, becoming the first player from the International Pathway Program to be activated and play in a NFL game. Johnson played for the Patriots from 2019-21, Las Vegas (2022-23), the Giants (2024) and Houston (2025).
