Former two-sport Volunteer Todd Helton is returning to Tennessee as the baseball team’s new director of player development. He will help UT players make informed decisions about pursuing professional baseball careers.
“After spending three years at Tennessee and 17 years in the Major Leagues with the Colorado Rockies, I really wanted to give back to this program any way that I can,” Helton said in a school release.
Helton played baseball at Tennessee from 1993-95. As a junior, he hit .407 and led the league in home runs (20), RBIs (92), runs (86), doubles (27), hits (105), walks (61), slugging percentage (.775) and on-base percentage (.522). He also went 8-2 on the mound with a 1.66 ERA and 12 saves. Those numbers earned him player of the year honors from numerous publications as well as SEC’s Male Athlete of the Year Award. He was selected No. 8 overall and went on to spend 17 professional seasons with the Colorado Rockies, where his number is retired at Coors Field.
On the gridiron, Helton played in 13 games in the 1992-94 seasons. He was 41-of-75 passing for 484 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. He made three starts in the ’94 season.
Volunteers fans have speculated whether Helton’s friend and former teammate Peyton Manning will one day join the UT football staff as an assistant coach.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
