As many of you are well aware of by now, I am not high on Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, who only has one year of Division I production under his belt in the form of 46 catches for 778 yards. Patterson also had the lowest catch percentage on the team last season as he was targeted 84 times. (54.8%)
Patterson has not yet been brought in for a pre draft visit, but the Steelers did have a full contingency present at the Volunteers pro day, so below the scouting report of Patterson from our buddy Dave-Te Thomas.
CORDARRELLE PATTERSON
Wide Receiver/Tailback/Return Specialist
University of Tennessee Volunteers
#84
6:02.5-205
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Hutchinson Community College
North Carolina Tech Christian Academy
Northwestern High School
OVERVIEW
Imagine a bigger, stronger and quicker version of Percy Harvin and the first player that closely matches that description is vastly underrated Cordarrelle Patterson. Some talent evaluators cite the Volunteers physicality in beating press coverage and combating for the ball in the crowd to that of Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe. Others see a dangerous runner on reverses and returns with the long stride and explosive second gear that made the Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester a fan favorite.
One of the most coveted junior college prospects to ever sign with a Southeastern Conference team, Patterson’s time at Tennessee was brief, but he left quite a few opposing underclass defensive backs glad that the multi-talented receiver decided to leave the university for the National Football League.
Patterson was part of an aerial attack that featured fellow receivers Justin Hunter and Zach Rogers, along with tight end Mychal Rivera all competing for tosses from quarterback Tyler Bray. Patterson more than filled the void created when Da’Rick Rogers left the team and enrolled at Tennessee Tech prior to the 2012 season. All of the Volunteers skill position players will now vie for the honor of being the first of this impressive list to hear their name called on draft day, leaving new head coach Butch Jones with lots of holes to fill on the Volunteers offense.
Patterson had a “pedestrian” season, at least by his standards, as he finished second on the team with 46 receptions for 778 yards (16.91 ypc) and five touchdowns. Coming out of the backfield, he carried 25 times for 308 yards (12.32 ypc), finding the end zone three more times. He completed a pass for 28 yards and posted a pair of solo tackles.
The receiver scored again while picking up 101 yards on four punt returns and gained 671 yards with one more touchdown on 24 kickoff returns, as his average of 27.96 yards rank fifth on the Vols season record chart. His 1,858 all-purpose yards established a new school annual record.
The South Carolina native attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, where he was a teammate of current University of Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley. The pair helped lead the team to the South Carolina Class 4A Division II state championship game as a senior in 2008. He received All-State honors after catching 75 passes for 944 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Upon graduation, Patterson spent 2009 at North Carolina Technical Christian Academy, but did not play football, concentrating on academics. He then enrolled at Hutchinson Community College, terrorizing Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conferences defenses and special team coverage units. The two-time All-League choice added All-American honors, collecting 113 passes for 1,832 yards (16.21 ypc) and 24 touchdowns as a receiver during the combined 2010-11 seasons.
Patterson showed great vision as a running back, as he tallied 398 yards and scored six times on the ground on just 39 carries (10.21 ypc) in 23 games for the Blue Dragons. He scored five times on 18 kickoff returns, finishing with a 35.57-yard average, which set Hutchinson and KJCCC all-time records. On six punt returns, he generated 53 yards.
Patterson joined the Tennessee program for the 2012 season, but his tenure with the Volunteers ended when shortly after he earned All-Southeastern Conference first-team honors, he announced that he was leaving the university and was entering the 2012 NFL Draft. He joined Carl Pickens (1989-91) as the only players in school history to score four different ways (reception, rushing, punt return, kickoff return) in a career. He is one of only three Tennessee players via both kickoff and punt return in the same season.
Prior to the 2012 Super Bowl, Patterson competed in and captured the title in the Skechers GoRun Hands Competition at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday in the 2013 Quicken Loans All-Star Football Challenge. He won his event with a time of 29.7 seconds, narrowly edging fellow wideout Robert Woods of Southern Cal (30.0). Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro finished third at 33.8 and Florida\’s Matt Elam was fourth at 34.8.
CAREER NOTES
In just one season at Tennessee, Patterson, who started all twelve games, as he proceeded in becoming the first player since 2008 in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision ranks to record a touchdown four different ways in the same season. The 2008 campaign featured Jeremy Maclin of Missouri (also accomplished the feat in 2007); T.Y. Hilton of Florida International and Phillip Livas of Louisiana Tech scoring via a reception, rushing attempt, punt return and kickoff return…Patterson set a Southeastern Conference season-record with a combined kickoff and punt return average of 27.57 yards, bettering the old mark of 27.0 yards by Tristan Davis of Auburn in 2007…His kickoff return average of 27.96 yards rank second on the Tennessee career-record chart behind Mallon Faircloth (28.2 avg; 1961-63)…Including 23 games at Hutchinson Community College, Patterson appeared in 35 games during his collegiate career, making 159 catches for 2,610 yards (16.42 ypc) and 29 touchdowns, adding 706 yards with nine scores on 64 carries (11.03 ypc), 154 yards with a touchdown on ten punt returns, 1,494 yards and six touchdowns on 42 kickoff returns (35.57 avg) while also completing 1-of-2 passes for 28 yards, recording three solo tackles and scoring 252 points…His five kick-off returns for touchdowns during his two-year career at Hutchinson College (2010-11) set the Blue Dragons’ school and Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference career-records.
2012 SEASON
Patterson was a member of The NFL Draft Report’s All-American Dream Team as an all-purpose back and is regarded as the best all-purpose athlete eligible for the 2013 draft by that scouting information service…Selected All-Southeastern Conference first-team, he started all twelve games at flanker for the Volunteers, finishing second on the team with 46 receptions for 778 yards (16.91 ypc) and five touchdowns…Carried 25 times for 308 yards (12.32 ypc) and three scores…Returned just four punts, but gained 101 yards, including scoring on an 81-yard runback…While his 24 kickoff returns rank eleventh on the school season-record list, his 671 yards gained rank third and 27.96-yard average placed fifth on those annual charts, finding the end zone with a 98-yard return…Only David Oku (863 in 2009) and Dennis Rogan (698 in 2008) gained more yards via kickoff returns in Tennessee annals…Completed his only pass attempt, good for 28 yards vs. Missouri…Scored 60 points and established a school season-record while leading the SEC and finishing 16th in the nation with an average of 154.83 all-purpose yards per game, as his total of 1,858 yards surpassed the previous UT record of 1,721 yards vs. Reggie Cobb in 1987…Patterson made his Tennessee debut by recording 165 all-purpose yards, scoring on a 41-yard catch and 67-yard rushing attempt while snaring six ball for 93 yards vs. North Carolina State, as he was named to the College Football Performance Award All-Purpose Yardage Honor Roll…The receiver gained 195 yards on all-purpose yards with 71 on three catches, 18 rushing yards and 106 on three kickoff returns vs. Georgia State…Ran for a 46-yard score vs. Georgia and had three carries for 57 yards, two catches for 25 yards, including a score and raced 98 yards with a kickoff for a touchdown vs. Mississippi State. His 98-yarder is the fifth-longest kickoff return in school history, and the longest since a 100-yard runback by Leonard Scott vs. Georgia in 1999. It also marked the fifth time a Volunteer scored via a return and either a reception or rushing attempt. The last player to accomplish that feat was Carl Pickens in 1990…Followed with 111 yards on four kickoff returns vs. Alabama and exploded for 275 all-purpose yards vs. Troy, catching a Vols career-best nine balls for 219 yards and a 58-yard score, as he also carried twice for 13 yards and returned two kicks for 43 yards to compile 275 all-purpose yards. That total is surpassed by only chuck Webb (294 vs. Mississippi in 1989) on the school game-record all-purpose yardage list…In the Vanderbilt contest, he tallied 247 all-purpose yards (tied for tenth on the UT game-record chart) while catching three passes for 52 yards, returned four kickoffs for 86 yards and had two punt returns for 109 yards with an 81-yard touchdown. He joined Bobby Gordon (1957) as the only Volunteers to return a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the same season.
JUNIOR COLLEGE
Patterson attended Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, where he was regarded as a five-star prospect by Rivals.com and rated the fourth-best junior college player in the country, by that recruiting service…247sports.com rated the all-purpose athlete as junior college’s best player…Scout.com also accorded him five-star prospect status, as the two-time All-American and All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference honors, in addition to being named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore.
2011 SEASON
Patterson averaged 151.17 all-purpose yards for the Blue Dragons, generating 924 yards with fifteen touchdowns on 61 receptions (15.15 ypc), 379 yards and six scores behind 32 carries (11.84 ypc) and 511 yards with three more touchdowns on eleven kickoff returns (nation-leading 46.45-yard average)…Attempted one pass, scored 126 points and amassed 1,814 total yards…In the 90-7 rout of Highland, he had touchdown catches of 60, 6 and 31 yards…Scored on carries of 66 and 42 yards and receptions of 14 and 44 yards vs. Fort Scott…Gained 162 yards on seven grabs while finding the end zone on 4, 1, 63 and 70-yard pass plays vs. Garden City…Returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score vs. Butler and raced 62 yards on a reverse vs. Coffeyville before facing that team again in the Region VI semi-finals, where he ran for 8 and 15-yard touchdowns while picking up 87 yards on the ground…Closed out his Hutchinson career vs. Lackawanna in the Salt City Bowl, snaring eight balls for 118 yards with 8, 48 and 35-yard touchdowns.
2010 SEASON
In his first season competing collegiately, Patterson played in eleven games at Hutchinson College, leading the team with 52 receptions for 908 yards (17.46 ypc) and nine touch-downs…Scored twice on seven kickoff returns for 312 yards (44.57 avg), adding 19 yards on seven carries and 53 yards on six punt returns (8.83 avg)…Finished with 1,292 all-purpose yards…In his college debut, the first time he touched the ball, he scored on a 29-yard reception vs. Kilgore…A 52-yard scoring grab followed vs. Independence and he again came up with six points on a 45-yard grab vs. Air Force Prep, hauling in six balls for 118 yards…He had seven more receptions for 189 yards and a 79-yard touchdown, also returning a kickoff 58 yards vs. Fort Scott…Made six grabs for 109 yards and a 75-yard touchdown vs. Garden City…Generated 84 yards on five catches that included 45 and 27-yard scores, again finding the end zone with a 91-yard kickoff return vs. Coffeyville…In the Region VI semi-finals, he caught five passes for 101 yards and a 70-yard touchdown.
2009 SEASON
Patterson attended North Carolina Tech Christian Academy, but did not play football.
TRACK
Patterson competed in track during the spring of 2012, where he clocked personal bests of 10.54 in the 100 meters at the Sterling Venue (3/10)…At the Baldwin City Meet, he ran 21.43 in the 200 meters…The Levelland Meet (5/16) saw Patterson part of a 4×100-meter relay team that timed 40.32…At the Lawrence Meet (4/21), he helped the sprint medley 1,600-meter unit time in at 3:28.50.
INJURY REPORT
No major injuries reported, but did not play vs. Butler during the 2010 reguloar season while competing for Hutchinson Community College.
AGILITY TESTS
4.34 in the 40-yard dash…1.47 10-yard dash…2.49 20-yard dash…3.98 20-yard shuttle…
11.16 60-yard shuttle…6.59 three-cone drill…36-inch vertical jump…10’9” broad jump… Bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times…32 ½-inch arm length…10-inch hands…77 7/8-inch wingspan.
HIGH SCHOOL
Patterson attended Northwestern (Rock Hill, S.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Jimmy Wallace…Was a teammate of current University of Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley…The pair helped lead the team to the South Carolina Class 4A Division II state championship game as a senior in 2008…Received All-State honors after catching 75 passes for 944 yards and 18 touchdowns.
PERSONAL
Arts and Sciences major…Born Cordarrelle Patterson (pronounced: CORE-dare-uhl) on 3/17/91…Resides in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
