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Derek Dooley will guide the Vols in Johnson City from Aug. 9-15. |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee football team will spend a week of fall training camp away from campus, as the Vols will train at Milligan College in Johnson City, Tenn., from Aug. 9-15.
"The week in Johnson City will provide a unique opportunity to build team unity and limit distractions," said head football coach Derek Dooley. "The opportunity to train away from campus also allows for a more efficient move into our new Football Training Center and will reduce the wear and tear on our practice fields."
The timing of the week in Johnson City coincides with the projected dates for moving all operations and offices of the football program into the new Football Training Center from the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex. With the football team and most supporting units out of town, the facilities staff will be able to complete the move in a more efficient and organized manner and without the burden associated with having the team currently on-site.
With a considerable reduction in the time spent on the Haslam Field practice fields for seven days, there also is a greater probability that the fields will not have to be resodded in October.
"The decision to train off-campus this year is not only driven by the factor of our move into our new Football Training Center but also by the opportunity to maximize the ability of our coaching staff to become further acclimated to one another and the team in a very controlled environment," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. "I support Derek's decision and feel strongly that we need to make this investment in our football program as we prepare to open our season in Atlanta. This is a one-time situation, and there are no plans to train off-site at any time in the future."
Tennessee opens its 2012 season in Atlanta against North Carolina State on Friday, Aug. 31. Kickoff at the Georgia Dome is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Phillip Fulmer is the newest member of the Tennessee Volunteers family to reach the College Football Hall of Fame. He was named to the 2012 class during a Tuesday ceremony in New York City by the National Football Foundation and becomes the 22nd former UT player or coach to earn enshrinement. Fulmer is the first Vol gaining entry into the College Football Hall of Fame since offensive guard Chip Kell in 2006.
Fulmer led the Vols to the very first BCS National Championship after the 1998 season, finishing 13-0 with a 23-16 victory over Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl. The 1997 and 1998 Vols remain the last teams to repeat as SEC champions, and Fulmer coached Tennessee to seven SEC Eastern Division titles in 16 seasons.
"I am honored to be joining such an elite group of coaches selected to The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame," said Fulmer. "There are so many people to thank , but it must start with my wife Vicky and my children. It was never a job for us, but very much a lifestyle. They certainly sacrificed a lot for me to live my passion."
"I am grateful to my wonderful staff who worked so hard and stayed so loyal to UT for many years. They did their jobs well, and were great mentors and examples for our young men.
"I am proud of the many outstanding young men that played for us. They trusted us to come to Tennessee, worked really hard for us, and were rewarded with the best era in modern Tennessee football. There are hundreds of special relationships that will be there forever.
"I appreciate so much Joe Johnson and Doug Dickey, who gave me the opportunity and guided and supported me so well thru the years.
"There are countless loyal Tennessee fans, wonderful friends and administrators, who helped us when we needed help to build and maintain our program. I am certainly proud of our record, but I am just as proud of how we accomplished or goals."
Fulmer's won-lost record of 152-52 figures to a .744 winning percentage, and he left UT as the winningest coach in major college football with at least 10 years' experience. Joining Nebraska's Tom Osborne as the only two coaches to lead a team to a bowl game in each of their first 13 years of coaching, Fulmer led the Vols to a 98-41 record during his final 11 seasons, including four conference title games and one SEC championship, the 1998 BCS Championship, and eight January bowls.
Tennessee's four-year stretch from 1995-98 under Fulmer was one of the best in college football history - a 45-5 record from 1995-98 that culminated in the BCS title game win. For his efforts in that 1998 season, Fulmer was a near-unanimous pick as national coach of the year.
Fulmer led the Vols to 10 or more wins nine times and finished his career 44-37 against ranked teams. Tennessee won six consecutive overtime games from 2002-07, and the Vols became masters of the come-from-behind method of victory, rallying from 18 down against Arkansas in 1998, 21 at Kentucky in 2001, 24 at Notre Dame in 1991 (when Fulmer was offensive coordinator), 17 at Georgia in 2006 and 15 to Vanderbilt in the fourth quarter of 2007 with a trip to the SEC Championship Game on the line.
Fulmer went 11-5 against his biggest rival, Alabama, and led the Vols to the SEC title game five times. Tennessee won two of those nail-biters and lost three heartbreakers, but over the final decade of Fulmer's coaching career, UT never went more than three years without taking a team to Atlanta.
Induction for this year's hall of fame takes place Dec. 4 at the 55th National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner in New York's historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Tennessee Vols already in the College Football Hall of Fame (and their induction years) are Gene McEver (1954), Beattie Feathers (1955), Gen. Robert R. Neyland (1956), Herman Hickman (1959), Bobby Dodd (player, 1959), Bob Suffridge (1961), Nathan Dougherty (1967), George Cafego (1969), Bowden Wyatt (player, 1972; coach 1997), Hank Lauricella (1981), Doug Atkins (1985), Johnny Majors (1987), Bob Johnson (1989), Ed Molinski (1990), Steve DeLong (1993), John Michels (1996), Steve Kiner (1999), Reggie White (2002), Doug Dickey (2003), Frank Emanuel (2004) and Chip Kell (2006).
Here is the official class from the National Football Foundation:
From the national ballot of 76 candidates and a pool of hundreds of eligible nominees, Archie Manning, chairman of The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, announced today the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision Class, which includes the names of 14 First Team All-America players and three legendary coaches.
PLAYERS * Selection from the FBS Veterans Committee "We are extremely proud to announce the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Class," said Manning, a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Ole Miss. "Each year the selection process becomes increasingly more difficult, but Gene Corrigan and the Honors Court do an amazing job of selecting a diverse group of the most amazing players and coaches in our sport's rich history. This class is certainly no exception, and we look forward to honoring them and celebrating their achievements throughout the year ahead." TWITTER REACTION Honored to say I played for a Hall of Famer. Congrats Coach Fulmer. #VFL Hall Of Famer= Phillip Fulmer! HE WAS AND STILL IS A BEAST, point blank period! Well deserved Coach, thanks for giving me an opportunity! Congrats to Coach Fulmer, for making it to the college hall of fame. Much love fam Not many people truly understand the hard work & sacrifices coaches have to make in order to be successful! Great day for the Fulmer family! Congrats to Coach Fulmer for making the HOF..Now I can always say I played for a HOF coach.
CHARLES ALEXANDER - TB, LSU (1975-78)
OTIS ARMSTRONG - HB, Purdue (1970-72)
STEVE BARTKOWSKI - QB, California (1972-74)
HAL BEDSOLE - SE, Southern California (1961-63)
DAVE CASPER - TE, Notre Dame (1971-73)
TY DETMER - QB, BYU (1988-91)
TOMMY KRAMER - QB, Rice (1973-76)
ART MONK - WR, Syracuse (1976-79)
GREG MYERS - DB, Colorado State (1992-95)
JONATHAN OGDEN - OT, UCLA (1992-95)
GABE RIVERA - DT, Texas Tech (1979-82)
MARK SIMONEAU - LB, Kansas State (1996-99)
SCOTT THOMAS - S, Air Force (1982-85)
JOHN WOOTEN* - OG, Colorado (1956-58)
COACHES
The 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Class will be inducted at the 55th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 4, 2012, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. They will be honored guests at the National Hall of Fame Salute at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 2, 2013 and officially enshrined in the summer of 2013.
Today's announcement was made from The NASDAQ OMX MarketSite in Times Square, which has hosted the event for the past four consecutive years. XOS Digital produced the NFF web streams for the second consecutive year, and the Orange Bowl and the law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP participated as the supporting sponsors of the announcement.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Knoxville native and Farragut High School grad Nick Guess has signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers. The long snapper is the third Vol from the 2011 squad to agree to a free agent deal.
Guess was Tennessee's starting long snapper as a junior and senior, snapping in all 25 games over the two seasons. He was a member of the 2009 and 2010 Academic All-SEC Teams.
At Farragut, Guess was the team's long snapper in 48 consecutive games as well as playing fullback, tight end, defensive end and offensive tackle.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Tennessee team of coach Derek Dooley and legend Stanley Morgan posted a 6-Under par to finish eighth in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge golf championship.
Here is the complete release from Chick-fil-A.
Paul Johnson and Jon Barry of Georgia Tech successfully defended their Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge championship today with a one stroke victory over the field to take home the $125,000 first-place scholarship prize.
After a seven-under-par effort on the front nine, Georgia Tech birdied hole 10 to take a two shot lead, but then fell back a shot on number 11. Johnson and Barry rebounded to birdie the 12th. After pars on the next three holes, they birdied numbers 16 and 17 to move to 10-under.
Needing a par at 18 to hold onto the victory, Johnson hit a wedge to within five feet and Barry nailed the putt to preserve the win over the teams from Florida State and Maryland.
"It was a first-class tournament. it's fun to play out here and I'm very fortunate to have a partner that's as skilled as Jon," said Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech head coach. "It got real competitive coming down the stretch. We knew on 16 that we had to get probably to -10 because we knew the guys had strokes on us on the last hole."
"I didn't want to have to hit a five footer to win this tournament, but coach hit a great chip in there. We knew we had to make par on the toughest hole in Georgia and we got it done. It was a lot of fun," Barry said. "I'll tell you, my mouth was dry and I was as nervous as I've ever been. Thankfully we got it done and had a great time."
"Thanks to the Chick-fil-A Bowl and all the volunteers. It's a wonderful event that we look forward to every year," Barry said.
"Our congratulations go out to team Georgia Tech for a great victory today. Coach Johnson and Jon Barry really brought their `A' game today," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO. "We were all blessed to have so many great universities represented out here today and we feel fortunate to be in a position to help deliver more than $750,000 in scholarship and charity through this year's Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge."
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Final official results from the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge including scholarship winnings:
PLACE: TEAM SCORE: WINNINGS:
1st Place Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson, Jon Barry) -10 $125,000
2nd Place (T) Florida State (Jimbo Fisher, Terrell Buckley) -9 $55,000
Maryland (Randy Edsall, Stan Gelbaugh) -9 $55,000
4th Place (T) Miss. State (Dan Mullen, Fred McCrary) -8 $35,000
Virginia Tech (Frank Beamer, Dell Curry) -8 $35,000
6th Place (T) Ohio State (Urban Meyer, Jeff Logan) -7 $25,000
Alabama (Nick Saban, Johnny Musso) -7 $25,000
8th Place (T) Tennessee (Derek Dooley, Stanley Morgan) -6 $20,000
Ole Miss (Hugh Freeze, Sean Tuohy) -6 $20,000
South Carolina (Steve Spurrier, Sterling Sharpe) -6 $20,000
Miami (Al Golden, Gino Torretta) -6 $20,000
North Carolina (Larry Fedora, Roy Williams) -6 $20,000
13th Place Wake Forest (Jim Grobe, Riley Skinner) -5 $15,000
14th Place (T) Clemson (Dabo Swinney, Steve Fuller) -1 $15,000
14th Place NC State (Tom O'Brien, Tom Gugliotta) -1 $15,000
Skills Competitions (From Monday):
Long Drive (Coach Div.) Al Golden, Miami 303 yards $5,000
Long Drive (Celeb. Div.) Jon Barry, Georgia Tech 308 yards $5,000
Closest to the Pin (Coach Div.) Urban Meyer, Ohio State 2 ft. $5,000
Closest to the Pin (Celeb Div.) Fred McCrary, Miss. State 5 ft. $5,000
After the first nine holes, the defending champions from Georgia Tech (-7) held a one stroke lead over the teams from North Carolina (-6) and Miami (-6). Alabama, South Carolina and Virginia Tech were in the hunt at -5.
The Yellow Jackets' recorded five birdies and an eagle on the third hole en route to a seven-under-par front nine, which was best in the field.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge is the country's premier head coach and celebrity charity golf event featuring NCAA head coaches and former athletes and celebrities from the same school competing against their rivals for a share of a $520,000 scholarship purse.
In addition to the $520,000 scholarship purse, another $243,000 was generated for charitable organizations.
Past Champions:
Year: Team: Score: Margin: 2012 Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) -10 1 stroke 2011 Georgia Tech (Paul Johnson / Jon Barry) -11 3 strokes 2010 Florida State (Jimbo Fisher / Terrell Buckley) - 7 1 stroke 2009 South Carolina (Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe) -12 1 (Playoff) 2008 South Carolina (Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe) -12 5 strokes 2007 Virginia Tech (Frank Beamer / Dell Curry) -10 1 stroke
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Three former Vols football players will be part of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame class which has been announced. Todd Kelly (1989-92), Terry McDaniel (1984-87) and Charlie Severance (1959-60) will be inducted on Aug. 23, 2012.
The event will take place at the Knoxville Convention Center with featured speaker Baseball Hall of Fame knuckleball pitcher Phil Niekro.
Kelly was a star defensive end with the Vols in the early 1990s. He was a 1992 All-SEC First-Team selection and served as team captain for that squad which went 9-3. Kelly was selected in the first round (27th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1993 NFL Draft and went on to play with the Niners, Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons from 1993-96. In his 46 NFL games, Kelly had 5.5 career sacks and was a part of the Super Bowl XIX title with San Francisco.
McDaniel was a 1987 All-SEC first-team defensive back with the Vols and went on to be a first-round NFL Draft pick by the Raiders in 1988. McDaniel played 11 seasons in the NFL with the L.A./Oakland Raiders (1988-97) and the Seattle Seahawks (1998). He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1992-96) and four-time All-Pro pick (1992-95). In 152 career NFL games, McDaniel had 35 interceptions.
Severance lettered with the Vols in 1959-60. He earned national acclaim for stopping a two-point conversion as the Vols upset No. 1 LSU in 1959. His part in "The Stop" led to a 14-13 Vol win. Severance, Bill Majors, and Wayne Grubb made the play that kept the Vols in the lead early in the fourth quarter, stopping Tiger Billy Cannon. The play is generally considered at the top of defensive plays in the entirety of Tennessee history.
Former Vols stars Austin Johnson (Baltimore Ravens) and Tauren Poole (Carolina Panthers) have reportedly agreed to free agent contracts with NFL teams. The news is expected to become official today. The pair join Denver Broncos fifth-round draft pick Malik Jackson as members of the 2011 Vols to enter the NFL ranks.
Johnson led the Vols in tackles in 2011 with 81, starting all 12 games at middle linebacker. He also led the team in interceptions with four. That total tied with Kentucky's Danny Trevathan for most interceptions by a linebacker in the NCAA. Johnson had six TFLs for 18 yards, including a sack. Johnson's four interceptions were the most by a Tennessee linebacker since Jackie Walker had five in 1970.
He finished with interceptions in four of the last six games, including three games in a row (11/5-19). He led the team in tackles five times including Vanderbilt (11/19), when led team in tackles with nine stops, made his first-career sack for 13 yards along with picking off a pass for the third game in a row. His second-career 10-plus tackle game vs. #14 South Carolina (10/29) giving him 100 career tackles. Johnson made a career-high 11 tackles to tie for team-lead vs. Georgia (10/8)
Johnson moved to linebacker as a junior in 2010 and played in all 13 games, making 44 tackles. He also tied for second on the team in special teams tackles with nine. Johnson had his first-career interception against UT-Martin (9/4/10) as a junior in the season opener. He earned UT's Andy Spiva Award as the team's defensive surprise player of 2010 spring practice period.
Johnson began his career with the Vols as a fullback and played in 18 games during his freshman and sophomore seasons helping to lead the way for current Cleveland Browns back Montario Hardesty.
He was named to the Academic All-SEC Team from 2008-10 and played in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game in January 2012, where he made six tackles.
Poole took part in the NFL Combine in February and played in the East-West Shrine Game, where he earned the Pat Tillman Award.
Poole ran for 1,883 yards in his career at Tennessee, playing in 49 games. He scored 16 touchdowns in his career including five as a senior in 2011. He gained 693 yards this past season while catching 21 balls for 164 yards. He gained 100 rushing yards on three occasions this past season with a season-best 107 vs. Vanderbilt (11/19) in addition to 101 vs. Buffalo (10/1) and 100 vs. Cincinnati.
Poole was a 2011 preseason member of the Doak Walker and Maxwell Watch Lists in addition to being a candidate for the Lowe's Senior Class Award.
As a junior, Poole named AP All-SEC Honorable Mention accolades starting all 13 games and gaining 1,034 yards on 204 carries. He scored 11 touchdowns and gained 100 yards on six occasions to tie for the lead in the SEC. His 1,000-yard season was the 16th in UT history and his total of 1,034 ranks 14th on the single-season list. Poole gained a career-high 162 rushing yards against Oregon (9/11/10).
NEW YORK -Tennessee defensive lineman Malik Jackson (2010-11) became the Vols' 330th all-time NFL Draft selection when the Denver Broncos chose him in the fifth round with the 137th overall pick Saturday at Radio Music City Hall in New York.
Tennessee, which has produced the SEC's most NFL draft picks and the seventh most of any school nationally, saw Jackson become the third UT defensive lineman taken since 2009, joining first-rounders Dan Williams (2010) and Robert Ayers (2009).
Ayers was also a Broncos' selection and is still on the Denver roster. Jackson also joins former Vols Britton Colquitt and Peyton Manning in Denver.
Jackson is the 63rd Vol drafted since 2000, which currently ranks second in the conference and fifth nationally, including 14 other defensive linemen. Four of those Vols' defensive linemen (Shaun Ellis, Justin Harrell, Rashad Moore and Darwin Walker) have played in the Super Bowl.
Jackson, who played in the Senior Bowl in late January, was named to the All-SEC First Team by the media in 2011 and the All-SEC Second Team by the coaches.
Also a 2010 AP All-SEC second team honoree, Jackson led the Vols in tackles for loss (11), sacks (2.5) and quarterback hurries (10). His 56 tackles were a career-high, ranked tied for third on the team and positioned him as one of just two defensive linemen to rank in the SEC's top 50 in tackles per game with an average of 4.6 each outing, placing 50th.
The Northridge, Calif., native was one of seven Vols with multiple pass breakups (2), while also forcing a fumble. His 11 TFLs ranked 12th in the SEC.
JACKSON DRAFT QUOTES FROM DENVER
On where he will play on the defensive line
"I believe they project me to play defensive end."
On how comfortable he is playing on the outside
"I'm really comfortable. That's what I played at the University of Southern California before I transferred. I've been really working at the defensive end area this offseason. I feel really comfortable about this and I feel really good. I'm just ready to go in there and compete for a job."
On his skills as a pass rusher
"I feel that some of my strengths are my arm length--I have really good lengthy arms and I feel that I can use them well. I've got good feet to come up off the edge. I'm pretty knowledgeable about pass rush moves. I pretty much feel that I'm an all-around good defensive end. There are some skills I know I need to work on so I'm ready to get up to Denver and have them check me out, see how I look, and see if they have something I can work on."
On if he knows former University of Tennessee DE Robert Ayers
"I don't know him. He was there before I got there. I'm interested to get to know another UT grad and UT football player and it's exciting."
On his current weight
"I'm at 285 right now."
On his playing weight last season
"I played at like 267. I kind of felt a little small at D-tackle in the SEC, but I just realized it's all about technique and going out there wanting to really know what you're doing. That's what I did and feel like I started to get an upper edge on plays, but I feel really good at 285. I've been working out at it, and I feel really good. "
On leaving Southern California for Tennessee
"It was because I felt like I needed another home. I just wasn't really happy at USC after Pete Carroll left, and I took my talents somewhere else to really show what I have to the next level, and I did and it worked out perfectly for me. I couldn't be happier."
On joining a locker room with several Tennessee Volunteers
"I feel like we've some good Tennessee guys, so hopefully they'll be welcoming me with open arms and I'm pretty excited to play with those kinds of guys."
JACKSON DRAFT NOTES
Second pick in the fifth round and 137th overall Heading to the Denver Broncos, Jackson joins former Vols DE Robert Ayers, P Britton Colquitt and QB Peyton Manning, 330rd NFL draft pick from UT, which ranks as the most among SEC schools and seventh nationally 30th defensive lineman taken in this year's NFL Draft 63rd Vol drafted since 2000, which currently ranks second in the SEC and fifth nationally
The NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday night. Tennessee has had 329 all-time selections, most of any school in the SEC and seventh-most among all schools in history. Malik Jackson and Tauren Poole are the top Tennessee prospects to be selected this week.
Here's a look at the profile pages from NFL.com, which include videos of both players:
- Jackson NFL.com Profile | Jackson NFL.com Video
- Poole NFL.com Profile | Poole NFL.com Video
Both Jackson and Poole took part in the NFL Combine in late February. Check out these features from UTSports.com
- Jackson Relishes NFL Combine Experience
- Poole Ready For Next Question
Both Austin Johnson and Matt Simms are listed on the NFL.com Draft Tracker as potential picks:
Radio: Vol Network (In-Stadium Feed 93.5 FM)
Watch Online: ESPN3.com (Outside Region) » FoxSportsTennessee.com (Southeast Region) Listen Online: Vol Network Live Audio Live Stats: Gametracker
Rosters have been set for the 2012 DISH Orange and White Game, the annual spring contest for the Tennessee football program at Neyland Stadium. The game will be held Saturday, April 21, with kickoff slated for 2:30 p.m. Fan Appreciation Day will also be held at Neyland Stadium from 12:15-1:15 p.m, with Gate 7 open at Noon for those attending Fan Day. Admission to both events is free.
All Tennessee players have been divided between two teams (Orange and White), and support staff members from football, administration, the equipment room, nutrition, video, academics, media relations, compliance and facilities were also divided up between the two squads.
Guest head coaches for the game include a student government vs. student media matchup as well as a faculty member in UT's Africana Studies department against the undergraduate programs director for the University's College of Business. Dr. Amadou Sall and an undergraduate student in senior Matt Dixon are the guest coaches for the Orange team, while George Drinnon and second-year JD/MBA student Todd Skelton will serve in that capacity for the White team.
Dr. Sall teaches Africana Studies courses in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee and received the Excellence in Teaching Award at UT in 2001, while Dixon is the sports editor for the Daily Beacon, UT's student newspaper.
Drinnon is the Director of Undergraduate Programs in UT's College of Business Administration and manages the delivery of undergraduate programs, advising, and student services. Skelton is a second-year JD/MBA student and serves as the President of the Graduate Student Congress.
The annual University of Tennessee spring football game, the DISH Orange and White Game, will be played at Neyland Stadium on Sat., April 21 and will feature free admission for all fans as part of the Fan Appreciation Day initiative from UT Athletics. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m.
In addition to free admission to the game, Fan Appreciation Day will feature an autograph signing with head coach Derek Dooley, assistant coaches and Vol players. The signing, held in recent years at Haslam Field, will be held on the field at Neyland Stadium from 12:15-1:15 p.m.
For those attending the autograph signing, Gate 7 will open at Noon. Fans attending the game but not wishing to attend Fan Day can enter the stadium beginning at 1 p.m., during which time the first 2,500 fans entering through Gates 10 and 21 will also receive a 5x7 Tennessee Football mini-poster in an acrylic holder. Parking will also be free for fans attending the game.
Fans can also attend a "Meet Your Seats" event from 1 to 2 p.m. Check-in at gates 10 and 21 to be given a tour of available season ticket seating locations. Participating fans will also have a chance to win two (2) pre-game sideline passes for the Florida game as well as other items.
"A significant part of what makes Tennessee such a special place is the outstanding support of our passionate and loyal fans," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. "We wanted to express our appreciation to our fan base in a tangible and visible manner. One element of that effort is to offer free admission to the 2012 DISH Orange and White Game. We are excited about our football team and the upcoming 2012 season, and we are looking forward to our spring game in Neyland Stadium on April 21."
In addition to the presentation of the football spring practice awards by Dooley to selected players, halftime will include a flag football game between two teams of Tennessee football lettermen, with the rosters listed here.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - As evidenced by the reaction on Twitter Wednesday to Pat Summitt being named head coach emeritus of the Lady Vol basketball team, her impact on sports was felt by many.
As the Tennessee football team winded down its final spring practice at Neyland Stadium on Thursday morning, head coach Derek Dooley shared his thoughts on the all-time wins leader in NCAA basketball history.
"The word bittersweet I am sure is across all of athletics because she transcends," Dooley said. "She is not just women's basketball. She is an icon for any sport. I think celebrating the success she had is there. I called her yesterday and told her how happy I was that she was still with us and that she didn't step down completely.
"She is just an amazing person and her impact will last forever. Not just on the people that she coached but all the people in athletics as a whole."
STEAK OR HOT DOGS
Saturday's DISH Orange and White Game will feature a different twist in the rosters this year, as Tennessee officially concludes spring practice.
Usually, the Vols hold a team draft for the game during the final week of spring practice. This year, however, one squad will feature the first team offense and second team defense, while the opposite will sport the second team offense and first team defense.
"(It's) to try to manage a little continuity on the offense and the defense," Dooley said. "It is not perfect because there are some guys that kind have been rolling with the ones but won't be able to work with the ones, so that is a little drawback. It is a `good-on-good' scrimmage. We try to not have a lot of mismatches. It will be a good opportunity for us to get another days work."
The building intensity could be felt as the squads were split up for the final segment of practice, and walked off the field with plenty to say.
After all, there's plenty on the line.
"It is a high stakes game," Dooley said. "We do fine china, steaks, all the trimmings, baked potato, and dessert. And they have nice people serving them. The other crowd in the same room has paper plates, hot dogs, potato chips and water with no ice. So that is what we are playing for. And pride."
Sophomore offensive lineman Antonio Richardson is ready for steak.
"It's going to be very competitive out there," Richardson said. "That is what it's all about at the end of the day, competing, and that's what we are excited about."
Senior linebacker Herman Lathers, who will line up on the opposite side of Richardson, is excited as well.
"As a defense, we're looking to go put a stamp on what we've accomplished this spring," Lathers said. "We're looking forward to it."
Ultimately, it will provide another opportunity to get on the field for Tennessee.
"It is another day," Dooley said. "It is another work day. I have been really pleased with our spring. I will kind of sum it up after the spring game because this is another work day for us."
HUNTER OUT SATURDAY
Junior wide receiver Justin Hunter will not participate in the DISH Orange and White Game on Saturday, but it's impossible to ignore that his spring was positive as a whole.
"He is very valuable," wide receivers coach Darin Hinshaw said after Wednesday's practice. "He is a big long kid that can eat up grass very fast with his stride. It then forces the defensive backs to get on their heels and then he can cut and turn just like a little guy.
"He does really well at that and he has just gotten better as spring has gone along with his knee and he has continued to strengthen it. He has a long way to go this summer to continue to get back to where he was."
Hunter didn't know what to expect this spring, but is looking forward to what's to come.
"In a month I want to be feeling more confident than I was in the spring time," Hunter said. "I just want some of the pain to go away. By the summertime in camp, I should be ready to go"
The Virginia Beach, Va., native hauled in three receptions for 70 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown, in Tennessee's second spring scrimmage last Saturday.
While Hunter says his knee is around 80 percent, he expects to be at full strength by the time Tennessee hits the football field again.
He expects 100 percent out of the Vols' offense as well.
"We could be really good," Hunter said. "I know we have a lot of receivers coming. In the summertime we are going to be very deep so we are going to get a lot of rest and have more people coming on just to help us out."
DISH O&W GAME SET FOR APRIL 21
