Coach Kiffin Must Keep Gen. Neyland's 7 Game Maxims

       In Lane Kiffin's first press conference as Tennessee head coach, he was a demon.  As I was watching I could not help but notice he was covering all bases he needed to to win over the press as well as the Tennessee fan base.  This led me to wonder just how long he and Mike Hamilton had to prepare for the event.  He let everyone know that it was an extensive search that was also exciting.  He then reinforced his football background, stating that his age was an advantage rather than a disadvantage. 

       One thing that was worrying most of the fan base was the fact that Kiffin is from outside the Tennessee football family.  I have to admit that this was a big concern in the depths of my psyche.  Then, as I was thinking it in my head, Kiffin mentioned that he was a big fan of coach Fulmer and wanted to contact him but did not because that would not have been appropriate at the time being.  I thought this was a very intelligent decision as I am sure CPF probably would not have been all that helpful with his insight to CLK ( I know it will take some getting used to).  He then followed up with admitting that Tennessee has some of the greatest traditions in all of college football; listing the "vol walk", running through "the T", and singing "Rocky Top" all night while beating Florida.  But I could not help wondering, "was this him talking or Mike Hamilton?" 

       This led me to do some thinking.  What traditions will he keep? Well, the three he mentioned he has to keep.  But what about others? You know some of the smaller, lesser known ones like Gen. Neylands "7 game maxims". 

1. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win. 

2. Play for and make the breaks and when one comes your way - SCORE. 

3. If at first the game - or the breaks - go against you, don't let up... put on more steam. 

4. Protect our kickers, our QB, our lead and our ball game. 

5. Ball, oskie, cover, block, cut and slice, pursue and gang tackle... for this is the "Winning Edge". 

6. Press the kicking game. Here is where the breaks are made. 

7. Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.

       These maxims for winning at football are timeless.  They have been in the program for 60 plus years and coach Kiffin would do himself a huge favor by keeping them as part of the pregame.  I mean the players usually have them memorized before seasons end.  For decades this has been one of the foremost traditions of the Tennessee football program and without them I do not think a lot of the players will buy in to CLK and his system.  I put myself in the shoes of the players and thought to myself, "If he took out the maxims then he does not even care about the history of this program.  That is part of why I committed to play here in the first place.  What am I doing here?"  That struck home.

       Before I go any further I would like to state that I was a fan of coach Fulmer and wished Hamilton to give him another year to sort things out.  But when the decision was made to let him go I supported the decision.  I am a Tennessee fan first and foremost.  I was a Kiffin bandwagon rider from the beginning, although I also liked Brian Kelly as a second choice.  With that said, one of the qualities of Kiffin I liked was the fact that he was a football rat growing up.  This would lead me to believe that he cherishes tradition and the overall atmosphere of college football.  So with that quality I believe he will choose to keep Gen. Neyland's maxims and all of the rest of the great Tennessee traditions. 

       He is a young, energetic and intense hard worker who has a bevy of questions about him.  Only time will tell whether or not he will make it in the jungle that is college football and the Southeastern Conference.  He will need the Vol Nation behind him to make it through the terrain and I think he is off to a good start.  Welcome Coach Lane Kiffin and family and GO VOLS!!!

 Brad M.