Rocky Top Talk - All Posts

100 Days of Vols #74 - Arian Foster

2013-06-18T12:00:05Z

I'll admit it. I like Arian Foster. I've liked him since he came to Tennessee. That wasn't always the popular stance, but it was mine.

Foster came to Knoxville as an unheralded three-star recruit out of San Diego. He would get his chance to shine midway through his redshirt freshman year when incumbent starter Gerald Riggs Jr. went down with a severe ankle injury. And Foster impressed immediately. His running talent was clear from the beginning, and he ran up over 150 yards in his first start. But what impressed me more was that when the rest of the team gave up on the season, Foster didn't. By November of 2005, the fans had pretty much all given up on the season, and their performance on the field suggested that the team wasn't far behind. But Arian Foster didn't quit. When the rest of the Vols were going through the motions in an embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt, Foster racked up 268 total yards and scored two touchdowns. He gave us a bright spot in an otherwise horrible season, and I was a fan.

But beyond his work on the field, I was a fan because of Foster off the field. I'm a Ph.D. student in Philosophy. Arian Foster is the only Tennessee player I can remember who majored in Philosophy, and he's certainly one of the few major college athletes who gave off the impression that he was genuinely interested in learning for learning's sake. It's so easy for an SEC player to view classes as a necessary evil on the way to the NFL, but--while I don't know him personally--I'm honestly convinced that Foster didn't.

During his last three years, despite running for almost 1,200 yards and being part of an SEC East champion squad in 2007, Foster was an easy target for critics because (A) he fumbled and (B) he seriously disappointed as a senior. There were certainly legitimate reasons to jump off the bandwagon (and I won't blame anyone who was at the 2007 Outback Bowl for ignoring this article entirely), but, as often happens, the hate got completely out of hand.

I have talked to otherwise reasonable people who blame Foster for losing the 2005 South Carolina game. Generally, when a player personally accounts for 55% of a team's total yards, scores a touchdown, and fumbles once--in the first half of a game his team led both at the time and a halftime--I'd say the appropriate blame lies elsewhere. What's more, I've talked to otherwise reasonable people who blame Foster for losing the 2005 Alabama game. The ESPN recap reads as follows:

Arian Foster caught a swing pass and headed toward the end zone. Alabama's Roman Harper jarred the ball loose near the goal line and it bounced out of the end zone with 5:08 left, giving the Tide (7-0, 5-0) the ball and stopping Tennessee's hopes of breaking the tie.

This is truly the greatest testament of the Fumbling Foster Mythos, as it has even fooled ESPN. It was Cory Anderson that caught that pass and lost that ball, not Arian Foster, no matter what say the memories of the fans and the sportswriters. Were there real fumbles to complain about? Of course. I only recall one lost in the 4th quarter, but it's not like there's ever a good time for fumbles. And was Foster really disappointing in his senior season? Absolutely. In the year he was supposed to lead, he had one of the worst years of his career, and the offense had one of the worst years in school history. And it's obvious from his transformation to one of the best backs in the NFL (with the smoothest cuts I've seen in quite a long time) that we never saw his best work at Tennessee.

But while some may see a lazy player who cost his team, I saw a talented player who worked harder than anyone as a freshman and then got sucked in by the negative culture surrounding Phil Fulmer's last few years--not to mention the other sucking that happened in that last year (aside: this is one of the more interesting instances of Will's favorite game: How Much Can We Blame on Dave Clawson?). I saw a student who genuinely cared about more than just football and money and women, and had a pretty good sense of humor to boot. (Yeah, I thought the Pterodactyl thing was hilarious (this might be where I disclose that Foster is less than a year older than me and we were both seniors in college in 2008-09)).

It can be easy to get caught up in piling on the players that disappoint on the field. I know I do. And I'm certainly not saying that fans should accept mediocrity. If you aren't good enough to play for Tennessee, you shouldn't play. If you show up out of shape, you sit until you're back in shape. This isn't about loosening the standards. It's about how sometimes there's a player that reminds you that these are real people, often not that different from us, who are out there under the lights every Saturday. A player who does enough to make you want to step into a group gaping at the negatives and say "but look at all these positives he gave us." For me, even throughout his struggles with fumbles, conditioning, and coaching, that player was Arian Foster. Who is yours?

Tennessee Recruiting: Gavin Bryant Gives Tennessee Major Need Commitment

2013-06-17T20:53:08Z

Two-time defending national champion Alabama is in a position to be very, very picky with prospects.

So when inside linebacker Gavin Bryant wasn't considered an immediate take for Nick Saban due to his grades and test scores not yet being NCAA-ready, Bryant decided to look elsewhere. His latest trip was to Knoxville this past week for the Vols' camp, and it didn't take him long after his first visit to UT to know he wanted to play there.

Bryant -- who is rated a four-star prospect on 247Sports and ESPN -- committed to Tennessee on Monday, choosing UT over claimed offers from Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and others. Now, the Vols hope Bryant -- who is an elite athlete at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds -- gets qualified and that they can continue to sell him on the fact that they stood by him when other suitors wanted to wait.

A late offer from Alabama could make things interesting, but when you can sign 30 players, you have the leeway to take a gamble like this on a player of Bryant's caliber. Obviously, UT will put Bryant on an academic plan and monitor his situation closely. With the APR issues plaguing the Vols, they wouldn't take a commitment from somebody who they didn't think can cut it, so now UT fans will just wait and see if he can make it into school.

Bryant may have just been one of many elite players on the Crimson Tide's list, but he was a top target for the Vols -- who desperately need an inside linebacker or two in this class. UT is also in the top two for five-star linebacker Clifton Garrett, but most have the Vols as a distant second to LSU. In committing to the Vols, Bryant noted his strong relationship with UT linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen [his primary recruiter] and a thin depth chart as the main reasons why he elected to commit to the Vols.

He also said he'd developed a relationship with future 2015 Vol Cecil Cherry, who committed to Tennessee on Friday. While Bryant is listed as an inside linebacker on most services, he has the speed, size and versatility to play any of UT's linebacker spots. The Vols are high on outside linebackers Dillon Bates and Kevin Mouhon and already have a commitment from JUCO OLB Chris Weatherd, which makes you think Bryant may slide inside.

Regardless, this is another major pickup for UT, who looks like a play-maker on film. He's the third commitment in the past four days for UT, joining Cherry and Florida athlete Brandon Powell.

In other Tennessee recruiting news, the Vols parted ways with three-star receiver Lawrence Lee this morning the day after receiving a commitment from Powell, who plays the same [slot receiver] position. With Lee's decommitment and Bryant's pledge, the Vols are back to 16 known commitments in the 2014 class. Bryant is the nation's No. 18-ranked inside linebacker according to 247 Sports. He's also a three-star prospect on Rivals and Scout.

100 Days of Vols #75 - No walls between us

2013-06-17T12:39:53Z

That picture up there is me on the Great Wall of China this past February. In a communist country still known largely for its great walls -- the ancient one and its contemporary, the government-controlled and censored internet system -- there I am, standing on top of one and circumventing another by posting that picture directly to my Facebook timeline right while I was standing there, using an iPad connected through a virtual private network to my cellular data plan.

Something about us drives us to build walls. Maybe it's to keep us safe. Maybe it's to keep others out. Maybe it's some other rationale or motivation.

It's not just anicent China trying to keep the Mongol hordes at bay or modern China attempting to protect its citizens against the creep of Western ideology. We do it ourselves in more subtle ways, with fences around our lots and garage doors that we can open with a button so we don't have to get out of the car and risk any real interaction with the neighbors. Smiling and waving as we are coming and going is so much more comfortable.

We also build figurative walls, intentionally or not, between ourselves and others who are a different political persuasion, a different race or ethnicity, or a different religion or denomination. And when we do finally venture a peek over the fence after years of hiding in our houses and reinforcing our ideals through the intentional avoidance of anything that might challenge them, we're shocked to find that "they" on the other side of the wall have been doing exactly the same thing, and now we're more different than ever. Before we know it, the walls have robbed us of our ability to even listen to each other, much less hear.

But as much as we are inclined to build walls, there is also something within us that absolutely loves to tear those suckers down. The Manchus eventually breached the only man made structure that you can see from the moon (this is not a comment on the nobility of the breach, just an observation that the wall was defeated), and in any event, machines that flew made the technology obsolete. [CORRECTION: That you can see the Wall from the moon is apparently an oft-repeated myth that is now busted thanks to an email from reader Logan.] And I'm convinced based on conversations I've had with people who should know that it's just a matter of time before China either loosens or loses its chokehold on the internet over there. It's possible that it's already begun and that the government has simply decided that it's better to let the air out of the balloon slowly rather than startle 1.6 billion people and a planet along with them. And hey, the Berlin Wall didn't just cease to become effective, that thing actually came down.

The other kinds of walls, the ones that divide along ideological and stereotypical lines, sometimes fall as well, although it's too often still a race between those removing the bricks and those piling them on. Some of my absolute favorite movies of all time are about the overcoming of these kinds of walls within the context of sports. There are many examples, but Remember the Titans stands out to me as one that is particularly well done, and because the hipster vaccine has inoculated me against hating on movies just because they're widely loved by millions of people, I am a sucker for movies like that. What's not to love about sports as the vehicle for not only breaking barriers but for setting the stage for meaningful relationships that would never happen if we never hung out with anyone who wasn't exactly like us? I'll take that all day.

This isn't a post about racial integration in SEC sports, but that's certainly one of the best examples of what I'm talking about. Tennessee has Lester McClain and Condredge Holloway, and every other school in the south has its own similar stories.

But the barriers between us aren't just racial, they're political and religious and whatever else is absolutely taboo among strangers but less so among friends. In an increasingly niche world, big tents are an increasing rarity. But being a Tennessee Volunteer fan means only one thing: You love the Vols. And when we're talking about the Vols, little else matters and our walls do not keep us from building a relationship. It's a safe environment that enables people with different ideas on different subjects to interact with each other by focusing on their common interests without regard to their differences and to table discussion of those differences for another day, a day when relationship has already been built and people can hear and listen instead of shout and offend because they're friends instead of strangers.

I love seeing walls that divide good people from each other reduced to rubble. I love seeing folks, folks whose differences would have precluded them from ever even meeting each other, instead become friends simply because they both cheer for the Vols.

I'm a Vols fan. You're a Vols fan. It's not that the other stuff doesn't matter. It does. But being Vols fans brings us together and enables friendships that might never have existed if we weren't both cheering for our guy running into the checkerboards. I couldn't be more grateful for that opportunity.

Note: None of the above sentiments are applicable to Alabama or Florida fans, who are utterly contemptible. ;-)

Tennessee Recruiting: Brandon Powell Chooses Vols Over 30 Suitors

2013-06-16T20:10:08Z

Brandon Powell is fast.

But he didn't want to be too fast on Saturday as all of the Tennessee Volunteers' 2014 commitments on campus for UT's most recent camp pressed him to prove how much he kept saying he loved Knoxville by giving Butch Jones his verbal commitment.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound burner withheld the peer pressure. Till Sunday morning, at least.

That's when Powell told Jones prior to leaving Knoxville to head back South that he wanted to be the Vols' 16th known commitment in the 2014 recruiting cycle. The athlete boasts 4.44 40-yard dash speed, and can play a myriad of positions for Tennessee once he arrives on campus. He also boasts a 4.0 grade-point average and has an offer sheet of more than 30 schools.

He ultimately chose UT over Auburn and had offers from LSU, California, Cincinnati, Duke, N.C. State, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others. He can play running back, wide receiver, cornerback, etc., but is likely expected to play slot receiver for the Vols and perhaps line up in the backfield in some formations. With a dearth of speed and playmakers on offense, UT needs a player of Powell's caliber, and this is a big get for a kid who named Auburn the leader just a few days before.

He told Ryan Callahan of GoVols247 that he was done with visits.

Powell does not yet have an offer from any of the "Big Three" in-state, but that's good news to hear that if he gets one, he is solid for now with the Vols. [It goes without saying that anything can change in recruiting.] Though UT was dealt a tough blow in recruiting this weekend with the verbal pledge of top remaining quarterback target David Cornwell to Alabama, it has been a very fruitful couple of days in Knoxville.

On Friday, 2015 stud linebacker Cecil Cherry committed to Tennessee over offers from virtually everybody in the country. He is from Frostproof, Fla., which has produced UT legends Travis Henry and Alvin Harper. He's also the cousin of former All-SEC running back Tony Thompson. Now, Sunday brings the commitment of Powell from another school that produced a Vol -- former quarterback Brent Schaeffer.

Powell is lightning-quick and can really do a lot with the ball in his hands. Here's a good look at his abilities with this video. Though some analysts think he can project better at cornerback, UT wants him to be able to showcase his offensive abilities.

SB Nation Recruiting editor Bud Elliott tweeted earlier that:

"Brandon Powell is a great fit for Tennessee. Give him 5-10 touches a game as a slot or a back. Can also return punts & kicks."

That sounds like the type of player UT hopes another Floridian Alton "Pig" Howard can become. Howard has struggled to grasp the offense thus far.

Powell's commitment is much needed, but it does answer some questions as well as create more for UT on the recruiting trail.

Obviously, Jones remains not pleased with the wide receivers on the current roster and doesn't believe there is enough explosion or definite playmakers in the bunch. While there has been positive buzz surrounding Jason Croom and MarQuez North this offseason, we haven't heard much of anybody else.
Tennessee is not content to rest on its laurels when it comes to wide receiver recruiting. Coaches brought in North, slot receiver Ryan Jenkins, slot receiver Josh Smith and outside receiver Paul Harris in this year's class. So far committed for next year are JUCO receiver Kameel Jackson [who should play outside], JUCO receiver Jonathan Johnson [who projects as a slot and will be ready to play this year], Lawrence Lee [a three-star slot receiver not highly rated but is loved by coaches], Neiko Creamer [big, physical receiver who could and probably should play tight end or linebacker/defensive end] and Vic Wharton [slot receiver].
There is little doubt that Tennessee really wants four-star in-state receiver Josh Malone and four-star JUCO wide receiver Eric Lauderdale -- and appear to be in good shape with each -- but, with Powell's pledge, are the Vols done at the position other than taking one or both of those guys? Some analysts believe Powell's commitment closes the door on three-star speedster Stanton Truitt. Still others believe Truitt, who is believed to be a heavy UT lean, could project more as a cornerback and may still be a take. Dominique Booth also has the Vols in the lead but may be on the outside looking in now. He camped this weekend, however, so he's not out of the question.

Tennessee has major needs to address pretty much everywhere with its remaining 13-14 spots in this recruiting class. But UT is in dire straits at receiver, according to their coaches. So, Powell fits a major need for speed on that side of the ball. Also, the Vols have struggled to find anybody to consistently catch punts and kicks outside of rising junior Devrin Young, so Powell may help on that avenue as well.

Given the work these guys have done on the recruiting trail thus far, it's pretty difficult to question them. I'm sure they have a plan on how the numbers need to shake out from this point forward, but Powell was a no-brainer, especially once the coaches saw him in person. He's a guy who has the opportunity to play a lot from day one on campus, and he helps a struggling APR as a bonus. This is a great pickup!

Welcome home, Mr. Powell!

100 Days of Vols #76 - Thrilled to be Living

2013-06-16T16:51:16Z

If you haven't been to Neyland Stadium the last two years, you may have missed this exceptional video from the fine folks who put awesome things on the JumboTron. On Father's Day, it's a great tribute to the first family of Tennessee Football and three of the best minutes of your day. Hear Johnny Majors tell the story of how he came to Tennessee under General Neyland, and what it meant to his family.

100 Days of Vols #77 - The Return To Glory

2013-06-15T19:45:48Z

Nobody in his right mind would have believed back on the morning of December 6, 2012, that the Tennessee Volunteers would already have 15 commitments in the nation's second-ranked class, five pledges verbally committed for 2015 and even one on deck for the 2016 class that won't sign on the dotted line for 28 more months.

The day that Butch Jones was named UT's next head football coach was was met with a near-universal "Meh."

Yet here Jones is, amazing folks at every turn, convincing national analysts that he's the right man for the job, patching up a fractured fanbase and trying to change the loser mentality that has permeated Knoxville over much of the past decade.

We can't be sure that the Vols are on their way back from their recent slumber in irrelevance, but the seeds are surely being sown. Difficult times almost assuredly await Jones in his first season on Rocky Top, but there is no doubt that the rise back to respectability begins on the recruiting trail. That is where the Vols have thrived -- the only place they can when it's not football season -- since Jones has been at the helm.

The rise back to the top may have started the day Jones was hired, but it received a big jolt back on Christmas Day with a pledge from Independence High School athlete Vic Wharton, who chose the Vols over several mid-range offers, including the SEC trio of Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. Though Wharton won't wind up the highest-rated pledge in this class, he may just be the most valuable. The barrage of Twitter messages, good vibes and positive energy directed by Wharton toward the UT program helped other in-state kids stand up and take notice.

High four-star safety Todd Kelly Jr. and five-star running back Jalen Hurd followed suit with commitments that sent shockwaves not only through the state but also the nation. National recruits who have blown up the camp circuit such as D'Andre Payne [Washington D.C.] , Daniel Helm [Illinois] and Joe Henderson [Ohio] have followed. Offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. -- he of the huge offer sheet -- also has pledged to the Vols.

Other notable names in-state who hold the Vols in high regards include RaShaan Gaulden, Petera Wilson, Derek Barnett, Charles Mosley and others. National recruits like Dillon Bates, D.J. Smith, Wesley Green, Adoree Jackson and more are listening and trying to get down [or back] to Knoxville to see what the buzz is about.

That recruiting "buzz" you hear about often. There is all of a sudden an "It" school and kids want to see what it's about. They talk with each other in person, via the phone or on social media and develop relationships. Before Jones came along, we mostly heard about it but didn't experience it except on those magical few seasons when Phillip Fulmer developed his reputation as a closer, getting some of the nation's elite players to commit and sign with Tennessee in January and December.

But this is June. And yet here the Vols are, battling the nation's best teams for the nation's best players and going toe-to-toe with guys everybody wants. Just Friday, an elite linebacker with offers from everybody in the nation -- Frostproof, Fla.'s Cecil Cherry -- decided to effectively end his recruitment before it hardly got off the ground. This coaching staff is working its tail off on the recruiting trail, and it's paying dividends for the Vols in the form of the nation's second-ranked class.

This weekend, the vast majority of UT's pledges for the 2014 class are on campus, spending face time with one another, bonding, helping recruit some of the other top players in the country to Tennessee as the Vols hold one of their big camps of the summer. This was orchestrated by Jones, who wanted to make sure that everybody came in unofficially on the same weekend so they could have time to spend and it also gives UT several more recruiters on hand. It's a brilliant idea, really.

If [or when] the Vols fall on hard times this year, it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to see a mass exodus of prospects. But with these guys, they mostly have ties to the program -- whether it be in-state or through legacies. Having a get-together of this caliber and giving all these guys face time with one another raises the accountability level with a player who may start wavering once a potentially rocky season begins on Rocky Top. If they bolt then, they bail out not only on the name of the program but on the coaches and teammates with which they've already bonded.

These are the little things that were foreign to Derek Dooley. But that's not hard to believe. After he was fired, we learned about plenty of shortcomings Dooley had in establishing relationships with prospects and their prep coaches. Not having bonding sessions was the least of his failures.

But it's one of the reasons why so many Tennessee fans believe now. It's the reason so many UT players and former players believe. We can see the other side of the tunnel. Take this quote that Eric Berry told the Chattanooga Times Free Press's Stephen Hargis in today's paper for instance ... they all believe:

"That's a place I care a lot about and want to see them back on top," Berry said. "Those type struggles go in cycles for every college team, and I have a lot of faith that Butch is the man who is going to get us back where we want to be. Butch is a great coach. He knows the game, has a solid plan that will work and he understands he needs to show the players and fans he cares about them and the program. The fans have stuck with the program through a tough time and they just keep finding reason to hope. I think we all have a good reason for hope now with Butch in charge, and it's really exciting to know that things are already turning around.

"Butch knows how I feel about him. I love the guy and what he stands for. He's not fake about his enthusiasm for being the head coach at Tennessee. He really does appreciate where he is, and that means a lot to us former players. We don't even have to check in with him if we want to stop by to visit or watch a practice. But a lot of us do call him just so we can talk or check on things, and he's made us feel welcome and like he genuinely cares about us as well as the current players. He just gets it, man.

"We've got a lot to be proud of at Tennessee, and having Butch Jones as our coach now is a big part of that."

Maybe -- just maybe -- Neyland Stadium isn't going to be a mausoleum on the river much longer. Maybe we can fill the stands, make some noise nationally and begin to get back in the picture for championships. It begins with infusing talent into a dormant program. It begins on the recruiting trail. That's where it has begun for Jones and the Vols.

Rise to the top. Return to glory. Hopefully, it's right around the corner.

Tennessee Recruiting: Elite '15 Linebacker Cecil Cherry Picks Tennessee

2013-06-14T16:07:00Z

The 2015 recruiting class is a long way from getting to campus. But there's no such thing as being too early in getting a foundation for a strong crop of players.

Tennessee continued its recent recruiting success Friday as 6-foot-1, 220-pound inside linebacker Cecil Cherry of Frostproof (Fla.) High School committed to the Vols over early offers from virtually every major program in the country. Believed to be one of the top linebackers in the nation next year, Cherry gives UT a massive early building block. He hails from the same high school as legendary UT running back Travis Henry, but it is another former Vols runner who makes Cherry a legacy.

Cherry is the cousin of Tony Thompson -- a UT running back from 1987-90 -- who filled in for Reggie Cobb and Chuck Webb in 1990, stepping in to lead the SEC with 1,261 rushing yards and to push the Vols to a Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia. Now, if Cherry holds with his commitment, will carry on that legacy and wear the orange and white.

Cherry chose UT over offers from Florida, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Wisconsin and others. If that offer sheet doesn't really do anything for you, check the highlight reel. More than impressive. When he hits people, they fall. He finished his sophomore season with 116 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Obviously, it's going to be difficult hanging onto a player from Florida who is coveted by all of the Big Three, along with every other major program in the country. Hopefully, his ties to Tennessee and the recruiting prowess of Butch Jones and Tommy Thigpen will keep him in the fold for 20 months leading up to National Signing Day 2015.

I thought this article's headline was pretty cool: Cecil Cherry Guilty On All Charges of Smashing Ball Carriers. This kid is the real deal. He is also the teammate of athlete Kaleel Gaines, who has a ton of offers such as Tennessee, Penn State, Auburn, Ohio State and Miami.

Cherry is already UT's fifth commitment of the 2015 class -- joining Texas as the only Division I FCS team with that many. He joins defensive end Andrew Butcher, offensive linemen Jack Jones and Zach Stewart and athlete Jaylond Woods as Tennessee's early, early commitments.

Welcome to Knoxville [future boom], Mr. Cherry!

100 Days of Vols #78 - Fathers, Sons and Daughters

2013-06-14T12:00:10Z

How many of us are reading a Tennessee Football blog in 2013 because somewhere in our past our fathers introduced us to the orange and white?

None of us get to choose where we're born and raised; what's in the water has a lot to do with who we end up giving our passion to. But at some point along the way, many of our parents made a specific choice. I'm going to take you to the game. We're going to spend time together on this. I'm going to tell you about your heroes. I'm going to dress you in the right shade of orange. And more often than not, it's our fathers who are most responsible for creating who we are as a fan.

Given the choice of what to do with second grade Will on fall Saturdays - AYSO or UT - I'm very thankful my parents chose the right kind of football. As I watch my friends with kids try to figure out how young is too young to bring them to their first game, I think back to those early impressionable days. We've already discussed the first game you remember in our series, and our fathers usually have a lot to do with that. But it takes more than one game to build a relationship between fan and team.

It's more than just dressing your kid in orange and buying him or her a stuffed Smokey. My Dad raised me on the highlight tapes from the 1985 season I didn't remember and the 1989 season I did. He was patient enough to give me the tour of Neyland Stadium even when I wanted it in the middle of the game and not before or after. He was always there to explain what's a screen pass and why two points for a safety when the Auburn punter had it snapped over his head in the rain and what's an oskie and why don't we play Vanderbilt's fight song during pregame? He was there to turn down the television and turn up John Ward.

As a pastor when I do premarital counseling I use The Five Love Languages as a resource. The book talks about how each of us tend to give and receive love in a primary language - acts of service, gifts, physical touch, quality time, or words of affirmation - that we probably learned from childhood. To this day, I'm a huge quality time person in large part because my parents spent so much time with me and my two sisters. And while that included spelling bees and ballet recitals and cross country meets and everything else that happened in our family of five, my favorite of all those times were always spent watching the Vols with my Dad.

We put in the time, and the Vols certainly did their part making it quality during the 1990s. I missed the 1990 Pacific game because of a family reunion (Mom's side, of course). The next home game I missed was in 2003. My Dad and I were there every single Saturday from the week after Chuck Webb's injury until I moved to the student section nine years later. When we blitzed the Gators in the second half on my ninth birthday in 1990, we celebrated together. We stood under the overhang in Z11 and watched it pour in another blowout over Florida two years later. The 1996 Alabama game remains one of my all-time favorites because it's the first time I saw us turn the Tide in person, and we were there together, this time on his birthday, and went out for a steak dinner afterward. And when we got those Gators again in 1998, we were on the field together.

We also took the show on the road. I got to miss a day of school when the Vols played at Louisville in the first ever ESPN Thursday Night game in 1991. I got a trip to Universal Studios and the parking lot of Sea World (because all I wanted to do was play putt-putt) and we watched the fireworks at Disney from our hotel balcony on January 1, 1996, just hours before the Vols put a stop to Eddie George and Ohio State. We made the safe trips multiple times - I've seen a lot of Columbia and Lexington - but we made all the ones that mattered too. When the Vols finally made the SEC Championship Game in 1997, we celebrated in the upper deck. And after an insane flight delay you'll probably read about later in this countdown, we were there on the night that mattered most in Tempe.

Sadly but poetically, it's the last game we went to together. I went to the student section the next year, and by the time I came back to Z11 my Dad's back had betrayed him to the point he could no longer tolerate sitting in Neyland Stadium for four hours every Saturday. But I will always remember that weekend in Tempe. It was, for Tennessee and John Ward and my Dad and I, the perfect ending to a great story.

But, as you've probably figured out, I remember all the others too. I got to grow up with Andy Kelly and Heath Shuler, Reggie Cobb and Chuck Webb, Peyton Manning and Al Wilson. But my Dad made sure I also knew DeRon Jenkins and Greg Amsler, Craig Faulkner and Tyrone Hines, Floyd Miley and Billy Williams, and everyone else too. All the games and players you have read about and will read about in the next 77 days during the 90s, during Tennessee's very best days, I got to experience because of and with my Dad.

He doesn't go to the games anymore, but I know he still loves the Vols as much as any of us. So many of the conversations I missed getting to have on a regular basis when I moved to Virginia that led me to start blogging were the ones I had with my Dad. He was one of the first people to read SouthEastern Sports Blog back when I had as much traffic in a week as Rocky Top Talk gets in an hour. And part of the great joy I get from doing what I do here is knowing my Dad is always reading it, and in that way we can still have those conversations and still experience the Vols together.

So here's to my Dad. And your Dad. And to all of the ways they helped make us who we are, and the small but incredibly meaningful parts of our lives they have given to us as Tennessee fans. And to all of you who are Dads, and all the ways you have shared and are sharing and will share the Vols with your children. It is in these moments of fathers and sons and daughters that sports become more than sports, and Tennessee Football for us is given and received as a gift. College football is great because it brings families together in real, meaningful, and everlasting ways that nothing else can. And I'm forever thankful that my Dad shared something with me that continues to give me such incredible joy into the 31st year of my life. It is these moments, these relationships, and these stories that make that joy tangible; no matter how good the product on the field is, what it produces between fathers and their children cannot be quantified with wins and losses, but only love.

What memories do you have of your Dad sharing the Vols with you? And how do you share the Vols with your children?

Happy Father's Day. Enjoy your weekend and your families. Go Vols.