SB Nation - Ramon Foster

Opening Our Files: Roundup on Tennessee Previews & Other Volunteer Notes

Nestor — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:26 -0000

So let's officially open up our collective notebooks on Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols under first year head coach Lane Kiffin is coming off a picture perfect opener against newly minted D-1 Western Kentucky. The numbers the Volunteers piled up against the Hilltoppers were pretty sick. From the Tennessee team report posted over at Yahoo! Sports:

Western Kentucky turned Jonathan Crompton into Peyton Manning Lite, as the senior quarterback tossed five touchdown passes Saturday in a season-opening 63-7 annihilation at Neyland Stadium.

"To see Jonathan throw for five touchdowns today, more than he threw for all of last year, was really good for him," Kiffin said. "This is a quarterback and an offensive line that has been torn apart for a while now."

Crompton and the O-line did the tearing in front of a sun-drenched crowd of 98,761. Tennessee finished with 657 yards and 34 first downs, numbers that would have required three games to amass last year when the team went 5-7 and cost Phillip Fulmer his job.

Tailbacks Montario Hardesty and Bryce Brown each rushed for more than 100 yards and scored a touchdown. Hardesty rolled up 160 and Brown, a highly touted freshman, ended with 104.

Monte Kiffin’s defense had the Hilltoppers in minus numbers during the third quarter and allowed only 83 yards in 46 snaps. Western Kentucky picked up just six first downs.

The Volunteers piled up video game numbers on both sides of the ball, racking up 657 total yards and 34 first downs on offense, while limiting the Hiltoppers to 6 first downs (apparently their only first down in first half came via a penalty).

Yeah, I know it's kind of easy to dismiss those crazy numbers because they were taking on a hapless Hilltoppers bunch that was apparently playing their first D-1 game. However, I am not going to discount this kind of performance in their opening game under new coach, because it (at least on paper) shows that they are trying to put together a team with lethal killer instincts.

Bruins will have a puncher's chance though (even though at this point I am not seeing how we can pull out this win with a freshman QB and a completely revamped OL). The Tennessee team we are going to play this season is going to be a bit different than the one we shocked at the Rose Bowl. I have gathered some of the pre-season notes on their personnel from around the web with the latest update from our colleagues at Rocky Top Talk (RTT), after the jump.

So Kiffin (or should I say the Kiffins?) will be waiting for the Bruins with a team that returns 12 starters (7 on offense and 5 on defense) from last year's team. Paul Meyerberg from the New York Times has the following lowdown on the key losses from last year's team:

Key losses: Tennessee’s losses on offense are most felt at receiver, where the team lost two 2008 starters to graduation and another pair of potential 2009 starters to injuries. Lucas Taylor was one of Tennessee’s more dependable targets last fall, making 26 grabs for a team-leading 332 yards. The Vols also lost the part-time starter Josh Briscoe, who made 14 receptions for 176 yards and a score. Making matters worse, U.T. lost the senior Austin Rogers (14 for 180) for the season in the spring because of an A.C.L. tear, and may also be without the junior Denarius Moore for much of 2009. Moore, who made 11 receptions for 271 yards (a team-best 24.6 yards per reception), broke his left foot two weeks ago and may miss as much as three or four months. The team also faces a gap on the right side of its offensive line, where it lost guard Anthony Parker and tackle Ramon Foster (27 career starts). In the backfield, running back Arian Foster (570 yards, 1 touchdown) might have had a disappointing senior season, but he still departs as the team’s second-leading career rusher (2,964 yards). As a junior, Foster earned all-SEC honors after rushing for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also added 83 career receptions, 19 as a senior. The would-be junior Lennon Creer, the team’s second-leading rusher last fall with 388 yards, opted to leave the program in April.

On defense, Tennessee lost a pair of starters at each level: the line, linebackers and secondary. The biggest is most likely end Robert Ayers, who earned all-SEC honors as a senior. He seemed to put it all together in his final season, making 49 tackles, a team-best 15.5 for loss, and 3 sacks. At tackle, the 21-game starter Demonté Bolden had 35 stops (6 for loss) as a senior. Middle linebacker Ellix Wilson led the team with 89 tackles, and added a sack and an interception; a fine season for the first-year starter and team leader. Rounding out the losses at linebacker are Nevin McKenzie (53 tackles, 10 for loss, a team-best 5 sacks) and Adam Myers-White. The U.T. defense must also replace cornerback DeAngelo Willingham and safety Demetrice Morley. Willingham, a two-year starter, finished second on the team with three interceptions. The would-be senior Morley added 42 tackles and 2 interceptions, but was kicked off the squad after violating team rules. That’s the second time Morley has been kicked off the team in three years; he won’t get a third shot.

Now don't get lulled into a false sense of comfort after reading those grafs. ~~First of all not sure where NYT got their info on Lucas Taylor because I still see him listed in Tennessee's depth chart this season. So that's a mistake~~. As for their losses at WRs, they have plenty of youngsters sprinkled through their depth chart (PDF) (HT hooper at RTT via Chattanooga Times Free Press).

Also, despite the loss of Paker and Foster at the OL, the Voluntees will have a powerful, huge veteran OL ready for the Bruin front-7 this weekend in Knoxville. If I read their correctly everyone except their center is over 300lbs and all of their starter are upper classmen (except for Jarrod Shaw, the 6-4, 332 Jr. who is listed as "Co-No-1" with Aaron Douglas, 6-6 282 red shirt freshman) From Athlon Sports' pre-season capsule on the Tennessee OL:

Chaney (OC John Cheney, who who Kiffin pried away from the St. Louis Rams, - BN Ed.) has brought with him a zone blocking scheme that has enabled the Vols’ linemen to play with more aggression. The interior line is strong with fourth-year starter Josh McNeil at center flanked by fellow seniors Jacques McClendon and Vladimir Richard. Senior Chris Scott has a hold on left tackle duties, while Jarrod Shaw and converted tight end Aaron Douglas are battling for the starting job at right tackle. "Last season was rough," Richard says. "But Coach (Kiffin) is a competitor. He loves smacking people in the mouth." After years of defensive dominance in practice drills, the UT offensive line stepped up and proved it could hold its own in the spring.

On other key returnees let's go back to that capsule from the NYT:

Players to watch: He’s undoubtedly the best defensive player in the F.B.S. But in my mind, the strong safety Eric Berry is the best player in the country – regardless of position. Yeah, there’s that quarterback down in Gainesville, so maybe Berry’s coming in second. That shouldn’t detract from what we’re all seeing from the talented junior: he’s the best defender U.T. has developed since Reggie White, and in my mind, if Tennessee shocks the SEC and wins 9 or 10 games, Berry should receive very heavy consideration for the Heisman. Through two seasons, Berry stands second in the N.C.A.A. with an SEC-record 487 interception return yards, a total coming off of 12 interceptions. His single-season outputs in this category rank first (265 yards last fall) and third (222 in 2007) in SEC history. Last fall, Berry tallied 73 tackles (8.5 for loss), 3 sacks and 7 interceptions, two of which he returned for scores. (He may have been Tennessee’s best offensive weapon.) For his efforts, Berry was a unanimous all-American – U.T.’s first since 1990 – and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The only college safety I’ve seen match Berry’s combination of speed, ferocity and ball skills was the late, great Sean Taylor. So, as you see, he’s the king of the U.T. defense. Who will help carry the load? The Vols return the junior Dennis Rogan at one cornerback spot, as well as the 2007 starter Brent Vinson. Also competing for a starting spot at corner are the sophomores Art Evans and C.J. Fleming, though I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Tennessee’s heralded incoming freshmen make a push for playing time. U.T. will look toward the freshmen Prentiss Wagner and Rod Wilks or the sophomore Stephaun Raines at free safety. The senior Rico McCoy (87 tackles and a sack last fall) is the lone returning starter at linebacker. Making the push to join him in the starting lineup are the juniors Nick Reveiz (middle) and LaMarcus Thompson (strongside), each of whom played important roles on special teams a season ago. Besides McCoy, U.T. is very young and untested at linebacker. The situation is a little clearer on the line, where the juniors Ben Martin (18 tackles, 1 sack) and Chris Walker (15 tackles, 3 sacks) have secured their places as the starters at end. You’ll likely find the senior Dan Williams (48 stops, 8.5 for loss) on the nose, while the senior Wes Brown (37 tackles, 2.5 sacks) finds himself in competition with the freshman Montori Hughes for the second starting spot on the interior.

On offense, the senior Jonathan Crompton will again be the starter at quarterback. Let’s ignore the fact that his starting job has come by default. Quite simply, Crompton must be better in 2009 than he was a season ago. It shouldn’t be too difficult, as he did not play up to his potential last fall: 86 of 167 (51.5 percent) for 889 yards, with four touchdowns against five interceptions. He can – and should – be better, but some aspects of Crompton’s game must improve. His touch, for example. Crompton lacked it last fall, when he seemed to throw every pass as hard as he could. His decision-making must also improve. His only competition for the starting job is the junior Nick Stephens, who has missed most of the last five months while recuperating from a hand injury. Stephens started six games last fall, putting up numbers similar to Crompton’s (840 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 picks). The senior Montario Hardesty ascends to the top spot in the backfield after rushing for 271 yards a season ago. That total leads all returning Volunteers. He may be the lead back, but the Vols will also give carries to the sophomore Tauren Poole and the true freshman Bryce Brown, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2009 cycle. Brown chose U.T. in part because of the potential for immediate playing time, so expect to see his number called early and often. Three starters return up front, led by the potential all-conference center Josh McNeil. The senior enters his final season with 35 career starts, the most of any active Volunteer. McNeil was a freshman all-American in 2006 and an honorable mention all-SEC selection in 2007. He’s joined up front by the senior left tackle Chris Scott and the senior left guard Vladimir Richard. I’m intrigued by the potential of the redshirt freshman Aaron Douglas, a former tight end who is in the hunt to start at right tackle. Given his experience and lack of prototypical size (he’s only 282 pounds, my word), can Douglas be the presence required of the right tackle in the run game?

Well as mentioned above looks like Douglas impressed the coaches sufficiently enough that he earned a spot on the depth chart as "co number 1" (whatever that means) with Jarrod Shaw. In some ways, Douglas sounds like he is the same situation as Nate Chandler found himself last year (when we were hurting for bodies at OL) as the coaches are doing whatever they can to incorporate his size and athleticism into the lineup.

Now in terms of what to expect next week, my bet is that Kiffin and Cheney will devise a plan on offense in which they will rely on a power running game. Again from Pete Fiutak's preview at Scout.com:

What to watch for on offense: Power running. The coaching staff will try to pound the ball, rely on the tremendous defense, and try to control the game and the clock. The passing game will try to push the ball deep a little more to stretch things out, but the offense will spend most of its time using its humongous, veteran line to pave the way for a fantastic group of backs. The backfield was good enough to get by, and then came the recruiting class with Toney Williams, David Oku, and the No. 1 prospect in America according to CFN, Bryce Brown, all ready to make a huge impact and upgrade the stalled ground attack.

What to watch for on defense: A ton of interceptions. All the pieces are there for the secondary to come up with a phenomenal year. Not only is there track star speed across the board, but there’s all-everything safety Eric Berry as the sheriff in the Tampa 2 scheme, but the pass rush should be better. Even with Robert Ayers off to the NFL, the Vol defensive front should be more active with Ben Martin and Chris Walker two speedsters on the ends who should be camped out in opposing backfields.

Going back to their offense, I am still shocked at how the Tennessee coaching staff from last year forgot to run the ball down our throats last season at the Rose Bowl. They had piled up around 180 yards rushing and 2 TDs running the ball against our defense last year yet for some inexplicable reasons they decided to go away from that and depend on Crompton's arm. I just don't think Kiffin is going to make the same mistake. I fully expect them to come after our front-7 all evening long with their powerful OL, and do what they can to wear us down on their home turf. This is going to be a huge challenge for our defense.

I think the key for us on Saturday is going to be somehow get on the board early. If they we can get on the board early and then force them to go away from the game plan of running the ball down our throats, we will have a shot.Needless to say special teams is going to be a huge factor. We are going to need our kickers to give us good field position as much as possible forcing the Volunteers to go long drives. Otherwise if we fall behind early and make early mistakes on offense, the situation has the potential to snowball out of control like last year in BYU.

It will take supreme concentration and focus on our part to hang in there early against the Volunteer emotion, and then somehow put ourselves in position to steal the game in second half. My head tells me that we are simply too young and inexperienced (on offense) to pull this off. My heart is pulling for our guys to make me eat crow on Saturday night. So that's what I have for initial notes on the Volunteers to get the scouting started for this week. I will throw it back to you start filling up the info. folders on Tennessee (either via comment thread here or in the FanPosts).

GO BRUINS.

Talking points: Ed Orgeron ups the ante in recruiting tactics

Joel — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:42:13 -0000

Tennessee football

B.J. Coleman visited UT-Chattanooga earlier this week but is still weighing his options before deciding where to transfer.
Arian Foster, Anthony Parker, and Ramon Foster have all made cfn.com's list of the top 30 players not drafted ($).
The Vols are hoping that the offensive line can mitigate any potential disadvantage at QB this season, like the line did in 2004 with three different QBs when they made both Gerald Riggs and Cedric Houston 1,000-yard rushers.
Why in the world would Ed Orgeron choose to play himself in the upcoming movie version of Michael Lewis's Blind Side? Why, recruiting, of course:

The reason I did it, really, is it's an opportunity for recruiting. It's going to help us in recruiting to see one of our coaches in a movie that goes all over the nation. It's going to help. That's the big reason I did it.

HT: Holly. Side note: I initially mis-typed "Blind Side" as "Bling Side," which is a different movie. Hmm. Who would that be about?

Tennessee basketball

It's looking more and more like Tyler Smith will return to the Vols for another season. Most are projecting him as a second-round pick, and Smith said that there's a "very high chance" of him returning if that remains the case.
The Vols had one of those postseason annual banquets where everybody gets an award. No video yet of Bruce Pearl rapping, though, so it sounds much more tame than the Volscars.

NCAA

Team Speed Kills' Year 2 has an excellent brief history of America's postseason.

Tennessee Volunteers Taken In Undrafted Free Agency

Hooper — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:54:36 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

Two more Vols get a brand new head coach next year: Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Browse more photos »

Tennessee may have hit a historic low with only one player taken in the NFL draft, but the day is not over yet! There are still several available Vols who might get picked up via free agency.

NFL free agency is a double-sided coin; while a UDFA is obviously not ever going to be able to say he was "drafted" and loses some vestment from the team, they often end up with a choice of teams to try out for. This can actually work to a player's advantage rather than being drafted in the tailings of the seventh round, as they can be a little more judicious about the team they work out with.

We'll update a list of Vols who are picked up in free agency here as we hear the news and as we have available time to name them. (I'm working on my final project for class, so my attention will be divided.)

Ramon Foster

According to Behind the Steel Curtain, Ramon Foster was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. I am really big on this acquisition. First, the Steelers are in bad need of alternatives for their line. Despite winning the Super Bowl, Big Ben often played the part of pinata behind the porous line in Pittsburgh. Second, the Steelers did not draft a ton of offensive line help, so there should be room for Foster to make a spot if he has a good camp - even if it's a reserve role at first. Third, I think Foster is a better lineman than last year would indicate, as everybody seemed to suffer under the Clawfense's learning curve.

Josh Briscoe and Lucas Taylor

Josh Briscoe is reported to be going to the Washington Redskins while Lucas Taylor is said to be joining Robert Ayers with the Denver Broncos. I don't know the Redskins situation and can't offer commentary, but I like the Taylor to Denver move. Part of it is homerism, but part of it is that the Broncos lack depth at wide receiver. They have Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, but after that the players get significantly older. Also, everybody will be learning a new system, so Taylor will have a better chance if he can beat the incumbents at the learning curve.

Arian Foster

Arian Foster is reported to have signed with the Houston Texans. I think this is a great fit for them. If he regains his weight, he could be the short-yardage back they might need in goal-line and short-yardage situations. Leaving all related jokes aside, this is a good match. Here's hoping camp goes well for him. (And the folks at Battle Red Blog appear to be fond of him.)

Britton Colquitt

Yet another Vol was picked up by the Broncos. The punter with the roller-coaster history makes the third Vol on the Denver shopping list. This isn't a bad place for Colquitt as the current punter for the Broncos is a fairly new guy himself. McDaniels wants to place a priority on special teams, so a solid showing could very well net Colquitt a new NFL home.

DeAngelo Willingham

Willingham is reported to have been taken as an UDFA by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I don't know the Bucs' secondary needs, but they took one corner in the 7th and two other safeties in free agency. This will be an interesting one to watch as the Bucs transition away from Monte's tutelage for the first time in what seems like forever. I wish I had a forecast on Willingham's chances, but I don't.

More will be added here as we hear of them. If you catch any news, please provide a comment (and a link, if possible).

NFL DRAFT LIVE COMMENT THREAD

Hooper — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:30:10 -0000

More photos » AP

8 months ago: FILE - In these university handouts and file photos top college football prospects for the 2009 NFL Draft are shown. They are : Robert Ayers, Rhett Bomar, Andre Brown, Donald Brown, Everette Brown, Darius Butler, Antoine Caldwell, James Casey, Chase Coffman, Emanuel Cook, Jared Cook and Michael Crabtree. (AP Photo)

Browse more photos »

Bumped to the top for day 2 of the NFL Draft. A heart WOO!! to Robert Ayers for being drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos. --hooper

Well, today is the day!

It may seem odd that the NFL Draft receives so much attention and publicity. No other sport's draft even comes close to the sheer overhyping and overspeculating that occurs prior to and during the NFL's greatest offseason show. To me, though, the spectacle makes sense. For one, football is quite simply the biggest sport in the country (and yes, I know NASCAR's claims). Also, the timing works better for football than the other sports: with nearly four months between the last meaningful college football game and the draft, the NFL has the time to put players through workouts and build speculation. And building speculation is easy, what with all the football-only staff members on the major media sites with nothing better to do than update their mock drafts on a weekly basis. Lastly, there is more uncertainty in the draft. Who could have seen this coming, for example?

Oh, and there's this. Money lines:

"Everybody said if Marino was going to be around at that time, that they'd take Marino. Obviously, the Jets know something that the people up here don't."

or

"It's obvious to me right now that the Jets just don't understand what the draft is all about." -- Mel Kiper, way back... yeah, way back...

"We want Sapp! We want Sapp! We want Sapp!" -- NY Jets fans, right before...

"The New York Jets select: tight end from Penn State Kyle Reyes."

Even if the idea of televising a draft is a little over-the-top to you, you have to love the people-watching experience. You have Mr. Hair. You have Jets fans. You have Berman. You have Brady Quinn and a very, very unhappy girlfriend.

As to the Vols, we've pretty well covered their odds. Now it's just time to wait and see. The first-day drama will obviously be with Robert Ayers. He'll get picked up in one of the two rounds on Saturday, but to whom?

UPDATE: Be serious now; how many of you don't think Stafford's career with the Lions won't look something like this:

I warned you...

Many More Players Leaving Tennessee: NFL Draft Plan of Action

Hooper — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:30:47 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

7 months ago: FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2008 file photo, Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers (91) sacks Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Donovan (12) during the second quarter of the Outback Bowl football game in Tampa, Fla. Ayers is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, File)

Browse more photos »

We've been on quite the roller-coaster ride with the recent news of Coleman's departure from the team (as well as Sawtelle's), but they will not be the last Vols we see permanently leave the Orange and White behind this weekend. Despite a very turbulent 4 years in Big Orange football and a trainwreck of a 2008 season, there are still several Volunteers who will be drafted by NFL teams on Saturday and Sunday, and others who may get picked up as undrafted free agents UDFAs).

Some prep:

rkmccoy provided a nice bullet list of some Vols to watch for. Click the link to get the Cliff's Notes on Arian Foster, Anthony Parker, Ramon Foster, Demonte' Bolden, and Robert Ayers. Other names not mentioned include Lucas Taylor and Josh Briscoe and Britton Colquitt.
Robert Ayers and Arian Foster are the two most intriguing names to follow, given their histories at Tennessee. Click their names in this bullet point for more detailed information.
Several of the NFL-related SBNation blogs have inquired about Vols players (particularly Ayers) and seem to have a keen interest in him in relation to their team. There should be some Vols buzz afloat at Buffalo Rumblings, The Phinsider, Pride of Detroit, Mile High Report, Music City Miracles, and The Falcoholic.
There is a draft hub for SBNation: Mocking The Draft. It's a great little access point driven by some of the more hard-core draftniks in the SBNation blogs.
A shout-out goes to Craig T of Buc 'Em. He's one of the main guys at the Buccaneers blog, is a big Volunteers fan, and has had his fate even more intricately tied to our own with the acquisition of Monte Kiffin.

Our Plans

Informal as always, I will set up a day-long live comment thread for the first day of the NFL draft. I'd like to have discussions about more than just the Vols being taken as well. I know that most of us are NFL fans and this will provide us an opportunity to have a conversation with fans of teams that are not necessarily our own.

I, for one, will be very intrigued by the Broncos. My lifelong "home" team is in a dubious position in my mind, as I am still very leery of McDaniels (and basically everything that's happened since the end of the season). But they'll be one of the power players in the first round with two mid-round picks in their name.

And, as last year, my personal theme for the NFL draft (as borrowed from Mike and Mike):

You're feelin' it. I can tell.

[UPDATE] Yes, I just learned that this video is not embeddable. Here's the YouTubery if you're interested.

Talking points: on flaming, wimping, and flaking out edition

Joel — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:36:46 -0000

Back in the saddle -- it's standard equipment on my futon, if you must know -- after having been completely and totally preoccupied with business and unexpected personal travel the past week. I am woefully behind, but at least I'm on the horse now instead of in the stampede. Many thanks to hooper and Will for keeping things lively around here.

Yeah, the basketball team is in very real danger of completely flaming out. According to Pearl, the team can't take coaching, which sounds like a very bad thing and almost spectacularly dumb when Pearl's your coach. But even the players are saying so, with Wayne Chism admitting that he was one of several players not even paying attention in an in-game time out huddle. Perhaps he was falling prey to what may have been Pearl's last-ditch effort to save the season, which was to risk a loss or two so that the players could discover for themselves that their desire to pick up the pace wasn't going to work with this bunch of guys and that his way is the only way to win this season. The good news is that, as unlikely as it seems right now, the Vols can still make the NCAA Tournament. That is, assuming they have learned their lessons, have found their focus, and that tomorrow night they can beat the Bulldogs, a team that starts four quick guards and features a packed-in defense with an excellent shot-blocker. Yay.
Weak showing at the NFL Combine. Arian Foster, Anthony Parker, and Ramon Foster did 23, 24, and 20 reps of 225 pounds respectively on the bench press at the NFL Combine. Benchmark: Texas Tech's Louis Vasquez did 39. Yep, nearly twice as strong. John Pennington does some more I-told-you-so-ing. Only two more weeks before we get to see whether the Recruiting Chimera can coach, too.
More, um, news on the recruiting front. More no news on Bryce Brown. More odd news on David Oku: he's moving -- as in physically relocating -- from Oklahoma to Nebraska. Read into that whatever you want, says he, but he's still trying to decide between Tennessee, Auburn, Syracuse, and Ole Miss.

DRAWING THE CURTAIN ON PHILLIP FULMER'S FINAL ACT AS THE HEAD COACH OF THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

Joel — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:08:51 -0000

Above all else, the greatest thing about sports is that it is unscripted entertainment. Competitors are cast together on the same stage with the director insisting from the shadows only that each is to attempt to achieve his own success by depriving the other of his. Often the impromptu drama in live sporting events rivals that of award-winning scripts designed by their very nature to lead you through an emotional gamut from status quo to conflict to denouement.

But if the unscripted nature of live contests is their strength, it is also their weakness. Often the hero fails. Often the villain wins. Too often the curtain closes with the audience looking quizzically at each other and saying, "Maaaaan. It should not have ended that way."

Yet it's precisely the unknowable ending that makes a positive conclusion all the more satisfying. There was really no reason for Vol fans to believe that their team would win its last game of the season, no real basis for believing that the players would be able to put together an entire game that would actually give them a real opportunity to douse Phillip Fulmer with Gatorade one last time or to carry him off the field with the honor he deserves.

But there it was, the happy ending. Coach Fulmer smiling. Gerald Jones and Jonathan Crompton racing straight for him as the clock cleared to zeroes so that they could have their opportunity to embrace him and tell him again how much he means to them. A host of players dumping the Gatorade over his back. A bigger host of players in the colors of both schools huddled together at midfield with Fulmer telling Erin Andrews and ESPN to just hold their money-grubbing horses for a second because we're gonna have our prayer -- it's Tradition, don't you know. Fulmer then answering the inane questions with all of the class and honor and integrity you have come to expect from him, saying not that the administration was wrong -- although he surely believes that they were -- or that his record suggests that he should have been given an opportunity to remedy the problems with the offense -- although he most certainly believes that it does -- but remarking simply that he "will always be a Vol."

And then there were Ramon Foster and Anthony Parker heaving Fulmer on their shoulders and carrying him off the field in a moving mass of welling-eyed, 200- and 300-pound players in a manner fitting a man who has devoted his entire career to the betterment of the Tennessee Volunteer football program. And there was that man, who had struggled against anger and tears three weeks ago, now riding high on the shoulders of his beloved players, smiling from ear to ear, carrying the game ball high and tight, just like he always taught his players whether they listened to him or not.

The curtain has closed. The house lights have lit. Perhaps it should not have ended this season, this game.

But regardless of whether it should have ended at that time, there can be no doubt that it should have ended that way.

2008 Senior Day Tribute: Anthony Parker and Ramon Foster

Joel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:00:08 -0000

Anthony Parker and Ramon Foster

Offensive linemen really have a thankless job. No highlights for the hippo-ballerinas. Unless, of course, you catch a glimpse of them as a running back is praised by the commentators for running through that massive hole that the o-lineman has opened or unless it's that one play out of 100 he's screwed up by committing a penalty or, horror of horrors, getting beat by a defender.

No, an offensive lineman's success is probably best measured in games played and starts, and Ramon Foster and Anthony Parker have those in spades. Parker and Foster played in six and seven games respectively, and started one and two respectively in 2005 as redshirt freshmen. SEC coaches recognized Foster's contributions to that season by naming him to the Freshman All-SEC team.

Parker and Foster played in 12 and 11 games respectively in 2006 and then they both started all 14 games in 2007, the season during which they were the key cogs in the machine that allowed only four sacks all season. Opponents sacked Tennessee quarterbacks only once every 133.5 pass attempts. Foster even got some national publicity from analyst Mark May when he played the entire game against Vanderbilt despite breaking his thumb in pregame warmups. The offensive line for which these guys started all season produced a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher, and a 1,000-yard receiver. Parker was an AP and Rivals All-American and an AP, Rivals, and Coaches All-SEC selection.

I have no highlights tagged "Anthony Parker" or "Ramon Foster" but look for Nos. 75 and 78 whenever you're watching highlights of Erik Ainge or any running back the last three seasons for Tennessee. They're as much responsible for the success of those guys as the playmakers themselves.

What Tennessee must do to keep the current football commits.

Hooper — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:36:48 -0000

Now that Fulmer is officially on his way out, Tennessee must turn a very wary eye toward the recruiting class for 2009 that has been building up. The recruiting class had been going very well for Tennessee, with some people projecting a class as high as 3-5 when the dust settled. (I was guessing top 10ish, but not quite that high.) Most importantly, the class seemed to include a number of quality offensive and defensive line prospects - positions on the team that have been a concern for recruiting for the last two years. For those of you who have Scout, GVX, Rivals, ESPN, etc. on a feed reader, you know how big of a deal the recruiting class has become. (I swear, if GVX carpet-bombs my feed with those lousy overdue Twitter notices about the same recruits that everybody talked about the day before one more time, I'm going to scream. Do you have any idea how much of a pain it is to hit the "Mark All As Read" button?)

The problem is, UT currently has nobody to defend their commits. The other programs are certainly calling UT's commits up and trying to convince them to peel away from the Big Orange, but who's going to call on UT's behalf and assure the commits that things will work out?

As I see it, there's only one answer: the current players.

If you watched Ramon Foster and Eric Berry at the press conference, you saw the single most attractive aspect of the Vols to a recruit - the sense of family and belonging that each player has. At Tennessee, the football players aren't just players on a team - they're a family. They don't just care about the on-field performance, they care about each other. When one Vol hurts, they all hurt; when one Vol succeeds, they all celebrate.

Even during the lo-AAAAARGHHHH!!! GVX!!! LEARN TO HANDLE FEEDS PROPERLY!!! Um...excuse me.

Even during the low points of this season, we never saw the finger-pointing, the blame-assigning, and the malcontent that is so common in a team in freefall. Rather, the players were always talking about working harder, never quitting, helping each other, relying on each other, and fixing things together. Even Crompton never once complained when benched for Stephens - a fact that gets little play by anybody (including me) in light of his performance.

At times, the team has seemed aloof and standoffish. When we were demanding explanations, they circled their wagons and defended each other. Sometimes, their response was a little acidic, but that was only because they saw the Vols fans as antagonistic toward their own brothers. Internally - during team meetings, practices, etc. - they undoubtedly had their arguments and heated moments. Externally, it never showed. The problems in the family stayed in the family. And nobody was to criticize from the outside.

If the players can continue to illustrate their closeness, and if they can get that point across to our recruits, the recruits can be assured that UT is a place where they will be respected and included as one of a rare brotherhood. To many young men, that is an incredibly important bond to have in life. They will see the team as a place to establish the rest of their lives, not simply a place to play ball for 4 years.

It's not much in the face of other colleges' recruiters, who will undoubtedly say anything they can to pull away UT's recruits. (Can you blame them?) But it's all we have at the moment.