'Steady' Gilliam still UT Vols' leader at left tackle

#1
kamoshika

kamoshika

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#1
"He's playing so steady," offensive line coach Don Mahoney said of Gilliam following Friday's practice. "He just goes about his work every day. I think [it's] his experience and his technique -- and that's the biggest thing that Dontavius is working to improve, is his overall technique.

"His strength, his conditioning levels have gotten better, but his overall technique's got to improve, and that's something where [Gilliam] has an edge on him. Jacob's really holding it down, and Dontavius is making strides, and it's good and it's healthy. As an overall unit, that's good for us, but Jacob's playing well."
'Steady' Gilliam still UT Vols' leader at left tackle | Times Free Press
 
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#4
#4
This may be because he is a fourth or fifth year senior who has taken advantage of strength and conditioning training, knowledge and practice experience throughout his career. This could give him an advantage over a more talented freshman or JUCO player who hasn't had exposure to a D1 program.
 
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#5
#5
zidanefan said:
Can't help but wonder if this is being done purely as motivation for Blair.
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I wondered that too but Gilliam's dad is a rep who comes to our office. Brought us breakfast last Wednesday. Don't think it is right now after talking to him but he is self admittedly biased. He does say he doesn't know who will be starting August 31st but he hopes they both keep working hard and if Blair starts he has earned it bc Jacob is giving it all he's got
 
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#6
#6
zidanefan said:
Can't help but wonder if this is being done purely as motivation for Blair.
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I personally think it's a matter of Gilliam being undersized coming out of HS, and why he had to walk on. He said in an interview that he was like 250lbs. I think he's now listed around 295. I expect he and Blair will rotate a lot early in the season, until one of them really separates from the other.
 
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#7
#7
VOLorNuttin said:
I personally think it's a matter of Gilliam being undersized coming out of HS, and why he had to walk on. He said in an interview that he was like 250lbs. I think he's now listed around 295. I expect he and Blair will rotate a lot early in the season, until one of them really separates from the other.
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I hope your right but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried over a Walk On starting at LT in the SEC.

Here's hoping we got a real diamond in the rough with Gilliam
 
#8
#8
orangebloodgmc said:
We just may have two left tackles who can play for us.
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or as they say "if you have two then you really have none"

Tebow-Sanchez.jpg
 
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#9
#9
Seems to me that Blair just needs to work on his footwork in pass pro.. Has to get quicker.
 
#10
#10
All I can say is f*** Derek Dooley. This is what happens when you don't recruit An olineman for an entire cycle.
 
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#11
#11
GahLee said:
All I can say is f*** Derek Dooley. This is what happens when you don't recruit An olineman for an entire cycle.
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Nuts. Thought this would be the first thread since CDD that didn't blame CDD.
 
#13
#13
GahLee said:
All I can say is f*** Derek Dooley. This is what happens when you don't recruit An olineman for an entire cycle.
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Bashing Dooley is like when people complain about a marriage or girlfriend they used to have. Dude, it was our / Tennessee's choice to have them in the first place. Kiffin left and he was there on the rebound. And unless you were one of those following John Grudens tie colors, he was about all we were going to get at the time. Let it go man. Like when I hear people go on about CPF when I make my trips back to Knoxville. All he did was give us our only real National Championship since the smoke from WW2 was still clearing . Lord almighty. F'in ponderous.
 
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#14
#14
HazMat said:
Bashing Dooley is like when people complain about a marriage or girlfriend they used to have. Dude, it was our / Tennessee's choice to have them in the first place. Kiffin left and he was there on the rebound. And unless you were one of those following John Grudens tie colors, he was about all we were going to get at the time. Let it go man. Like when I hear people go on about CPF when I make my trips back to Knoxville. All he did was give us our only real National Championship since the smoke from WW2 was still clearing . Lord almighty. F'in ponderous.
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Having a walk-on at our most important olineman position is directly tied to Dooley not signing a single olineman. You can forget but I'll never ease off that massive piece of ****.
 
#16
#16
Looks like Blair will have to play behind him this season guy isn't giving up his number one position. That is great news for the Vols because Blair is really good and this guy is better.
 
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#17
#17
dduncan4163 said:
I hope your right but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried over a Walk On starting at LT in the SEC.

Here's hoping we got a real diamond in the rough with Gilliam
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Me, too, but then again, Posey was already SEC size as a freshman, and was a 4* if I remember correctly. He should have been the next one in line after Tiny left, but he didn't. Instead of him stepping up, he stepped out and a Senior walk-on....who wanted it more...did what it took to win the spot.

So, that's 2 highly ranked prospects he effectively has beaten for the job. I guess we'll see if he is indeed a diamond in the rough, when we play Utah State.
 
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#18
#18
Volnation I'm so drunk in daytona beach who will be our starting Te and 3 Wr I think wolf and vp , maloone , and north and please remember I'm drunk idc about spelling
 
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#20
#20
“My first strength coach when I got here – you know there are a lot of us walk-ons – and he pretty much just told us he refused to learn our names until late because he didn’t think we’d all make it,” said Gilliam, a local product out of Farragut High School. “The first couple days he tried to kill us. We ran 18 110s the first day, we ran up Gate 10 the next day and then we Locust Street the next day.

“After that, some guys started weeding out and he came to me after I’d been through all that, we’d lost like eight guys, and he said, ‘Well now I have to learn your name, you’re the only one left.’”

And while he’s not the only one left on Tennessee’s offensive line, he has been a remarkable story of perseverance. From literally having no name when he first arrived to getting most of the first-team reps at left tackle this fall, Gilliam has seen it all at Tennessee.
Jacob Gilliam Earns his Name | Rocky Top Insider
 
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#21
#21
kamoshika said:
“My first strength coach when I got here – you know there are a lot of us walk-ons – and he pretty much just told us he refused to learn our names until late because he didn’t think we’d all make it,” said Gilliam, a local product out of Farragut High School. “The first couple days he tried to kill us. We ran 18 110s the first day, we ran up Gate 10 the next day and then we Locust Street the next day.

“After that, some guys started weeding out and he came to me after I’d been through all that, we’d lost like eight guys, and he said, ‘Well now I have to learn your name, you’re the only one left.’”

And while he’s not the only one left on Tennessee’s offensive line, he has been a remarkable story of perseverance. From literally having no name when he first arrived to getting most of the first-team reps at left tackle this fall, Gilliam has seen it all at Tennessee.
Jacob Gilliam Earns his Name | Rocky Top Insider
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Cool story but it still scares me that a walk on is starting at LT. I hope I eat a bunch of crow on this one.
 
#22
#22
Volfan2012 said:
Looks like Blair will have to play behind him this season guy isn't giving up his number one position. That is great news for the Vols because Blair is really good and this guy is better.
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If Blair was balling out then I would agree with you but reports have mostly said he has underwhelmed since arriving in TN. LT is a huge concern for this team, especially since Worley has a tendency to hold onto the ball longer than he should.
 
#23
#23
08Vol said:
If Blair was balling out then I would agree with you but reports have mostly said he has underwhelmed since arriving in TN. LT is a huge concern for this team, especially since Worley has a tendency to hold onto the ball longer than he should.
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The Vols were a missed FG away from beating Bama with the walk on Sullins bros a few years ago.
 
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#24
#24
Thinking back to our last 2 bowl teams ( how many years ago was that - gee). One started a handful of true freshmen and the other had two walk-ons. Sounds like Butch using both strategies to guarantee we get back to a bowl this year
 
#25
#25
We really need Gilliam to step up and have a great year because he's earned it. I remember a similar story about the Sullin's brothers a few years back. It will be nice when Butch has in place his own recruits on both sides of the ball.
 
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