Fred White on Tennessee's best team ('99) and Cam Sutton

[Freak]

I heard Fred White on Big Orange Hotline this week and thought I would share a few of his comments. I've always heard folks speculate about the talent comparison between the '98 and '99 teams, but thought it was especially interesting coming from Fred.

I also find it interesting to consider how the more talented team performed considerably worse. Does this mean that things such as leadership, work ethic and chemistry can be just as important as talent, to some degree?

He also, like most this year, had very high praise for Cam Sutton.

Was 1999 Tennessee’s most talented team?

 

[oregonvol]

Let's also not forget that there was a significant coaching change between 98 & 99.

 

[hikermanvol]

I remember kicking a hole in the wall that year after we lost to Arkansas.

 

[Freak]

I remember kicking a hole in the wall that year after we lost to Arkansas.

That was a crushing loss. I took a long stroll around the neighborhood, just mumbling to myself. :lol:

 

[ainge10heisman]

I heard Fred White on Big Orange Hotline this week and thought I would share a few of his comments. I've always heard folks speculate about the talent comparison between the '98 and '99 teams, but thought it was especially interesting coming from Fred.

I also find it interesting to consider how the more talented team performed considerably worse. Does this mean that things such as leadership, work ethic and chemistry can be just as important as talent, to some degree?

He also, like most this year, had very high praise for Cam Sutton.

Was 1999 Tennessee’s most talented team?

I believe leadership is extremely important, but you got to have the talent too. You take a .500 team and insert two true leaders on both sides of the ball, and you might get an extra win. I just don't believe leadership alone could turn a .500 team into a 10 win team. At the same time you take your two leaders off an extremely talented 11-12 win team, and the wins aren't going to drop off significantly. Just my thoughts.

 

[utvolpj]

A very important leader was missing in 99.

Really liked his comments on Cam though. Hard to believe he's still young

 

[Peytons forehead]

I remember kicking a hole in the wall that year after we lost to Arkansas.

Was eleven. To this day is the only time I cried over a football game. Take that back. 2004 when we beat Florida. But those were tears of joy.

 

[triadvolfan]

I remember kicking a hole in the wall that year after we lost to Arkansas.

I saw it live and had to drive back to Tennessee. That was a long drive. The barns were all painted with the score (no blue font, I'm being serious).

To this day I'm convinced Deon Grant was trying to bait the AK QB (was it Stoerner?). He got beat deep several times as a result.

 

[thebjd]

That was a crushing loss. I took a long stroll around the neighborhood, just mumbling to myself. :lol:

That was long before I knew of the therapeutic power of kicking buckets of light-bulbs. We had a lot of injuries that year and I still remember the Florida game where Tee was sacked about 200 times.

 

[duckman398686]

The loss to Florida in '99 sucked, but the Arkansas one was even worse. Had we won in Fayetteville there were national title implications if we had won out after that.

 

[joevol33]

That was a crushing loss. I took a long stroll around the neighborhood, just mumbling to myself. :lol:

I done the same thing after the Georgia game last year. When I came back in my wife said the kids were asking, "has daddy gone crazy". Indeed I had.

 

[DeepSpringsVol]

I heard Fred White on Big Orange Hotline this week and thought I would share a few of his comments. I've always heard folks speculate about the talent comparison between the '98 and '99 teams, but thought it was especially interesting coming from Fred.

I also find it interesting to consider how the more talented team performed considerably worse. Does this mean that things such as leadership, work ethic and chemistry can be just as important as talent, to some degree?

To go along with what you said but the 2 losses came at Florida and at Arkansas. 2 games I'm positive we win at home. Sometimes as you know the scheduling rotation is just unfortunate. No way would our offensive line have the trouble blocking ALEX BROWN at home like they did that night in the SWAMP. And those fans in Arkansas wanted that one bad after how we escaped them in 98.

 

[hmanvolfan]

That was long before I knew of the therapeutic power of kicking buckets of light-bulbs. We had a lot of injuries that year and I still remember the Florida game where Tee was sacked about 200 times.

Many innocent light bulbs have lost their lives in my house over the years.

 

[vollygirl]

I think a lot of guys read press clippings—and that was one of our mottos also—we didn’t want any superstars on the team in 1998.

I've always said one of the things that was so special about the '98 team was that no one person carried the weight. Different players stepped up left and right. But I had no idea about this.

 

[GAVol]

Just goes to show how many things have to right to go undefeated.

 

[vollygirl]

Just goes to show how many things have to right to go undefeated.

It was destiny.

Gah, that was a fun year. I remember getting up every morning and putting the TV on ESPN to see where we were ranked. I miss those days.

 

[DeepSpringsVol]

Just goes to show how many things have to right to go undefeated.

And even then scenarios could bump you. 04 Auburn undefeated and didn't get an opportunity to play for title. And in 98 had K-state & UCLA won their games it would have been an upset fanbase of one of Tennessee or those 2.

 

[Freak]

Just goes to show how many things have to right to go undefeated.

It's truly a game of inches.

Look at the luck Auburn had last year to get into the championship game.

 

[Freak]

It was destiny.

Gah, that was a fun year. I remember getting up every morning and putting the TV on ESPN to see where we were ranked. I miss those days.

Checking the polls. That's a weekly task I had almost forgotten about.

 

[hmanvolfan]

Back in those days you had an expectation that the Vols could or would win every game they played regardless of the opposition. For the past five or six years it's been the opposite for me, going into game day hoping to win but not expecting it. Coach Butch is starting to rekindle the enthusiasm of game day and bringing back the expectation of hey, we could win this game.

 

[Freak]

Back in those days you had an expectation that the Vols could or would win every game they played regardless of the opposition. For the past five or six years it's been the opposite for me, going into game day hoping to win but not expecting it. Coach Butch is starting to rekindle the enthusiasm of game day and bringing back the expectation of hey, we could win this game.

It's funny. I know most people think Tennessee is on the right track, but the excitement level around town seems lower than I can remember it. Anyone else notice it, or is it just me?

 

[Enki_Amenra]

It's funny. I know most people think Tennessee is on the right track, but the excitement level around town seems lower than I can remember it. Anyone else notice it, or is it just me?

I'll know we're back when every other car you see has Power-T flags on their windows every Saturday and most of the week after a win.

 

[duckman398686]

It's funny. I know most people think Tennessee is on the right track, but the excitement level around town seems lower than I can remember it. Anyone else notice it, or is it just me?

The side effects of 3 years of Dooley in Knoxville.

 

[JoeKyleVol]

Many innocent light bulbs have lost their lives in my house over the years.

Ah, the ole "bucket of light bulbs" reference. Very nice. I remember that thread.

 

[EZE]

It's funny. I know most people think Tennessee is on the right track, but the excitement level around town seems lower than I can remember it. Anyone else notice it, or is it just me?

The football program has had negative momentum for over a decade. People don't have any reason to believe and get emotionally invested. I think everybody has just numbed themselves to the losing.

Recruiting success has at least stopped the negative slide, but people are going to need to see success on the field to get "all in." Then we can start building on positive momentum for a change.

Just getting to a bowl game would help. Getting there and winning to finish something like 8-5 would be even better, but 8 wins will be difficult.