Were you born into this or did you just decide to pick Tennessee

#251
#251
Born into it. Grew up around Chattanooga. Earliest memories are waiting outside the stadium with dad until after kickoff to get cheap scalped tickets. He was a teacher and mom didn’t start teaching until a couple years later, so three kids on a teacher salary meant we had to get in on the cheap. I’ve lived in a bunch of different states, but always kept a VOLS flag in the front yard or window. Even during the hard years it’s amazing the places I’ve been and heard a “GO VOLS” while wearing a hat or shirt.
 
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#252
#252
My family moved to Tennessee in 1992 and I remember the neighbor kid told me the first time I talked to him, “If y’all moved here because you think Tennessee is going to win a championship, you might as well move. It’s never going to happen.” I didn’t follow college football at the time - didn’t even know Tennessee had a team. But that comment got me interested. Started watching their games that Saturday and have been a fan ever since. This year marks the 30th of my Vol fandom, and I bet that kid probably doesn’t even remember making that throwaway comment about the Vols to the new kid from Texas. It’s crazy lol
 
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#255
#255
Born in Marietta Ga. in 1958. Raised in Acworth Ga. My brother was a star football player for our high school and he is 13 years older than me. Our school colors were Tennessee Orange and White. My brother loved the Vols. Our High school team looked like Tennessee on the field. So I followed his lead and became a Vol fan at a real early age and have loved the Vols ever since through the great times and the bad times. I live in Tallahassee now and still make a few games per year. Ill be there for the Florida game. Rented a VRBO at the lake in Friendsville. My whole family is coming. Cant wait. Go Big Orange. I wanted to go to UT, but my dad could not afford the out of state tuition.
 
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#257
#257
Born into it. Loaded firewood cut by my brother onto his pickup while listening to the Vols on an AM transistor radio. He's 81 now. Don't get no better than that.
 
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#259
#259
Tough to say. I grew up knowing about the Vols, but didn't really enter fandom until I went to school at UT. So I guess I chose it and my kids will be born into it?
 
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#260
#260
Born into it 60 years ago at the former hospital across the river from Neyland. Lived and grew up in south Knoxville / Island Home area. Never entertained nor wanted anything else. Ya know what they say: Tennessean by birth, Volunteer by the grace of God :)
 
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#262
#262
VolMan0503 said:
Born into it 60 years ago at the former hospital across the river from Neyland. Lived and grew up in south Knoxville / Island Home area. Never entertained nor wanted anything else. Ya know what they say: Tennessean by birth, Volunteer by the grace of God:)
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ADD: have also indoctrinated son and grandchildren into this addiction from Delaware....
 
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#263
#263
Born into it, living in Kingsport. My first game at Neyland was a classic, the 1968 thriller (Tie) with Georgia. I was 8 years old. It's hard to believe it was 31 years since UT-GA last played despite both being charter members of the SEC. I still have a mental image of Ken Delong throwing the football into the north bleachers in celebration. I cried like a baby when Auburn beat UT 10-9 in 1971! UT football is a family tradition. We had season tickets in LL during the 70's and early 80's. We would usually eat at Ramsey's Cafeteria before the game. My Dad's first game was in 1953 against Duke (a 7-21 Loss!).
 
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#264
#264
Born to fandom. My dad was UT grad, and took me to first game at Neyland at the age of 10. He watched his last UT game with me from his bed as he lay dying from cancer.
 
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#265
#265
Long story how I became a Vol, so will do my best to keep it short:
* Grew up in Ridgewood, NJ
* My Dad's best buddy was our back door neighbor in the late 50s. Name was Vincent (Vinny) Nunno
* Vinny's folks were off the boat from Italy, and Vinny was drafted and stationed at Ft Knox in the 40s. When his tour was over, he and a buddy traveled south to Knoxville (randomly) and attended UT
* Graduated and moved back to NJ. Married and had three children and lived behind my folks in late 50s
* In 1959, when I was two, Mom & Dad bought a home on east side of Ridgewood. Old farm house with some extra land attached to it
* In mid 60s, my Dad sold Vinny and his wife a piece of our land and they built a house on it and once again, we were next door neighbors
* Vinny was a UT fan, so by osmosis, both families were UT fans growing up in Jersey in the 60s and 70s. (can't imagine there were many more UT fans in northern NJ at that time...!!!)
* 2 of 3 Nunno children attended/graduated UT and all THREE children in my family attended/graduated UT
* I was the last of the group of 5 to attend UT (75-79) My brother was a pitcher for UT, and graduated in Spring of 75. He played w Conredge Holloway, Rick Honeycutt and Bob Corker)

Needless to say, it was a circuitous route that I took to become a Vol fan however, I've never looked back or second guessed my calling.

Go Big Orange!!
 
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#266
#266
LookoutVol said:
My family moved to Tennessee in 1992 and I remember the neighbor kid told me the first time I talked to him, “If y’all moved here because you think Tennessee is going to win a championship, you might as well move. It’s never going to happen.” I didn’t follow college football at the time - didn’t even know Tennessee had a team. But that comment got me interested. Started watching their games that Saturday and have been a fan ever since. This year marks the 30th of my Vol fandom, and I bet that kid probably doesn’t even remember making that throwaway comment about the Vols to the new kid from Texas. It’s crazy lol
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That’s funny 😂 sounds like a bama fan got to you lol
 
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#267
#267
Born into it. Born in Memphis, grew up in Nashville... went to UT... plus my father, mother, uncle and some cousins went to UT Knoxville.
 
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#268
#268
Volador said:
Long story how I became a Vol, so will do my best to keep it short:
* Grew up in Ridgewood, NJ
* My Dad's best buddy was our back door neighbor in the late 50s. Name was Vincent (Vinny) Nunno
* Vinny's folks were off the boat from Italy, and Vinny was drafted and stationed at Ft Knox in the 40s. When his tour was over, he and a buddy traveled south to Knoxville (randomly) and attended UT
* Graduated and moved back to NJ. Married and had three children and lived behind my folks in late 50s
* In 1959, when I was two, Mom & Dad bought a home on east side of Ridgewood. Old farm house with some extra land attached to it
* In mid 60s, my Dad sold Vinny and his wife a piece of our land and they built a house on it and once again, we were next door neighbors
* Vinny was a UT fan, so by osmosis, both families were UT fans growing up in Jersey in the 60s and 70s. (can't imagine there were many more UT fans in northern NJ at that time...!!!)
* 2 of 3 Nunno children attended/graduated UT and all THREE children in my family attended/graduated UT
* I was the last of the group of 5 to attend UT (75-79) My brother was a pitcher for UT, and graduated in Spring of 75. He played w Conredge Holloway, Rick Honeycutt and Bob Corker)

Needless to say, it was a circuitous route that I took to become a Vol fan however, I've never looked back or second guessed my calling.

Go Big Orange!!
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Awesome!!! Would make a great Netflix mini series 😉
 
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#269
#269
7th_HESS said:
Grew up in New Jersey as the product of divorced parents. Dad moved away to TN for a teaching job at Roane State. Due to significantly lower tuition for in state residents my college choices were Rutgers or UT. I went south and arrived on campus, sight unseen, on orientation day '79. Walking around campus, seems like the first week, I heard some rumbling from the stadium. Wandered into the southwest corner, no ticket, and somehow found myself 10 feet from the 10 yard line, almost plastered by Utah players chasing Jimmy Streeter out of bounds. That was the scene that began the best 5 years of my life. Of course it didn't hurt that later that night, legally I think, I somehow ended up at my first bar during a wet T-shirt contest. Some place called Shelbourne Towers. Impressionable day for a kid right out of high school.
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I lived in The Zoo for two years, 78-79 and 79-80.........2nd floor. That bar in Shelbourne Towers was probably Horizon's or Hymie's. I can still smell the Turkey with Smoked Cheddar outside the bar in the little deli they had.
 
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#270
#270
NO SIR EEE said:
I am sure somewhere along the way there has been a thread like this one. I'm just curious and figured it would make for some good stories while we wait on Saturday. Were you born into being a Tennessee fan or just decided one day that you liked Tennessee.

My story: My dad grew up in Cleveland, TN. He is obviously a lifelong Tennessee fan. I was born into it and never thought for a second to like any other team.
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October , 1950, Alabama game when I was 3 years old. Mother swore to the day she died I was yelling Go to Hell Alabama after the game.:)
 
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#271
#271
VOLnMiami said:
Born into it...At UT hospital...My first diaper was orange and white i am told...As a young child I remember my uncle and my brother watching the games...My brother took me to my first game in 1973...Vanderbilt game and we won...I was hooked after that.[/QUOTE
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Was your first meal…carrots & milk???:)
 
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#272
#272
Born into it. I'm from Jonesborough and attended UT (Class of 2010). I live in Boone, NC now, and despite App State's recent success, I still see plenty of other Vols fans around town.
 
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#275
#275
i grew up in southeastern south carolina. big gamecocks, clemson, bulldog, and HUGE buckeye area. my family moved to tennessee when i was younger. so i traveled and still travel there all the time. when i was younger i got into college football and peyton was awesome to watch, so i started pulling for tennessee. then the national championship happened and i was like wow, this is awesome.
 
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