Randomly meeting a Vol Stories

[Frivolous]

Johnny Majors spoke at my wife’s grandfather’s funeral. They were good friends. Also ran into Coach Majors at the Bijou Bistro once.

I’ve seen Tim Priest many times at the Bijou Bistro. It’s kind of a lawyer lunch spot.

When I was in college, some friends and I parked cars at Tim Irwin’s Christmas party. He gave us the keg afterwards. Have also seen him at Aubreys. Luckily I have not needed to see him in his court.

 

[ksgovols]

Two 'Cool story Bro' encounters.

1. Ran into Denise Conrad Bates while Christmas shopping in Green Hills back in the day. She had the triplets in a 3 kid stroller with her Mom. She was a Nashville girl and Bill was already in Dallas.

2. After he resigned, I made eye contact with Mike Hamilton in the check out line at Target in West Nashville. He had 2 of his adopted kids with him and recognized that I recognized him. He averted his eyes and I didn't go there.

Other real encounter
Trey Teague and I shared a UTV at a private dove hunt. He was fun to talk to. Some cool stories.

 

[LAVol1]

I ran into Darwin Walker in March 2000. I asked him about Billy Ratliff. Walker almost teared up and said "I love Billy Ratliff". Walker was a very impressive, articulate and well-educated young man, with a degree in Civil Engineering.

 

[smokeycoonhoundUT]

A few years ago we randomly ran into Inky Johnson going through TSA at the airport in atl. I didn't want to bug him too much but we talked briefly after he took notice of my UT hoodie. Seemed like really genuine person

 

[captainsword]

I was in the Italian Market and Grill in the 90s. I was standing by my self in the vestibule waiting on my wife to arrive. This young man walked in and stood next to me for about five minutes. It was just the two of us. He was waiting on his fiancé. We just acknowledged each other with a nod. I didn’t speak with him. Why would I bother a college underclassman? Even if it’s Peyton Manning.

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

When we were in high school, Rod Wilks and his cousin came and picked me up from my parents house and we burned one down if you know what I mean.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

Did you ask Travis why he doesn’t post on VolNation anymore?

We should do a poll on who had us more duped, that guy or MIT Beaver

 

[HollowaytoSeivers]

Met John Ward before the Auburn game in 2014. I told him he looked good. He said “I know”.

Talked to Al a few times here in his hometown.

See T. Teague all the time.

Very close to the Renfro girls (softball)

Met Doug Atkins at a HS baseball game. Very nice guy.

I met Doug Atkins at a Humboldt home football game that my dad officiated around 1975 or 1976. One of the largest men I have ever seen in my life, before or since, but couldn't have been a nicer person. Great memories.

 

[wmcovol]

Sat in the lounge at the Marriott in Nashville with Condredge Holloway back in the 90s. Very nice and humble guy. You’d never know he was a legend.

 

[MurphyVol]

Met Heath Shuler when he was a toddler and I was a little leaguer. One of his uncles coached my team. Knew Benji from the time he was little too.

"Met" Pickens as we were heckling him during a high school game. My brother played against him and had an amiable, mutual respect acquaintance.

Jimmy Streater gave a pre-game speech to my HS team eons ago. He had played for our coach. He was already in pretty poor health by then.

THIS IS BULLDOG COUNTRY

 

[sjt18]

THIS IS BULLDOG COUNTRY

LOL... that was fun.... we never lost a game to Murphy though while I was playing.

 

[vols72]

Does growing up right up the street from Trey Teague count

 

[Fatman Photos]

Not Random but Ricky Townsend came to Weiss Lake in Alabama on Friday night and spoke with our Northwest Georgia High School Anglers Association fishermen/fisherwomen. He spoke of his life ups and downs, playing at Tennessee, being one of the first barefoot kickers and getting salvation. He is one of the nicest people that you will ever meat. He has a real good story to tell. If you get the chance to hear him speak, do it. It's well worth the time.

 

[martyvols]

My brother and I were at the Battle in Bristol. We were sitting in our car waiting to walk up and Al Wilson walked in front of the car. My brother hollered at him and he took a couple pictures with us. As he was walking away he asked my brother if he could "borrow" his bucket hat to help with the heat. Needless to say, Big Al walked away with the hat and he gave us a story to tell.
Another time I was at a hockey game in Huntsville, AL and Condredge Holloway was the GM of the team (Huntsville Channel Cats). I was wearing a UT jacket and I hear, "GO VOLS!". He was an awesome guy to talk to.
Finally, I'm a pastor and was at a church in Florida at the time. We had a death in our church and during the service there was a huge guy there with his wife. Afterward they were both with the family in the area where we were feeding them. He looked really familiar and one of the family members who was also a church member saw me staring. I asked who he was and she said it was her cousin's husband. Turns out it was Will Bartholomew. She introduced us and he and I came to my office because she told him how "ugly orange" it was. He signed a UT helmet for me.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Well I have a couple of stories. In 1996, I was living in College Square apartments in Knoxville. I was working graveyard at Fort Sanders Parkwest Medical Center. As I was walking to my truck to go to work, I see a guy with a silver Ford Explorer parked 2 spaces down. As I got closer I see the guy is none other than Peyton Manning. I talked to him for a little bit. He was waiting on someone who lives there. We actually threw a football back and forth for a little while. I was late for work that night but I can honestly say I have caught a pass from Peyton Manning.

My second story occurred in Kingsport TN. I can’t remember the exact year but Alvin Harper was set to do an autograph signing in Johnson City I believe. Anyway, there used to be a hotel named the Ramada Inn and it had a great Sunday afternoon buffet. I went with my girlfriend at the tike and noticed Harper sitting with a friend eating. I approached him after he was done and talked to him. He was really cool and gave me a free autograph.

 

[SoddyAllVol]

Went to Bristol day race and it rained all day so we waited it out and ended up running into AJ. For perspective I’m 6’0 200 and he made me feel small.

 

[Pvolb]

My neighbor is a former Defensive End for the Bears in the 70s. Over the past 3 years he told me over and over again how good Conrad Graham was prior to knee injury. Several months back my neighbor knocks on the door and Conrad was with him - extremely nice guy

 

[beamerman]

share the best story

How about this true story. I worked in management in retail in my younger days and I also loved the ladies, as many as I could. I had an employee come get me from the back and said ,”boss, there’s a guy up front asking for you and he’s the biggest man I have ever seen”. So, as I walk to the front my mind is thinking this is some girls daddy looking for me and how do I talk my way out? When I get to the front I see this huge guy and I am really nervous. He introduces himself as Doug Atkins, working to get his beer into my location. Great guy and he laughed when I told him my scenario in my head. I liked him and he returned every so often to check on things and would tell me a tale or two.

 

[Orange12]

Have you ever just randomly ran into a Vol (former or current)? I am not talking about an autograph signing or anything organized. I am talking about just randomly running into one on vacation or just in the every day world.

I wanna say it was around 2004 or 2005, I was on the same Carnival Cruise as former Vol Kicker Jeff Hall. He just shouted Go Vols and then I recognized him and just had small general conversation.

I was working for a sporting goods mfg in Tullahoma and the Sewanee baseball coach came down to buy some equipment. Turns out it was Dewey Warren. Also met Bill Battle when he was involved with his licensing business. Bill Emendorfer gave me a scar over my eye in a racketball game. Played against Bobby Majors in high school. He nearly broke my neck with a stiff arm. Ran into several players while attending UT. Met Fulmer at a Chinese restaurant in Winchester. Would see Coach Summitt at AAU games every year. She and Coach Majors came to my dad's funeral. But the best might be due to title 9. When the law was passed it opened PE classes up to both sexes. Since there was no men's basketball, I signed up for womens basketball. The only other male in the class was Ernie Grunfeld. We became good friends.

 

[Smokey X]

How about this true story. I worked in management in retail in my younger days and I also loved the ladies, as many as I could. I had an employee come get me from the back and said ,”boss, there’s a guy up front asking for you and he’s the biggest man I have ever seen”. So, as I walk to the front my mind is thinking this is some girls daddy looking for me and how do I talk my way out? When I get to the front I see this huge guy and I am really nervous. He introduces himself as Doug Atkins, working to get his beer into my location. Great guy and he laughed when I told him my scenario in my head. I liked him and he returned every so often to check on things and would tell me a tale or two.

when I was about 12 0r 13 I was helping my dad at work while on summer vacation. He worked for a trucking company on Sutherland Avenue. Doug Atkins had brought a bunch of stuff to be shipped to wherever he was going for summer camp. I think he was still with the Chicago Bears. Anyway, one of the men who also worked there came and got me to come to the loading dock and there he was poking and joking with the dock workers. Biggest man I have ever met especially with me being my age and size. They introduced him to me and he shook my hand and asked if I was trying out football yet. I was in my first year of organized rec ball. I said yes sir....I'm a defensive end. He really laughed at that considering my size. And his hand could've wrapped around my head. Looking back now, he was really a down to earth good ole country boy.

 

[TNnative]

I played a softball game years ago at Everett Park in Maryville against a team that had Danny Spradlin playing first base. I believe it was right before or right after he got drafted by the Cowboys. Saw him a few times at the Airport while he was with them. Saw him once with several other Vols players (Hubert Simpson being one I had known while at UT that I spoke to) at an area night club just when things started going sour at Dallas. He was not as friendly as before. Oh well.

 

[Jasongivm6]

I worked with Dale Jones' oldest brother at a sock factory called Charleston Hosiery (in Charleston, TN) He told me that he was Dale's oldest brother and that he was 1 of 14 kids. I asked him, "Whoa, how did your parents have so many kids?" and he just said, "Well, Daddy lived by the railroad tracks and that train would come through every morning at 2 am and wake momma and daddy up"

 

[The Vollipop Guild]

A million years ago I had to bartend a booster party at Thorton's monstrosity of a log cabin mansion "Thunderdome". Phil and Peyton were there.

Phil was a Dewar's on the rocks master. Easily packed away a 5th like a champ.

 

[Majors]

Ran into Heath Shuler a few years back at Atlantis in the Bahamas.
Talked orange tights with Aaron Hayden at a National Meeting in Los Angeles as we worked for the same company, different divisions. Great way to break the ice asking if he wears the tights from the ND game still.
Peyton Manning, standing off in a corner in 1996 trying to not be seen at the old Bill Meyer Stadium when the USA team played Cuba. Probably hated me after that as everyone knew he was there.
Over the years in medical got to know, Scott Galyon, Jeff Smith, Mikki Allen, Jerry Colquitt, Von Reeves to name a few.

Met Johnny Majors about 10 years ago, and told him we named our Golden Retreiver after him "Majors" who was a puppy at the time. In his raspy tone, "ole that'll be a good hunting dog". Didn't have the heart to tell him, I've never hunted. I felt ashamed for a moment.

John Ward at Lenny's at the drink station while I was putting sweetener in my tea....."hell son, do you think you got enough".

 

[BIGAL27]

Did you ask Travis why he doesn’t post on VolNation anymore?