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

#76
#76
Born into it.

Born in Jackson, TN and carried it with me through many moves before settling in Tulsa. Can't wait for the next UT v. OU series.
 
#77
#77
Born into it. Raised in east Tennessee. Family taught at UT for decades. Multiple family members with season tickets for decades. Went to a game at Neyland. Never looked back.
 
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#78
#78
Born 8n Tennessee.....know several born in Tennessee that went over to the dark side!
 
#79
#79
Born into it.

There's nothing in the world like working on some project in the garage with your dad and stopping to run around celebrating because of "5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Give'im Six! Touchdown, Tennessee!"

Ladies and gentlemen, Willie Gault is running all the way to the state capitol!

I'd give more than I care to admit to time travel back there and see one of those moments.
 
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#81
#81
Born into this born and raised in Knoxville in Mechanicsville 5 minute walk from Knoxville College on University Ave and a 5 minute drive from UT Campus… I bleed orange Moved to Murfreesboro to go to MTSU and loved it here but all my family still lives in Knoxville and I return home multiple times a year.
 
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#82
#82
Born at St Mary's Knoxville, raised in Heiskell/Clinton, and live in Halls now. If I wasn't born into it, then I would have surely chose Tennessee some where along the way.

Best team, best traditions, best colors, best stadium, best mascot, and best fan base in all of college football.

VOL TIL I FALL
 
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#83
#83
Born, bred, and bleed orange!

As painful as this fandom can be, I think it’s really special. It connects me to my family and where I’m from, and it’s stuck with me even as I’ve grown into my own person and left other ideas and identities behind. The only thing I can think to compare it to is the passion that people in Europe and South America have for their hometown [other kind of] football club. I would be curious to hear from Vol faithful who don’t associate it with that sense of place, ie alums not from the Knoxville area and others like @London Vol

Go Big Orange!
 
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#84
#84
I was born into it, my earliest memory was of my dad getting mad in his shop when Johnny first came back and lost. He would be down for days. I really miss listening to that radio in his shop and going and getting a orange crush out of the coke machine he had in there.
 
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#85
#85
I was born into it, have been watching the Vols since before I can remember. I'll never forget where I was - a pool hall in Clarksville - when I watched the '85 Sugar Vols take the Hurricanes to the woodshed in a game we were supposed to get trounced in, or where I was when I watched us win the first BCS championship in '98 (a sports bar in Manhattan Beach).
 
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#88
#88
Both parents went to UT, so I was born into an orange blooded family and raised right... I was born in Knoxville, but shortly thereafter, my family relocated for my Dad's job and remained moving around every few years (always out of state). My first game was at the end of the '85 season (I was 8 years old) against Vanderbilt. I was hooked and have been a fan ever since. Growing up as a kid in SC, NC, & VA made me a bit of an outsider with many friends this time of year (only increased my fandom), but fortunately for me, when I started keeping up with football and UT, they were in the midst of making a really nice run of being competitive in the SEC and nationally. Through the years, good or bad, it has remained a constant between me and my Dad. It has gone from my Dad taking me to games to eventually, me getting season tickets and taking my Dad to games. I will always enjoy getting to my seat early and watching warm-ups with him and just talking, watching, and trying to just soak it all in (same as we did when I was a kid). Last November, my wife and I were blessed with twin boys and in the not too distant future, I hope to take them (and my daughter) to their first of many Tennessee games and share some of those same memories with them.
 
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#91
#91
Born, My father grew up in the General's era. He took me to my first game when i was 5, i dont remember all the details but later when i got older my parents said that after that first game as we were leaving the stadium i started to cry. They asked me what was wrong and my response was that i was upset because they stopped playing and the game was over. After that I was hooked. As i grew up my father and grandfather taught me about the history of the program, and about General Neyland. I grew up listening to John Ward when Tennessee might have one televised game a year. I watched the coaches show intently every Sunday on one of our 3 channels. I have been to several games a year ever year since that first game when i was 5 years old.
 
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#92
#92
Born into it. I was lucky to have a Dad that bleeds orange. Was born in 88 and from ~92 until I started playing high school sports we went to most games whether home or away. Playing on Friday nights made long away games difficult. Still caught almost all the home games until I married a Gator and moved to Florida. Luckily, my dad didn't disown me. I got somewhere around 130-140 games attended, and more importantly, memories, thanks to Pops. We made it to every game in 98 as a 10 year old. Forever grateful.
 
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#93
#93
Parents born and raised in Corryton and what is now Alcoa, Both Carson Newman grads, left the area for a few years but returned in 51' 6 months before my entrance at Baptist Hospital. So I had a great view of Neyland from day 1 and of course drove down Cumberland and Kingston Pike on my way home. Spent all my early years in Bearden until I exited town 18 years later to attend Belmont. I doubt many Vols were as blessed with Orange opportunities as I was.

I won't bore the world with my previously shared list, but the top one was for years riding in early with some ushers to Neland and hanging around their gate in the S. endzone when it was the point of entrance for lots of things including the visiting teams, the walking horses, the Rambling Wreck, the Army Mule, and others. I got the chubby little sports loving kid treatment from them and more... Circled the Bear 3 teams as he leaned on the S. goalpost during pregame one year.... No guts. Heck of a way to start a VOL life.
 
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#94
#94
Born into it. Watched my dad and mom go to games dressed in a orange blazer and carried a bottle of Jack to every one. We kids would go out in the yard and play football and listen to John Ward call the plays. They bought me season tickets when I got older. My profile pic is of me sitting on the great wall in China. I always represent where ever I go. Got to know Johnny Majors son when he came over to my neighbors house.
 
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#95
#95
Born. Grandfather played baseball for UT after WWI. Mother graduated in late 40's. No choice when it came time to apply to colleges
 
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#97
#97
Born and raised in Ohio but in 1983 6th grade watching Jefferson Pilot Sports on TBS I took a liking to the color and the way the atmosphere and passion was projected on TV. 1985 sealed the deal for me and have been a Vol since. Had season tickets for 10 years innthe 90’s early 2000’s. A ton of Vols here in southern Ohio!
 
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#98
#98
Born into it.Grew up in Seymour.I went to games as a toddler.Sold programs for a couple of years starting at the age of 10.The same time Reggie White and Willie Gault were playing.
 
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#99
#99
Born into it. My earliest memories were the tail end of the Johnny Majors era. I can still remember my dad and grandpa complaining how UT did Johnny dirty. It was a cursing and blessing to grow up on UT football in the 90’s. I remember thinking when anything less than 10 wins was a failure of a season. I’m 37 now and hope my kids can see UT become dominant again like I did as a kid.
 
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