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This story was put out this evening by VolQuest.com. It was posted on another internet site.
"Rock Bottom" was the term Phillip Fulmer used to describe things after Saturdays home loss to Vanderbilt and that term does not just describe what occurred in Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Once again the offense's inability to make key plays has Tennessee home for the holiday's for the first time in sixteen years. But for Vol fans that is not the most alarming part to Saturday afternoon. The most feared part is what happened after the game leaving you to wonder if this program has hit rock bottom on, and maybe off the field as well.
As the Tennessee players left the field somewhere between five and ten players threw their helmets on the ground in disgust and left them there for managers and trainers to have to pick up.
Senior defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona was not one of those players, and indicated that those who did leave their helmets or threw them did not appreciate being a Vol.
"I would say they are immature and don't really appreciate what Tennessee has to offer," Mahelona said.
Mahelona was one of three Vol players who elected to speak with the media following the loss and said that the team was more than reeling from a season lost.
"Discouraged," Mahelona said of the locker room. "Hurt. There was a lot of emotion from this loss and the loss of the season."
The question is how lost is this program. After slinging his helmet on the ground causing several on the field to scurry. Senior offensive tackle Albert Toeiana cursed and spit on Scott Liston a cameraman who works on the stadium's Jumbrotron crew.
Fulmer, when made aware of the incident, said he would check into what happened and if Toeiana was indeed guilty of the event then he would not play his career ending game next week against Kentucky.
Toeiana has had his share of practice field incidents this season, but has remained in the starting lineup since the season opener against UAB.
And so with a season lost and a game to play, Phillip Fulmer starts the task of fixing a program that is maybe more broken than we know.
"I guess sometimes before you start building back you have to hit rock bottom," Fulmer said. "This is about rock bottom."
Now the better question is who do you start building back and does that happen next week against Kentucky.
And it will start with trying to see who wants to line up and play next week in the commonwealth. One of those who won't be able to play is linebacker Jason Mitchell who is heading to California for knee surgery and said he had to bit himself to major losing to Vanderbilt was real.
"It pretty much is rock bottom," Mitchell said. "This team here blew so many streaks against different things from losing to Vanderbilt to not going to a bowl game. We pretty much have hit rock bottom."
His advice to his teammates for the future was simple, avoid living the nightmare that he has lived this season.
"Don't let it happen to you," Mitchell said. "It does not feel good coming in ranked the number three team in the nation to be not even bowl eligible. My advice would be for them to work hard, love each other and give it all you have got and don't let this happen to you again."
That's sound advice not only do his players, but maybe to the coaches as well.
Courtesy of Volquest.com
"Rock Bottom" was the term Phillip Fulmer used to describe things after Saturdays home loss to Vanderbilt and that term does not just describe what occurred in Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Once again the offense's inability to make key plays has Tennessee home for the holiday's for the first time in sixteen years. But for Vol fans that is not the most alarming part to Saturday afternoon. The most feared part is what happened after the game leaving you to wonder if this program has hit rock bottom on, and maybe off the field as well.
As the Tennessee players left the field somewhere between five and ten players threw their helmets on the ground in disgust and left them there for managers and trainers to have to pick up.
Senior defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona was not one of those players, and indicated that those who did leave their helmets or threw them did not appreciate being a Vol.
"I would say they are immature and don't really appreciate what Tennessee has to offer," Mahelona said.
Mahelona was one of three Vol players who elected to speak with the media following the loss and said that the team was more than reeling from a season lost.
"Discouraged," Mahelona said of the locker room. "Hurt. There was a lot of emotion from this loss and the loss of the season."
The question is how lost is this program. After slinging his helmet on the ground causing several on the field to scurry. Senior offensive tackle Albert Toeiana cursed and spit on Scott Liston a cameraman who works on the stadium's Jumbrotron crew.
Fulmer, when made aware of the incident, said he would check into what happened and if Toeiana was indeed guilty of the event then he would not play his career ending game next week against Kentucky.
Toeiana has had his share of practice field incidents this season, but has remained in the starting lineup since the season opener against UAB.
And so with a season lost and a game to play, Phillip Fulmer starts the task of fixing a program that is maybe more broken than we know.
"I guess sometimes before you start building back you have to hit rock bottom," Fulmer said. "This is about rock bottom."
Now the better question is who do you start building back and does that happen next week against Kentucky.
And it will start with trying to see who wants to line up and play next week in the commonwealth. One of those who won't be able to play is linebacker Jason Mitchell who is heading to California for knee surgery and said he had to bit himself to major losing to Vanderbilt was real.
"It pretty much is rock bottom," Mitchell said. "This team here blew so many streaks against different things from losing to Vanderbilt to not going to a bowl game. We pretty much have hit rock bottom."
His advice to his teammates for the future was simple, avoid living the nightmare that he has lived this season.
"Don't let it happen to you," Mitchell said. "It does not feel good coming in ranked the number three team in the nation to be not even bowl eligible. My advice would be for them to work hard, love each other and give it all you have got and don't let this happen to you again."
That's sound advice not only do his players, but maybe to the coaches as well.
Courtesy of Volquest.com
