1allvol
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Immediately following the Outback Bowl, no matter the outcome, I would say "Gentlemen, go home, enjoy New Years with your family. At 0800 Friday, we will meet at Neyland Stadium at mid-field. Don't be late." At exactly 0800, standing in the middle of the Power T, I would begin...
"Gentlemen, I love each one of you. We have shared alot of memorable moments together. Seen alot of good, and seen some bad. Weve been to the mountaintop, and weve crawled through the valley. Weve jumped into each others arms rejoicing, and weve cried on each others shoulder in agony. Weve been showered with praise one week, while they called for our heads the next. We have all experinced the excitement of making the Vol Walk, and the breathtaking run through the T, some of us as a player and a coach. make no doubt about it guys, it means something to be a part of this team, this University, this Conference, and this state. Many legends came before us, and many surely will follow, but what about us? How will we be remembered? Weve stood here in this stadium when it is shaking with 107 thousand fans, while millions more watched on TV wishing they were here. Out of the thousdands of other men in our profession, 90% or more would like to be where we are. There are few better venues to play in, there is no better atmosphere, the best conference in the nation, and we get paid dadgum good money to do this. We have the chance everyday to make a difference in some young mans life. When Rocky Top plays, and the University of Tennessee Volunteers take the field, grown men get cold chills, babies have lept in the womb. Arguably, one of the greatest Coaches of all time, General Robert Neyland, the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL Reggie White, quite possibly one of the best, maybe THE best NFL QBs Peyton Manning, these are but a few of the guys that have stood here, they wore the orange and white. These men had courage, intensity, determination, character and they gave it all week after week for the students at this University and the fine people of this State.
I love this place, I loved playing here, and I love coaching here. I love this state and all it stands for.
Now guys, I am thankful for each of you, and I am proud of you. Im proud of what we have accomplished here. But we are not done. Our greatest accomplishments are yet to come. Many have cried that we are done with. How can we ever recruit and compete with these new, younger, "more exciting" coaches? I say this, none have felt what we have felt. None of these have ever walked down Peyton Manning Pass as thousands among thousands line up just to chear you on, none of these guys have known what it is like to run through the T, what seperates us from them? Surely they all have they're own traditions, and surely they each would argue that the atmosphere is just as grand where they are, but what seperates us? We have something that none other can claim. We have the heart of a Volunteer. See, the Tennessee Volunteer was a man, and there were thousands among thousands of them, that had heart, had character, had desire, had dedication, was willing to lay it all on the line for a just cause, win or lose, they would go down fighting. When they asked for 100, 5000 showed up. When they asked for 1000, 75,000 showed up. They arrived as a team, with a purpose, and they handeled buisiness. After the Civil War had ended, while on the journey back home, a federal officer that had been in the battle of Shiloh, and had been in the Battle at Stone's River was asked about what he was most glad of, and his response? "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers"
By Gosh, thats what I want to hear again. When Whiney A&$ Urban Meyer leaves Neyland Stadium I want to hear him say "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers". When they talk to Mark Richt in the locker room next season after our game, I wanna hear him say "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers", And when Nick Saban is sneaking his way off of the turf here, he better by gosh say "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers"! Anybody, anywhere better know that when they look on the schedule, and they see Tennessee Volunteers, they better get ready because we are coming as a team, and we are coming with a purpose, and win or lose, they better know that they have been in a fight.
Guys, from this moment forward, as Head Coach at this wonderful University, I will not accept mediocrity. I will not accept lack of effort. I will not accept lack of preperation. I will not accept lack of discipline. I will not accept lack of enthusiasm. I will not accept excuses. If you want to remain on this staff, you better work, you better study, you better prepare. General Neyland deserves it. Reggie White deserves it. Peyton manning deserves it, and anyone else that has ever worn that orange jersey deserves it. Our fans deserve it, our state deserves it, and the Tennessee Volunteers, young or old, dead or alive, deserve it.
An alumnus of this University that many hold in high regards and will forever be a part of this football team recently told me, "Coach, it used to mean something to be a Volunteer"...well, to me it still does, and for you, it dadgum better mean something.
In roughly 8 months, we will suit up for battle and take this field again, with a new opportunity at greatness. I expect that you will be ready, and I expect that our players will be ready.
Long live the Tennessee Volunteers.
"Gentlemen, I love each one of you. We have shared alot of memorable moments together. Seen alot of good, and seen some bad. Weve been to the mountaintop, and weve crawled through the valley. Weve jumped into each others arms rejoicing, and weve cried on each others shoulder in agony. Weve been showered with praise one week, while they called for our heads the next. We have all experinced the excitement of making the Vol Walk, and the breathtaking run through the T, some of us as a player and a coach. make no doubt about it guys, it means something to be a part of this team, this University, this Conference, and this state. Many legends came before us, and many surely will follow, but what about us? How will we be remembered? Weve stood here in this stadium when it is shaking with 107 thousand fans, while millions more watched on TV wishing they were here. Out of the thousdands of other men in our profession, 90% or more would like to be where we are. There are few better venues to play in, there is no better atmosphere, the best conference in the nation, and we get paid dadgum good money to do this. We have the chance everyday to make a difference in some young mans life. When Rocky Top plays, and the University of Tennessee Volunteers take the field, grown men get cold chills, babies have lept in the womb. Arguably, one of the greatest Coaches of all time, General Robert Neyland, the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL Reggie White, quite possibly one of the best, maybe THE best NFL QBs Peyton Manning, these are but a few of the guys that have stood here, they wore the orange and white. These men had courage, intensity, determination, character and they gave it all week after week for the students at this University and the fine people of this State.
I love this place, I loved playing here, and I love coaching here. I love this state and all it stands for.
Now guys, I am thankful for each of you, and I am proud of you. Im proud of what we have accomplished here. But we are not done. Our greatest accomplishments are yet to come. Many have cried that we are done with. How can we ever recruit and compete with these new, younger, "more exciting" coaches? I say this, none have felt what we have felt. None of these have ever walked down Peyton Manning Pass as thousands among thousands line up just to chear you on, none of these guys have known what it is like to run through the T, what seperates us from them? Surely they all have they're own traditions, and surely they each would argue that the atmosphere is just as grand where they are, but what seperates us? We have something that none other can claim. We have the heart of a Volunteer. See, the Tennessee Volunteer was a man, and there were thousands among thousands of them, that had heart, had character, had desire, had dedication, was willing to lay it all on the line for a just cause, win or lose, they would go down fighting. When they asked for 100, 5000 showed up. When they asked for 1000, 75,000 showed up. They arrived as a team, with a purpose, and they handeled buisiness. After the Civil War had ended, while on the journey back home, a federal officer that had been in the battle of Shiloh, and had been in the Battle at Stone's River was asked about what he was most glad of, and his response? "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers"
By Gosh, thats what I want to hear again. When Whiney A&$ Urban Meyer leaves Neyland Stadium I want to hear him say "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers". When they talk to Mark Richt in the locker room next season after our game, I wanna hear him say "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers", And when Nick Saban is sneaking his way off of the turf here, he better by gosh say "Im just glad I dont have to face anymore of them damned Tennessee Volunteers"! Anybody, anywhere better know that when they look on the schedule, and they see Tennessee Volunteers, they better get ready because we are coming as a team, and we are coming with a purpose, and win or lose, they better know that they have been in a fight.
Guys, from this moment forward, as Head Coach at this wonderful University, I will not accept mediocrity. I will not accept lack of effort. I will not accept lack of preperation. I will not accept lack of discipline. I will not accept lack of enthusiasm. I will not accept excuses. If you want to remain on this staff, you better work, you better study, you better prepare. General Neyland deserves it. Reggie White deserves it. Peyton manning deserves it, and anyone else that has ever worn that orange jersey deserves it. Our fans deserve it, our state deserves it, and the Tennessee Volunteers, young or old, dead or alive, deserve it.
An alumnus of this University that many hold in high regards and will forever be a part of this football team recently told me, "Coach, it used to mean something to be a Volunteer"...well, to me it still does, and for you, it dadgum better mean something.
In roughly 8 months, we will suit up for battle and take this field again, with a new opportunity at greatness. I expect that you will be ready, and I expect that our players will be ready.
Long live the Tennessee Volunteers.
