Kongbo learning to live in Tennessee spotlight

#1
kamoshika

kamoshika

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#1
Eventually, though, Kongbo said he learned to humble himself and learn all he could from Barnett, who’s expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. “It was definitely a big learning experience, I think, coming in, never playing in the SEC,” he said. “It’ll definitely wake you up when you get there. You’re just going up against better athletes. I think the biggest thing is probably details, and maybe a bit more film work than junior college and beforehand. But one guy who helped me through all of that was Derek Barnett. He kind of took me under his wing and just kind of gave me the ins and outs.

“Going into last year, I let it get to me too much, like the pressure and what everyone expected. Definitely it was something on my mind coming in. I feel like the difference coming in with this year is I’m not really paying attention to all that. I had a good year behind great D-ends like Derek Barnett and Corey Vereen, and that’s really helped me step my game up. This time I’m just putting my head down and working.”
http://tennessee.247sports.com/Article/Jonathan-Kongbo-learning-to-live-in-the-spotlight-as-Tennessee-V-52180064
 
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#2
#2
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Seems like a common statement with these young athletes after a year or 2 in the program. Most must arrive having enjoyed success mostly on their natural abilities, they have to learn how to work after arriving.

For all you young parents out there - teach your young ones to work and they will be way ahead of their peers.
 
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#4
#4
walkenvol said:
giphy.gif


Seems like a common statement with these young athletes after a year or 2 in the program. Most must arrive having enjoyed success mostly on their natural abilities, they have to learn how to work after arriving.

For all you young parents out there - teach your young ones to work and they will be way ahead of their peers.
Click to expand...

Work is a foreign word to most teenagers.

It's a hard thing to teach this day and time. Kids have too many things vying for their time and most parents are too busy trying to make ends meet to teach work habits to kids who need to be "stood over" to teach this hardest thing to learn.
 
#5
#5
savannahfan said:
Work is a foreign word to most teenagers.

It's a hard thing to teach this day and time. Kids have too many things vying for their time and most parents are too busy trying to make ends meet to teach work habits to kids who need to be "stood over" to teach this hardest thing to learn.
Click to expand...

Especially with naturally talented kids. Eventually they get out worked
 
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#6
#6
savannahfan said:
Work is a foreign word to most teenagers.

It's a hard thing to teach this day and time. Kids have too many things vying for their time and most parents are too busy trying to make ends meet to teach work habits to kids who need to be "stood over" to teach this hardest thing to learn.
Click to expand...

You sound like a crusty old fart. You know that "today's kids" or millennials that everyone seems to pile on work harder and are more competitive than their parents because they have to? This generation works harder for less.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2...really-are-making-less-than-their-parents-did

http://www.revelist.com/science/millennials-work-harder-than-parents/2601
 
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#7
#7
maybe there is something to the notion that these are "kids"?

anyway, i think it's just part of the learning process. it is still rare for guys on the LOS to come in and be what they're hyped to be from day 1.

i think you give credit to Kongbo for realizing it, and having the self awareness to know that he had to bridge that gap.

good for him, and i look forward to seeing how it pays off for him on the field.
 
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#8
#8
Smokeyman said:
You sound like a crusty old fart. You know that "today's kids" or millennials that everyone seems to pile on work harder and are more competitive than their parents because they have to? This generation works harder for less.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2...really-are-making-less-than-their-parents-did

http://www.revelist.com/science/millennials-work-harder-than-parents/2601
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are you trying to compare working 40 hours in an office with a tech job with better overall technology like most millennials? To working in a factory with terrible working conditions and basically being your father's farm hand from the age of 5 until adult like most of the older generations had to do? I put in almost 50 hours a week at a bank doing IT, and I know for a fact I dont work nowhere near as hard as my grandparents had to at my age.


Its the entitlement of graduating college and automatically expecting a 90k a year job to be there waiting that most people have a problem with about millennials, and this is coming from a 35 year old.


But hey, how about Kongbo?
 
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#9
#9
This kid has a lot of growing up to do and a ton to prove. Let's hope he does both real soon and has a good 2017 season.
 
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#10
#10
jpope9 said:
are you trying to compare working 40 hours in an office with a tech job with better overall technology like most millennials? To working in a factory with terrible working conditions and basically being your father's farm hand from the age of 5 until adult like most of the older generations had to do? I put in almost 50 hours a week at a bank doing IT, and I know for a fact I dont work nowhere near as hard as my grandparents had to at my age.


Its the entitlement of graduating college and automatically expecting a 90k a year job to be there waiting that most people have a problem with about millennials, and this is coming from a 35 year old.


But hey, how about Kongbo?
Click to expand...

You're one person. I myself grew up on a dairy farm and yes Im 37. You made an overall blanket statement above when referencing "how hard kids work". I took two minutes to find research that proves kids coming into the workforce today have to work harder than their parents did AND do it for around 20% less money.

For the record I still work outdoors for a living which sometimes requires my to walk uphill both ways for miles in the snow and rain, AND i am aware of how hard the job market is and how much harder it is nowadays to get your name out there to even get a chance... But way to miss my point entirely. :hi:
 
#11
#11
walkenvol said:
giphy.gif


Seems like a common statement with these young athletes after a year or 2 in the program. Most must arrive having enjoyed success mostly on their natural abilities, they have to learn how to work after arriving.

For all you young parents out there - teach your young ones to work and they will be way ahead of their peers.
Click to expand...

No truer statement can be made.
 
#12
#12
kamoshika said:
Eventually, though, Kongbo said he learned to humble himself and learn all he could from Barnett, who’s expected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. “It was definitely a big learning experience, I think, coming in, never playing in the SEC,” he said. “It’ll definitely wake you up when you get there. You’re just going up against better athletes. I think the biggest thing is probably details, and maybe a bit more film work than junior college and beforehand. But one guy who helped me through all of that was Derek Barnett. He kind of took me under his wing and just kind of gave me the ins and outs.

“Going into last year, I let it get to me too much, like the pressure and what everyone expected. Definitely it was something on my mind coming in. I feel like the difference coming in with this year is I’m not really paying attention to all that. I had a good year behind great D-ends like Derek Barnett and Corey Vereen, and that’s really helped me step my game up. This time I’m just putting my head down and working.”
http://tennessee.247sports.com/Article/Jonathan-Kongbo-learning-to-live-in-the-spotlight-as-Tennessee-V-52180064
Click to expand...

This article may have been on 247 but it was written by the T-FP 's new Tennessee beat writer David Cobb . He is a Tennessee alum who wrote for the school paper and KNS . He's a very capable replacement for Patrick Brown, says it's his dream job. :thumbsup:
 
#13
#13
Ok, no two kids have the same work experience regardless of generation. I do believe on average younger generations do less manual labor in their youth than the older generations. Just my observation of my kids and their friends.
Our greatest generation "WE2" participants seems to really have really it tough having the lean times of the war and Great Depression.
I do agree that if your the average middle class worker, you have to worker longer for less today than 30 years ago. In the last 20 years I have seen inflation corrected salarys declne while people work more hours.
Regardless learning to work hard is an advantage in life and the sooner you learn it the better.
Konbo sounds good. Go vols.
 
#16
#16
Kongbo was a big talker last year and many want to see this young man succeed, including me, but he's got to prove it on the field......something he's mostly talked about until now.....
Go Vols
 
#17
#17
Vfl2407 said:
TOS has a post talking about it according to the header.
But, I'm not paying member so can not open to read it.
Hope he's ok.
Click to expand...

The article was free for me. Shoop said we had some people get nicked up during the scrimmage, including Kongbo, but that it was nothing serious and will not result in any extensive time lost for anybody. I hope he was telling the truth.
 
#18
#18
#19
#19
Nice to see him take his serving of humble pie and press forward. I was a bit worried last year when he made the statement "I might play a year and declare for the draft" or something to that effect. He was under a steep learning curve and the reality of big boy SEC football slapped him in the face.

I hope he has a breakout year and starts wrecking people. He's got some big shoes to fill coming in on the heels of Vereen and Barnett, but he's got talent so he can become our best option at DE.
 
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