Origins of Wide Receiver U

#1
kidbourbon

kidbourbon

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#1
To all the Vol historians out there. I'm looking for some info on the origins of the "WRU" moniker.

When did it arise?
How did it arise?
Who coined it?
etc.

Any info, or links to resources that can provide info, would be awesome.
 
#2
#2
Good question.
Not exactly sure, but I heard it as early as Gault, when I was in school.
I think our track program helped us with the speedsters in dual sports.

:td:
 
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#3
#3
If memory serves me right Penn State was putting out great Linebackers in the seventies and some sport announcer coined the phrase "linebacker U" in refering to them, with players like Gault it was a natural fit to call Tennessee wide reciever U which was a take off the linerbacker U...

someone with better memory may see it differently
 
#4
#4
We back

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#5
#5
Coastypop said:
If memory serves me right Penn State was putting out great Linebackers in the seventies and some sport announcer coined the phrase "linebacker U" in refering to them, with players like Gault it was a natural fit to call Tennessee wide reciever U which was a take off the linerbacker U...

someone with better memory may see it differently
Click to expand...

I also think it happened around the time of Gault.

I think Harper and Pickens really pushed it into the 90's.
 
#6
#6
I would almost go back to Larry Sievers but by the time Willie Gault and Anthony Hancock were there the moniker was as well. Those guys passed the torch to Tim McGee in the mid-80's. Then on to Anthony Miller Alvin Harper, Carl Pickens, etc.
 
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#7
#7
Boca Vol said:
I would almost go back to Larry Sievers but by the time Willie Gault and Anthony Hancock were there the moniker was as well. Those guys passed the torch to Tim McGee in the mid-90's. Then on to Anthony Miller Alvin Harper, Carl Pickens, etc.
Click to expand...

You forgot Benjie Shuler
 
#9
#9
Boca Vol said:
I would almost go back to Larry Sievers but by the time Willie Gault and Anthony Hancock were there the moniker was as well. Those guys passed the torch to Tim McGee in the mid-90's. Then on to Anthony Miller Alvin Harper, Carl Pickens, etc.
Click to expand...

Tim McGee was here in 1983.
 
#11
#11
During the years of Willie Gault. The coin frase was, 'if he is even he is leaving.'
 
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#12
#12
Boca Vol said:
I would almost go back to Larry Sievers but by the time Willie Gault and Anthony Hancock were there the moniker was as well. Those guys passed the torch to Tim McGee in the mid-80's. Then on to Anthony Miller Alvin Harper, Carl Pickens, etc.
Click to expand...

Maybe even as far back as Tommy West. I remember listening to John Ward call a UT/Clemson game. We were down by 5 or 6 best I remember, just a few seconds left in the game, and West made an acrobatic catch in the inzone for the win. Ward went bonkers! Wish I had a copy of the radio broadcast for that.
 
#16
#16
Larry Sievers garnered a lot of attention as a 2-time consensus AA during the mid-'70s. Even though his expected NFL success never materialized, he was followed into the league by another great UT WR who played for a decade-and-a-half: Stanley Morgan.

The '80s saw a whole slew of UT WRs who were taken in the first round of the NFL draft: Anthony Hancock, Willie Gault, Clyde Duncan, Tim McGee, Anthony Miller and Alvin Harper (in '91). During this time, other UT WRs (who were NOT 1st rounders) went on to significant NFL careers that solidified the image of UT as WR U. These included guys who weren't considered to be greats, like Sam Graddy, and guys who exceeded expectations, like Carl Pickens. The NFL seemed to be full of Vol WRs.

By the time guys like Peerless Price, Robert Meachem and Donte Stallworth came along, other schools were making a case to be considered WR U. But in the '80s, UT was pretty much undisputed. And we can still make a pretty good argument today.

And that's even if you exclude TEs, which would leave out David Martin and Jason Witten.
 
#17
#17
This was from Kippy Brown's Wiki Page

During his first stint with the Vols from 1983 to 1989, Brown helped Tennessee acquire the nickname “Wide Receiver U.,” coaching numerous pass catchers to greatness. Receivers Anthony Miller, Tim McGee, Alvin Harper and Carl Pickens all benefited from Brown’s tutelage prior to their joining the professional ranks.
Click to expand...
 
#20
#20
Great thread - I enjoyed reading this. Didn't know some of these names (before my time).

Sounds like our 2012 team could (potentially) reestablish this reputation for us. If Rogers keeps his head on straight, Hunter is healthy and Patterson lives up to expectations, this group could be sick.

...and we have some great incoming freshmen waiting in the wings.

The times are getting a little more exciting on Rocky Top, guys.
 
#21
#21
Coastypop said:
If memory serves me right Penn State was putting out great Linebackers in the seventies and some sport announcer coined the phrase "linebacker U" in refering to them, with players like Gault it was a natural fit to call Tennessee wide reciever U which was a take off the linerbacker U...

someone with better memory may see it differently
Click to expand...

Actually, UT was the first linebacker U after producing multiple AA linebackers in the 60s and early 70s. UT became known as WR U because of Larry Seivers and Stanley Morgan then quickly followed with guys like Anthony Hancock, Willie Gault, Mike Miller, Clyde Duncan, Tim McGee
 
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#22
#22
Did anyone mention Richmond Flowers? He was really the first big-time WR name in Tennessee football.

But "Wide Receiver U" was coined during the Willie Gault, Mike Miller, Tim McGee, and Joey Clinkscales era of the early 80's when track and football virtually shared talent.
 
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#23
#23
To me, I first heard it during Anthony Hancock's years, probably Gault's first season.

dang, to have him fielding kicks again...
 
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#24
#24
MikeTheVol said:
Maybe even as far back as Tommy West. I remember listening to John Ward call a UT/Clemson game. We were down by 5 or 6 best I remember, just a few seconds left in the game, and West made an acrobatic catch in the inzone for the win. Ward went bonkers! Wish I had a copy of the radio broadcast for that.
Click to expand...

Larry Seivers made the catch you refer to. I was there at the ripe old age of 13.

Holloway had two Clemson players draped on him for the tackle and he threw up a prayer that was answered with Seivers' catch. There is a famous picture of this play with Seivers holding the ball up after the catch and Gus Manning is running over to him with a cigar in his mouth and he's holding a briefcase.

The play was a two-point conversion that gave UT a 29-28 victory. 1974
 
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#25
#25
Back when UT started recruiting track stars to play WR., and when we still had artificial turf. That is the kind of field a track star kind shine on.
 
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