Recruiting Breakfast Recap...and Urban Meyer...

[RockyTop572]

I was at the breakfast this morning at the convention center and it was amazing.

It started with an amazing video that was like "from USC...to the NFL...to TENNESSEE..." talking about Kiffin, then Coach O, and Monte. Then it showed a lot of highlights from this past season and further back. Lots of Eric Berry clips obviously. Then it showed some of our players that are currently in the NFL. It really was an awesome video. I feel like it was perfect to show recruits or maybe it was shown to them? They never said.

Then Kiffin had each position coach present talk about the recruits that they would be coaching and show a few highlights of each player. Before all of that Kiffin did a hilarious impersonation of Coach O though.

Kiffin said that on Coach O's first day there he went up to the board and wrote "Marsalis Teague will be a Vol" and initialed it and threw the marker across the room. Kiffin said that Coach O especially flat out would not take "no" as an answer from Teague. He said Coach O spent so much time there that he probably got to know every person in Paris, TN. Kiffin added that there probably wasn't a period of 48 hours where Teague didn't hear from Orgeron. During Kiffin's impersonation he kept saying in the voice of Orgeron, "you don't understand, we ARE gonna get Teague. You don't understand."

Another notable story was Orgeron talking about converting Marlon Walls to defensive line. He referenced Warren Sapp and how when he started playing football he was about 210 pounds. Orgeron said that Marlon is now up to 275 from 215 pounds.

James Cregg talked about JerQuari Schofield and said that he is so pumped about this kid because of his attitude and how he wants to really get better every practice. They also added that has a bigger wingspan than any other Tennessee player ever.

The best part though aside from Lance Thompson saying that Alabama wouldn't be having any more classes like they had was DEFINITELY Lane/Monte's comments about Nu'Keese Richardson and his recruitment process...

Lane talked about how difficult it is to even get a visit with a kid from Pahokee because "they do not let anyone not named the Florida Gators talk to their kids." He said he had to give all the credit to Eddie Gran for getting in and turning Nu'Keese. As I've read some people ask about on here Lane then called out Urban Meyer for texting Nu'Keese while he was on his visit here which is a clear recruiting violation. I don't know that he is going to report it but Lane said Urban violated NCAA rules clear as day...and still lost. It was hysterical.

They left the highlights of Nu'Keese for the very end and that's when Lane introduced Monte and Monte hops up and tears up to the stage and just like shouts into the microphone immediately about how pumped he is to be here and how pumped he is that we landed Nu'Keese. He used the "68 going on 48" line again and said he had so many stories he wanted to tell and all this. It was great.

I think I've summarized most of the highlights from the morning here but there was definitely other stuff that happened that I'm forgetting...

 

[NMVol]

Great report. Thanks.

 

[volchamp23]

good post bud, wish i could have been there

 

[SpringBokVol]

Great recap. Thanks for sharing. Love the Coach O story.

 

[rjd970]

Kiffin said that on Coach O's first day there he went up to the board and wrote "Marsalis Teague will be a Vol" and initialed it and threw the marker across the room.

I like to hear this kind of stuff.

 

[CincyVol2]

Great Post. Thanks.

 

[Reverend Bubba Flavel]

Lane and Urban aren't getting off on the right foot.

 

[Return2Power]

If you don't get pumped every time you hear any of these coaches talk then you have got to be, like, dead.

 

[ptclaus98]

Lane and Urban aren't getting off on the right foot.

Good, maybe the rivalry can go back to meaning something nationally.

 

[Goliver24]

Great post man! I really wish they would have had one in Chattanooga!

 

[RockyTop572]

Yea I can't even begin to explain to you how much confidence that staff put in me today. They all seem to be 100% on the same page and have the same goals...not to mention just flat out really enjoy working with each other in general. They aren't settling for anything but the absolute best.

Whether you like/support Kiffin or not, the guy is doing an amazing job and he and the staff have worked their tails off.

Another funny thing I just remembered was after they told the story about Lane going down to Destin to recruit Orgeron (which was even funnier this time with more details), Lane talked about how proud he was to have a guy like Coach O on staff here and how Coach O and his work ethic really embody what he wants the Tennessee program to be like. He said that Coach O wakes up every day and the first thought that comes into his head is how can we be the best. Coach O thinks about nothing but football 24/7.

I got really pumped this morning. Kiffin isn't going to just fall in line and get pushed around by Urban Meyer and Nick Saban...he's letting it be known that Tennessee is ready to compete.

 

[jakez4ut]

good stuff.

 

[NashvilleUTVol]

A great start given a few more seasons and these guys will build a dynasty.

 

[VOLnMiami]

Sounds like a good time, Glad I wasn't there or I probably would've tried to run through a wall by now LOL...Sounds like the coaching staff is having fun and when they have fun the players have fun and win and WE have fun....Lane really doesn't like UF...Hope it doesn't bite him in the butt.

 

[Volsguy12]

Thanks for the recap, really appreciate it.

 

[volsfan55]

Good stuff thanks for the story!!!:toast:

 

[RockyTop572]

Sounds like a good time, Glad I wasn't there or I probably would've tried to run through a wall by now LOL...Sounds like the coaching staff is having fun and when they have fun the players have fun and win and WE have fun....Lane really doesn't like UF...Hope it doesn't bite him in the butt.

I couldn't care less if it bites him in the butt, I just love that he isn't putting up with Meyer's antics. I mean obviously I want to beat Florida more than anything in the world but if nothing else at least put Urban in his place.

 

[allvol9]

Great story....thanks for sharing. Exciting time to be a UT fan!

 

[SmokeyTop]

Thanks for the post. I am so fired up for the fall.

 

[Vols330]

you by chance have the quotes by Lance on Alabama's future recruiting class rockytop572?

 

[orangeblooded2]

Great post.

I was having trouble waking up.
This post got the old heart going.

Thanks.

 

[VolsTN]

Love the details! Thanks!

 

[RockyTop572]

you by chance have the quotes by Lance on Alabama's future recruiting class rockytop572?

No I don't have any detailed specific quotes. I just took mental notes on what all was said. He just said (and I paraphrase) to look at Alabama's class this year and know that they won't be having those kinds of guys next year. It was something to that effect. He didn't really take any shots at Saban specifically or anything, just said that we we're going to start having those kinds of classes.

 

[RockyTop572]

This is kind of random but some of you may find this funny. I also remember when Kiffin introduced James Cregg making a joke about pissing off Al Davis when he took Cregg from the Raiders.

The whole staff where on their game this morning. Lots of really funny stuff.

 

[EricFreakingBerry]

I'm a little intrigued about Walls going to the defensive line. I mean per all the scouting sites he was 220-225 pounds. I think that's a good news for us since we didn't come away with a lot of big time line prospects (as long as there's no performance enhancement going on there!).

In all seriousness, I think these guys are doing a good job of backing up the things they say so far. Whether that translates to energized practices, solid talent development, and W's next season is yet to be seen......but I know I'm excited.