Talk to us about.......Heath Shuler

#76
#76
Tough as hell. In the ‘92 Bama game Copeland and Curry abused him and he got right up after every hit. And they were not soft hits either.

Heisman winner in Heupel’s system.

He got bambuzzled that game. What a warrior. The next year, 93, was possibly the best UT/ Bama game I'd ever witnessed.
 
#77
#77
I had a friend that called the Vols pre game show and said that the Vols were going to win in a downpour. One of the best memories I had. We were soaked and partied all night Fort Sanders
People who weren’t there have no idea what a torrential downpour that really was. The tv broadcast didn’t do it justice.
 
#78
#78
My favorite Heath memory is the 1992 Florida game. We had a lead but Florida scored twice right before halftime to get close.

During the 3rd quarter, there was an Armageddon-like thunderstorm. It rained so hard that the sidelines flooded.

Brent Musberger was calling the game.
The Tennessee fans were off the chain, cheering every peal of thunder. Musberger marveled about how loud we were.

Then came the 60 plus yard TD pass from Shuler to Mose Phillips. Mose was splashing in ankle deep water right by the UF sideline. It was the first time I ever saw Spurrier throw his visor.

After we son the game, we were soaked despite our rain suits. My wife and I got in line to get hot dogs at a Sabrett's cart outside the south ramp. Musberger got in line behind us. He said that he'd never seen anything like it and that the UT fans were the craziest fan base he'd ever seen live. I'll never forget it - he had a Bar Elina Dragons helmet sticker on his briefcase.

I hated that we didn't beat Florida again until 1998, but I'll always savor the first time I ever saw Spurrier throw his visor.
We were headed home from Jackson TN I was just a kid listening to John Ward call that game. Awesome memories
 
#80
#80
Born out of time. Would have been amazing in the spread O's of today. Ran a legitimate 4.5 40 and was a hurdles champion in HS @ 6'3", 225. Best arm at UT until Milton... they would probably be comparable in pure distance.

Really high character guy. Swore off even drinking carbonated sodas in HS. I am from the same town and knew/know most of his extended family- kind of a black sheep/white sheep family. His grandmother was an absolute saint. She seldom missed a church service and was well known as a prayer warrior. My dad coached him in Little League. His uncle coached me.

He is the initial reason that I became a Vol fan... and most people in Swain County too.
I think Tony Robinson had the best arm at UT.
 
#81
#81
Not sure if this has been mentioned prior to this here post. I wanna say it was at Ark and can't remember if it was 92 or 93 but he threw a ball in the wind 55 yards and hit I believe Billy Williams in stride for 6. To this day its one the strongest throws I've ever seen in all of football. Bray, Crompton, Shuler, & Milton have the strongest arms of my UT football era.
 
#84
#84
Washington was a veteran team with a lot of old school players on it. They did not like the hold out and the big contract (for the time), for whatever reason. In my opinion, the offensive linemen and wide receivers half-assed played after that. Missed blocks, dropped passes, etc.
 
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#86
#86
First UT QB I ever saw live on my campus visit for the Cincinnati game in ‘92.

Dude was REAL close to being the Speaker of the House instead of Pelosi.

What a different political environment that would have made!
 
#87
#87
I had a friend that called the Vols pre game show and said that the Vols were going to win in a downpour. One of the best memories I had. We were soaked and partied all night Fort Sanders
Downpour? Here was the downpour. Tennessee Florida 1992. The Mose Phillip's "watch" play. Go to 5:10 and start. I was there. Insane, just the week after the big win in Athens. "The Tennessee river is on the sidelines today."

 
#91
#91
(*sorry this is late, got caught up packing yesterday for our trip today. This is also a change from the original subject of this post, I was gonna use one of the lesser-known WRs in Tennessee history, but changed it as I was writing it. I'll do the WRs in another version of this, I promise.*)

Every denizen of Rocky Top pretty much knows ad verbatim the story of Number 16, "The Sheriff", "Sir Peyton of New Orleans" (hat tip to the incomparable OMG), and the greatest QB in Vols history, Peyton Manning. Not only great at the college level, he was absolutely incandescent in the NFL as well.


The fella that chucked the rock prior to him wasn't exactly a slouch in the Orange and White, though (let's not go into his NFL career or his post-playing days, shall we??). Peyton set a bunch of records, this is inarguable, but Heath Shuler's name was all over them prior to Peyton. I can semi-remember Heath at UT, mostly how weird I thought it was that a QB wore #21. So help me refresh my memory, talk to us about the pride of Bryson City, NC.....Heath Shuler.
Heath had a very strong arm and was a tough runner. You should have seen Condredge Holloway run, that was something to see.
 
#92
#92
I recall Shuler converting a 4th &12 vs Ga in Athens in the game winning drive. The ball was drilled into Ronald Davis stomach, no hesitation. I knew then he was a QB.
 
#96
#96
Heath was capable of accurately throwing the ball in a way that made it look as if it was picking up speed as it flew through the air. Unreal arm talent and could take your breath away with some of the throws he could make.

Injuries, bad OL and poisoned media/fan sentiment wrecked his chances in the NFL, as others have said. Really a shame.
 
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#98
#98
Heath Shuler was a highly regarded recruit in his own right. Looking back, maybe a mix of Dobbs and Milton. He had the legs and the arm to take over games and the offense WAS basically a spread. I remember Shuler picking Kentucky apart with 4 and 5 wide outs his junior year. I don't know if we get Manning without Shuler, but I wish he'd have stayed his senior year.
 
Heath was capable of accurately throwing the ball in a way that made it look as if it was picking up speed as it flew through the air. Unreal arm talent and could take your breath away with some of the throws he could make.

Injuries, bad OL and poisoned media/fan sentiment wrecked his chances in the NFL, as others have said. Really a shame.
Actually the coach Norv Turner was the reason for that demise.
 
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