The moment or game you were hooked

[Remy]

I believe it was 1968, my father and his best friend at the time were on the sidelines, as Richmond Flowers scored the lone TD in a 10-9 win over the hated Crimson Tide. I listened on the radio previously to the Vols and others but my Dad returning home from that game and telling what it was like on the sidelines cinched it for me.

 

[UTwild82]

That was one of the best scorched earth exit interviews ever.

Had to YouTube this. I didn't remember this at all. He was spot on and apparently people listened, lol.

 

[PineyBluff Vol]

Nashville Then: Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt football 1966 More than likely, this game brought me into the trumpet section on the bandwagon as for Tennessee being my favorite football team. Nothing special about the game. This is when I started really paying attention to the Volunteers. Had absolutely nothing to do with a girl who happened to be at Tennessee at the time!

 

[BartW]

We moved to Knoxville because my dad got a job as a Professor in the Physics department at UT when I was 2 years old back in 1966. He got season tickets and would take me to every game. When I was 16, we moved to Columbus, Ohio. My dad became a Buckeye because that’s where he was getting his paycheck but I have stayed a Vol my whole life.

I too moved to Knoxville when I was 2-3 when my dad became a physics professor at UT! Nearly 30 years later he is still there.

My earliest vivid memory is watching the (I believe) 96 FLA game from a projector on the back of our neighbors’ house with around 100 people from the neighborhood. A few days later, Peyton came to our elementary school classroom to teach us about helmet safety

It’s hard to say when exactly I got hooked though, I’ve bled orange since before I can remember

 

[MAD]

I too moved to Knoxville when I was 2-3 when my dad became a physics professor at UT! Nearly 30 years later he is still there.

My earliest vivid memory is watching the (I believe) 96 FLA game from a projector on the back of our neighbors’ house with around 100 people from the neighborhood. A few days later, Peyton came to our elementary school classroom to teach us about helmet safety

It’s hard to say when exactly I got hooked though, I’ve bled orange since before I can remember

That is so cool, great story. I always wish we had stayed in Knoxville. Wonderful place to grow up and raise a family.

 

[gobravesvols16]

I remember listening to a game at the Bulls Gap music barn where my dad was playing a gig sometime in the early 80's. That was more of an introduction tho since we didn't have cable back then. I would say the moment i was hooked was the Sugar Bowl vs. Miami after the '85 season. That's crazy thinking about it. Us older folks remember a time when we had just 3 channels to watch and now my adult children don't remember a time before the internet

 

[Model12]

Notre Dame 1990. I was 26 and had never been to a UT game. Dad was a fan, but I rooted for other schools back then. Got free tickets to this game and drove down from STL with a friend (Auburn grad), and it was the most amazing event I had ever seen.

Vols. Period.

 

[76vol]

For me it was the year Fulmer took over for Johnny Majors. I had been working in Chattanooga, and was about to drive back to Mcminnville. I got in my truck and scrolled through the radio as I was leaving.I happened to tune in the Vols game and decided to listen. I was drawn in immediately by the voice of John Ward, and as I drove the hour and a half back home my obsession with Vols football began. I'm pretty sure it was the Georgia game. I don't think I would have the love for it I do if not for John Ward. I sure do miss hearing him.

Really good question. For me it's kind of like trying to remember when I became attracted to girls. I don't even know the first game I went to. My grandfather went to most games beginning in the 1930's. My mother and father grew up fans and went to most home games. The first game I attended that I can remember any specifics about was Ole Miss in the very early 60's. I remember it because of the huge bench clearing brawl they had in the north End zone. I can remember going to Legion Field before that but can't remember if it was an Alabama or Auburn game.

I graduated in 76. Should have been earlier but I liked it so much I choose "the five year path". I can't even remember any discussion about if or where I would go to college. It was just assumed that I would go to UT.

 

[voldurham]

For me it was the Georgia Tech game in 1964. I had been interested on-and-off since 1962, but when UT went to Atlanta and upset Bobby Dodd’s team in 64 I started to believe In Doug Dickey and became a serious fan. Of course we lost to “Archie Who” and Ole Miss the next week 30-0 which was the beginning of a 3 game losing streak to end the season, but I could feel in my gut that good things were ahead.

Edit: I think I might have gotten my years mixed up re Archie Manning. But I do remember we lost to Ole Miss 30-0 in 1964. I’ll use my age as an excuse for my error.