Were you born into this or did you just decide to pick Tennessee

#102
#102
Grew up in Clarksville. The teams people rooted for were Cardinals and Braves in baseball...mostly Cards it seemed...Cowboys in NFL....and Bama and Vols in college football.. Lotta Bama fans strangely enough. Kentucky in college basketball. Lot of "Go big Orange" bumper stickers. Moved up north but stuck w the Vols.
 
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#104
#104
I grew up just on the wrong side of the TN/AL line in a family of obnoxious Bama fans. I was probably 8/9 when I decided I liked the orange better and I’ve been obsessed ever since, to the shame and irritation of my parents. Excellent thread idea OP.
 
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#105
#105
Born and raised in Arkansas watched the national championship game when I was 8 with my dad. Fell in love with the colors. From that day forward I was all vol. My whole family razorback fans but I bleed orange.
 
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#106
#106
Born into it. My family is all South East Tennessee. My dad was in the Army and we moved a lot but Tennessee has been my team for almost 60 years. My dad’s dad my grandpa introduced me to Tennessee football listening to the games on the radio. My grandpa was a very quiet man until the game came on and then he became possessed with orange. I knew then even as a 6 year old boy l knew there was something special about Tennessee.

Go Vols!!!
 
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#107
#107
I was born into it. My Dad was a huge Vol fan and we had great moments together watching and listening to games. Momcat is not a football fan but she always wants Tennessee to win. Oh, and she hates Alabama.
 
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#109
#109
I guess for me...I KIND OF fall into both camps here.

While it's true that growing up, my dad was a huge Tennessee fan, he never tried to push it on me. I don't have pictures of me in the crib wearing Vol PJ's, dad never took me to games growing up, or tried to make me watch them on TV. I knew about his fandom, I was always aware of it, but he never tried to push me in that direction. The truth was growing up, I was a much bigger NFL fan than I was a college football fan. I discovered the Oakland Raiders at a very young age and just fell in love with the organization and everything about them! So from the age of about 8 through high school, I was all about the Raiders and the NFL.

When I was a freshman in college, I got invited to go to Neyland and see the Tennessee/Georgia game. It was the first time I had ever been on the UTK campus and got to experience all the tailgating and pre-game festivities such as the Vol Walk, the POTSB, 100k screaming maniacs, seeing the Vols run through the T, etc. I instantly fell in love! It was so electric, you could feel it! I was hooked and I became a Tennessee fan that day! Did I get some of my love of the Vols from my Dad through osmosis? Maybe a little, I guess. But it was just that first experience at Neyland that hooked me!
 
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#110
#110
I was "brought up" into it. My dad was a UCLA fan and graduated from Cal State Los Angeles. My parents moved to Indiana (I have cousins who are Purdue and I.U. alums) and then to Knoxville when I was 2 years old. My dad converted to a UT fan in the 1970s and took me to my first orange and white game when I was six. I never rooted for anyone else and graduated from UT in '99.

Looking back, depending on where my dad's career took him, I could have ended up being a San Jose State fan, UCLA fan, Indiana or Purdue fan...so glad it was none of the above lol.
 
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#111
#111
My son's dad grew up in Cleveland, TN and went to Tennessee. My sons were born into it and never thought for a second to like any other team and are UTK grads.
 
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#113
#113
Vol in LA said:
Born into it. My family is all South East Tennessee. My dad was in the Army and we moved a lot but Tennessee has been my team for almost 60 years. My dad’s dad my grandpa introduced me to Tennessee football listening to the games on the radio. My grandpa was a very quiet man until the game came on and then he became possessed with orange. I knew then even as a 6 year old boy l knew there was something special about Tennessee.

Go Vols!!!
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I grew up in Grand Junction, TN. My father was a UT agriculture grad, 2 years at UT Martin, then he was UTK in 1939 and 1940, both teams going undefeated and one not scored on. We listened on the radio while working outside. I am deeply orange as a result. I did not attend a UT game until UT vs Ole Miss in Memphis around 1965. First game at Neyland was UT vs Ole Miss around 1966. I didnt go to UT undergrad but chose UT Law in part because of the football program. 72 to 75. Bill Battle years. When we won the national championship in 1998, I felt such relief and joy, I could die now in peace.
 
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#114
#114
When I was 9 I saw Heath Shuler and became a fan. I don't know if it was just because he was #21 or if I liked watching him play or what it was. I've been a fan ever since. I live in Alabama, the rest or my family is either Auburn or Alabama, even my family that lives in Tennessee cheers for Alabama.
 
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#115
#115
Born into it. Mom and Dad both from ET. Grew up in Atlanta but my dad brought me up for several games as a kid. Knew it’s where I wanted to go to school and live, no matter what. First UT Jersey I had was a hand me down from a cousin, #31, Curt Watson’s number. Wore. It. Out.
 
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#116
#116
LucidZ said:
Born into it. A local. Only team I've ever really cared about. Grew up playing sports and had a father that supported it. Sometimes take me to games or we would listen to John Ward on the radio when driving around. Father was born here, but my mother was born in Florida...though her family moved here when she was still young.

When I was young I had a cousin from Jacksonville, Florida. He would always come up to see us and watch the yearly game between us and the Gators. Or we would go see him and watch the game in Florida. With him I started the rivalry early and we would always talk smack to each other about that year's game. My dad sent me this picture a few months ago with us three together. My cousin on the left wearing an old Florida shirt, me, and then my dad on the right.

View attachment 489745

I look way too excited. lol Probably just over the moon to see my cousin and for the game. I think I'm wearing a Vols baseball shirt...it may have been from a Vols baseball camp that I went to.
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That is what dad would do, drive around listening to the Great John Ward, those were good times.
 
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#117
#117
allstar34bd said:
I’m pretty sure at the age of 8, the Vols, Lakers, and Braves were all really good teams. I’ve stuck with em and been cursed every since.
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Those were my big three teams as a youngster too (plus the Tamps Bay Bucs). Since then, I have grown disillusioned and jaded and no longer watch any Pro Sports. But my Vols never go away ❤️
 
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#121
#121
ZZ13 said:
Picked it. 501 in my graduating class of Huntsville High. 250 went to Bama. 250 went to Auburn. I went to Tennessee. (ok slight exaggeration on the Bama/Barn numbers but you get the idea)
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Did you know know any of the Houck's, I believe they lived on Sparkman?
 
#122
#122
Born into it. My Dad went to the Bill Battle Football camp in the 70's and he was hooked. Raised me on The Vols and Atlanta Braves. I started watching every Game from mid season 95 till now and my love for the Big Orange only gets stronger every year!
GBO!!!🍊🍊🍊🍊
 
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#123
#123
Born into it, but would have chosen it, had it not chosen me. Born in Greeneville, Tennessee...~25 years in the military and rep'd the Orange all over this world, and now I'm parked in Murfreesboro root'in for my Vols.
 
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#125
#125
Kinda both. I've lived in East TN my whole life but my parents couldn't care less about football. I do have a uncle and cousin (2 separate people, I'm not from Alabama) who are Vol fans and they're who I started watching the games and went to my first game with (2008 Wyoming....)
 
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