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

#354
#354
Born into it at St. Mary's in 1980. Grew up in Maynardville and watched UT games with my dad and papaw for years and years.
 
#356
#356
Found it in 1992. Driving to a vand competition and scanning the radio. John Ward was my introduction to this Rollercoaster. And I love him for it.
 
#357
#357
I worked in Knoxville for a couple of years and "it" kinda said your ass is mine. Been a Vol fan ever since. Totally PO'd all my Tarheel worshiping friends.
 
#359
#359
Born, my dad's father's family is all from West Tennessee, Jackson and surrounding areas. But I don't consider myself a "Tennessean" by any means. I'm a georgia suburbia boy.
 
#360
#360
Born into it. Dad graduated from UT in ‘80, uncle graduated in ‘76. Went to my first game at 3 years old. Listened to Ward’s broadcast for every game I didn’t attend (he really did paint a picture with words, still get goosebumps thinking about so many calls that I’ll remember forever). It’s just in my blood for better or worse.
 
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#361
#361
I decided at a young age to be a Vols fan, I was born in Kentucky, my dad is a huge Wildcats fan. I decided around age 10 (in 1995) I wanted to be a Vols fan, I moved to TN at around age 19, and now live about 15 minutes from Knoxville.

My wife, sister in law, and both brothers in law are all huge TN fans as well, they are also UT alumni. I am a King University alumni, however, I am looking at UT to obtain my Doctorate degree.
 
#362
#362
Born in NC grew up a Tarheel but both my kids are going to UT so I followed my kids and all my money and became a Vol and season ticket holder.

GBO
 
#364
#364
Recaping some of this in a post from a couple of weeks ago.

Born in it, although I grew up in North Carolina, just over the state line, in mountains that only allowed two channels, six and 10, WATE and WBIR out of Knoxville. There was no other football team than the VOLS. Mom was raised in Shady Valley and Bristol--there was no other state than Tennessee for her.

My dad commuted two hours each way to Chattanooga to work as a union pipefitter, and on Saturdays he did extra jobs plumbing the new resort houses being built on the Hiwassee Lake shoreline. I was taken along as I was big enough to hold the flashlight should the work carry over into dark.

On Saturdays in the fall Dad pulled our old yellow Chevy pickup as close to the work area as possible, turning the radio up as high as it would go so we could work—and listen to Tennessee football and the unforgettable voice of John Ward. Those roots took hold. Periodically we had to crank the truck to keep the radio from draining the battery.

A family friend worked for Lays Packing Company out of Knoxville, and once or twice a year he got tickets and Mom and Dad would be invited. They made it a special event that I dreamed of being a part of. (And every time they went they came back with some special being advertised by Cas Walker--we still have a crepe myrtle from there in the front yard of the old home place.)

Years later, in a new reporter job my assignment was to interview the new high school football coach for the Copper Basin Cougars. I was stunned to discover the coach then was Dewey “Swamp Rat” Warren. I was in such awe I could barely speak. Same way when I met Doug Atkins at a knife collectors show. Vol greats. Wow.

While my son-in-law and daughter both attended Ole Miss, they left me babysitting the grandchildren in Houston on a Tennessee game day and came home to discover both of their children clad in Tennessee orange Power T emblazoned gear I had bought in their sizes. They were not surprised.

My daughter has told me, "with what you paid in out-of-state tuition for me to go to Ole Miss I cannot understand why you cannot pull for Ole Miss."

"I did when Hugh Freeze was there," I say, "But never as long as Lane Kiffen is there. What he did to my Tennessee was a personal insult to me."

Only reason I did not attend UT is I had taken the SAT and UT required the ACT and it was more testing than I could stand--and I was madly in love with a local girl and Western Carolina was a faster drive than going through Coker Creek and Tellico. (Got the girl--50 years this November).

Yes, born to it. And damn glad I was. American by birth and both Southern and a Vol fan by the Grace of God. Go Vols.
 
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#365
#365
Born in Tennessee, got a degree at UTK, but never watched a UT football game until I took a job in Alabama and had to listen to Bama & Auburn fans All Day Long. Became a UT fan in self defense and it's been GREAT!
 
#368
#368
Born into it. My dad grew up in rural Tennessee and went to UT on the GI bill after serving during the Korean War. I grew up listening to the games with him, mostly on the radio, then went to UT myself. And now my daughter is our third generation UT student. GO VOLS!!!
 
#370
#370
Born into it! And grew up in GA too so…burned into it as well. Tested by fire. Now I live in TN so all is well
 
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