What does Tennessee Football and The State of Tennessee mean to you?

#1
Rockytopvol86

Rockytopvol86

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#1
I have lived a very crazy life :from being born in Johnson City, TN to a father that was a native there and a graduate of both UTK and UT dental school, and Milligan college and a mother from Memphis, TN, to moving to SC (9 years on a boat) then to Africa, and GA and then back to Johnson City (HOME) to purse college and post graduate doctorate. I have grown up a Vols fan and have Bled Orange ever since my father showed me my first UT game. I look forward to every season as if it’s our next championship year ( but have more realistic expectations as I grow older ;) ) and hold memories of talking with my father after a game or even surprising him with tickets to a game very close , esp after losing him 2 years ago. This game holds a lot of pride for me balecause it represents the state of Tennessee which has a rich history of VOLUNTEERS! I take my state pride and the history in which we’ve been blessed with and continue to hold and mold today’s society with as high if not higher than my national pride! Everywhere I have moved I have represented Tennessee as a true Volunteer and made it known Tennessee is and always will be HOME! What does it all represent to you?
 
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#3
#3
Tennessee football for me is about leaning against a car grill, reaching down to hand my dad a wrench, and listening to John Ward's voice warbling out of a cheap transistor radio. I couldn't explain why, but I feel close to my dad doing this; it bonds us together. We both go quiet every time Mr. Ward speaks.

It's about a magical trip: a long ride in a car to a place where we walk up a steep hill and then back down toward a stadium that looks like an alien mother ship parked by a river, and then inside to a crowd that outnumbers our home town plus the county seat plus two other nearby towns, all those people in one place with us, and almost all of them wearing orange.

It's about trees dealing orange leaves out onto the brown felt of the yard where I play pickup football with my brother, our cousins, and the other neighborhood kids after church and talk about the Vols' game the day before.

It's about winning our Pop Warner league championship, and getting the reward of a Vols home game in Knoxville, and after the game running onto the astroturf with our teammates, knowing Condredge Holloway and the Volunteeers players were JUST HERE, just a few minutes before us.

It's about being a cadet at a military academy that's playing our Vols this weekend, farther from home than i've ever been, and the other cadets don't understand why I'm cheering for the "wrong team."

It's about knowing, even before the first play, even before kickoff, that if we can just rattle Outzen, get him worrying about the pass rush, the game is ours...and then seeing the Vols defense rattle Outzen, over and over....

It's about taking mom and dad to a game at the stadium, helping them down the concrete steps to their seats, realizing this might be the last time for them, they don't get around so well any more. Seeing a big smile light up mom's face as Evan Berry returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

It's about family and feasting while an orange and white banner flies just below Old Glory on the pole in the front yard.

It's about Jack Daniels and cool fall evenings by a fire with friends in front of the TV, cheering like lunatics.

It's one of the brighter threads in a life.
 
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#4
#4
Off subject: I am watching the Steelers game. Hunter had some good catches and a t d. Might make the team
Pitt put Mason Rudolph in as 3rd string NOT Dobbs. Not looking good for Dobbs or McCullers
 
#5
#5
I'm a 5th generation Tennessean (since 1826). My grandfather graduated UT in 1935, mom and dad at UTM 1961, daughter UT 2016.

I left for a while, just enough to realize how great home is. I'll live here, and God willing, die and be buried here. UT sports is just an extension and an indication of my home.
 
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#8
#8
Rockytopvol86 said:
I have lived a very crazy life :from being born in Johnson City, TN to a father that was a native there and a graduate of both UTK and UT dental school, and Milligan college and a mother from Memphis, TN, to moving to SC (9 years on a boat) then to Africa, and GA and then back to Johnson City (HOME) to purse college and post graduate doctorate. I have grown up a Vols fan and have Bled Orange ever since my father showed me my first UT game. I look forward to every season as if it’s our next championship year ( but have more realistic expectations as I grow older ;) ) and hold memories of talking with my father after a game or even surprising him with tickets to a game very close , esp after losing him 2 years ago. This game holds a lot of pride for me balecause it represents the state of Tennessee which has a rich history of VOLUNTEERS! I take my state pride and the history in which we’ve been blessed with and continue to hold and mold today’s society with as high if not higher than my national pride! Everywhere I have moved I have represented Tennessee as a true Volunteer and made it known Tennessee is and always will be HOME! What does it all represent to you?
Click to expand...


Born in Columbia Tn. Lived in Lawrenceburg, Seymour, Mr Plesaent & Nashville.
While in the Marines & in the Army. I have traveled a lot but never even considered anyplace to live other than Tennessee
Youngest of 5 in my family. My whole family to include my cousins used to watch CBS on Saturdays and the feature game was always Alabama. So they became Bama fans. When I lived in Seymour, I listened to the Vols on Saturdays. Johnny Majors, Reggie White etc etc, so I became a Vols fan
Love the Vols but am honest and realistic. When I see us as being the underdog, I recognise that and don't expect the Vols to be New England in a game.
I am realistic and don't drink anyone's Kool Aid but still love the Vols
 
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#13
#13
Its been a lifelong passsion since I attended my first game when I was 8. My dad was a Bama grad which made me cling to UT even more. My son was born in UT hospital and my little brother died in UT hospital. Spent 10 years in Knoxville, married another UT grad who never let me miss a home game for over 20 years, she was as crazy about the Vols as I am. I have a lot of pride in my home state and most of that is vested in the University. There's just nothing like UT.

And I miss Pat Summit, she made us proud to be Vols.
 
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#14
#14
Born in Kingsport to a family that dates back generations in Tennessee. Dad joined the Navy right out of high school and made it a career. So my brothers and I were raised at duty stations around the world. Christmas and summer vacations back home constitute all of my childhood memories of Tennessee. But we always followed the Vols, no matter where we were. When I graduated high school, there was no place else I wanted to go except Tennessee. My first game at Neyland as a freshman was almost like a religious experience.

Been in Oregon for over 20 years now. I wear my Tennessee hat every day. Whenever I see an old friend who I haven't seen in a while, they always ask me how my Vols are going to do this season. I guess I'm kind of obnoxious about it. All 3 of my kids came home from the hospital wearing orange. My California-born wife doesn't understand, but she humors me. It's probably not an overstatement to say that Tennessee football is one of the great joys of my life.
 
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#18
#18
norriscraftbasser said:
No place I'd rather be and glad to say it is my home!
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I now live in the North Atlanta community of Woodstock, but have lived in Chicago Il.,Dallas Tx, Los Angles Ca. , Chattanooga Tn. and Knoxville Tn., But my heart has always remained in East Tennessee. My profession took me to different parts of the country, but I've only really felt at home in Georgia and Tennessee.
 
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#20
#20
Rockytopvol86 said:
I have lived a very crazy life :from being born in Johnson City, TN to a father that was a native there and a graduate of both UTK and UT dental school, and Milligan college and a mother from Memphis, TN, to moving to SC (9 years on a boat) then to Africa, and GA and then back to Johnson City (HOME) to purse college and post graduate doctorate. I have grown up a Vols fan and have Bled Orange ever since my father showed me my first UT game. I look forward to every season as if it’s our next championship year ( but have more realistic expectations as I grow older ;) ) and hold memories of talking with my father after a game or even surprising him with tickets to a game very close , esp after losing him 2 years ago. This game holds a lot of pride for me balecause it represents the state of Tennessee which has a rich history of VOLUNTEERS! I take my state pride and the history in which we’ve been blessed with and continue to hold and mold today’s society with as high if not higher than my national pride! Everywhere I have moved I have represented Tennessee as a true Volunteer and made it known Tennessee is and always will be HOME! What does it all represent to you?
Click to expand...

Great post, thank you. My father’s love for the Vols spilled over on me at 9 years old. Have bled Orange ever since. Degree from UT, and was first in my family to do so.. Had close relationships with the staff under Majors and Fulmer eras. Attended many games including several from sideline perspectives. The last game we attended in Neyland was 2012. I Luv UT and am Proud of It! Tennessee represents my heritage, great tradition and my alma mater! Go Vols!
 
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#22
#22
VFL-82-JP said:
Tennessee football for me is about a tinny-sounding radio on the carport, handing my dad a wrench while he works on his car, and we listen to John Ward together.

It's about a magical trip, once a year or so, a long trip in a car to a place where we walk up a steep hill and then back down toward a stadium that looks like an alien mother ship parked by a river, and then inside to a crowd that outnumbers our home town plus the county seat plus two other nearby towns, all those people in one place with us, and almost all of them wearing orange.

It's about orange leaves falling from the trees, filling up the yard while I play a game of pickup football with my brother, our cousins, and our buddies after church and talk about the Vols' game the day before.

It's about winning our Pop Warner league championship, and getting the reward of a Vols home game in Knoxville, and after the game running onto the astroturf with our teammates, knowing Condredge Holloway and the Volunteeers players were JUST HERE, just a few minutes before us.

It's about being a cadet at a military academy that's playing our Vols this weekend, farther from home than i've ever been, and the other cadets don't understand why I'm cheering for the "wrong team."

It's about knowing, from even before the game starts, that if we can just rattle Outzen, get him worrying about the pass rush, the game is ours...and then seeing the Vols defense rattle Outzen, over and over....

It's about taking our aging mom and dad to a game at the stadium, helping them down the concrete steps to their seats, realizing this might be the last time for them, they don't get around so well any more. And yet they still root as loudly for the lads in orange as they ever did.

It's about family and feasting while an orange and white banner flies just below Old Glory on the pole in the front yard.

It's about Jack Daniels and cool fall evenings by a fire with friends in front of the TV, cheering like lunatics.

It's one of the brighter threads in a life.

There's nothing else like it.
Click to expand...

Wow...great post! TY!
 
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#25
#25
Hog lard biscuits, Benton County sorghum molasses, hog killin' time at first freeze, Granny with a Garrett snuff twig in her mouth, homemade quilts that now go for a fortune, tobacco barns, Shelbyville and the annual Walking Horse Celebration, chow chow for peas and beans, Bucksnort exit, the Smokies, the Big River on the left, catfish dinners in Ashland City or Henry County, Bemis, Granddaddy putting my calf (Bozo) I raised in the deep freeze, Goo goos, Nutbush, Grandmama cutting a whole apple up peel and all in the slop for the hog everyday, and every fall it's football time in Tennessee!! I graduated from college on the west coast but one of mine has a BS from UT and the other has her undergrad and grad degrees from MTSU. I've been a UT fan since a little kid sitting around at the turkey shoot where UT football was a religion on the radio and if you won a round you got your choice of a fifth of whiskey, a turkey, or $5. My first recollection of hearing a game was when Dewey Warren was our QB. Tennessee means a lot to me.
 
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