Why is the third leading tackler in Vol history hardly ever mentioned?

#26
#26
Ernie Fields is one of my favorites and thanks OP for posting. Thanks also wmcovol and others who commented about the Fiesta Bowl in 1991. I attended the first two Penn State games in Neyland in the 1970's and loved beating Paterno. I was feeling good at half only to see the Vols blown out in the second half. Good to know the rest of the story.
 
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#28
#28
GAVol said:
Exactly what I've heard. I had originally had Dale Carter's name in my post but took it out. Majors supposedly went way over the line.
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Never heard that. But Majors should have gotten on DC for that fumble but I can see it going south because Johnny is Johnny and Carl Pickens the negotiate he is not.
 
#29
#29
cooterbob said:
Not to hijack your thread but another one never mentioned is Scott Galyon. Anyone remember him.
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I do. If I remember correctly he was a strong safety initially, then grew into a linebacker. He was big (6-3 235), fast, aggressive and a hell of a linebacker for UT. He Led the team in tackles his last two years and was a team captain. He had good years in the NFL and played on the west coast...I believe with Seattle.
 
#30
#30
wmcovol said:
It wasnt coaches who had a near mutiny but the majority of the players. If you remember Dale Carter fumbled the opening kickoff and Majors got on him pretty hard in the locker room at the half. Carl Pickens told Majors to get off his back and that started a meltdown when the entire team refused to take the field at the 2nd half. The assistant coaches persuaded the team to go back out where they were easily destroyed by Penn State in the 2nd half after completely dominating the Lions in the first half. This started the concern many in the administration had about the ability of Majors to run the program. Who would have thought less than 12 months later, he'd be fired.

This is a true and actual story told to me by several who were in the locker room that day.
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Truth
 
#31
#31
I always wondered why that team folded against an inferior Penn St team. Heartbreaking. It also tells me a lot about situations I questioned about that era.
 
#32
#32
Roustabout said:
Hereā€™s my VN ā€˜cool story bro.ā€™
I was playing in an intramural b-ball game at UT against one of the black frats. I went up for a rebound and after struggling with another player the ball was thrown hard to the floor where it bounced up and hit Ernest Fields square in the face. So, there I was standing toe to toe with a not to happy beast of a man. Then one of my friends says, ā€œoh hell, he just hit Darryl Hardy in the face with the basketball.ā€ Everyone laughed and Ernest shook it off, like ā€˜no problem.ā€™
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I once hit Buddy Curry, ex Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker, square in the face when I spiked the ball in a church league volleyball tournament. He just grinned and said "I've been hit harder than that".
 
#33
#33
Why is the leading tackler in Tennessee history never mentioned on this board? Andy Spiva made 547 tackles during his playing time at Tennessee. That is 122 more tackles than anyone else in Tennessee history and we never hear anything about him either. He made 194 tackles in 1976. Only Tom Fisher made more tackles in one game than Spiva, 28 vs 25. Spiva was drafted by the Falcons but was killed in a car accident in 1977, his first year with the Falcons. Tom Fisher may have been the best linebacker in Tennessee history, but his life was also last in a car wreck in Benton Tennessee in 1966. We have had a lot of really good linebackers at Tennessee, but these two were the best we ever had. It is a shame that neither of these players every had the chance to play multiple seasons in the NFL.
 
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#34
#34
Shades said:
Thanks OP. Ernest is one of the few players from my hometown Milan to play and excel in a P5 college program.
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The Bulldogs don't produce them like that anymore. He played RB, NG and CB in high school as well. That is how big, strong, fast and versatile he was. He was a good high school basketball player and tremendous baseball player. West Tn athlete of the year. That was before ratings and the sort where good players flew under the radar all the time. Came from a legendary program with a legendary coach. It was an era of some of the best teams in program history with no state championships due to the incredible compacted competition back then.
 
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#35
#35
Shades said:
Thanks OP. Ernest is one of the few players from my hometown Milan to play and excel in a P5 college program.
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I spent some time around those parts. I donā€™t know about other P5s but, John Fisher and George Kid come to mind. Coach Tucker knew what he was doing.
 
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#36
#36
FLVOL_79 said:
DEO99osXkAIl8TD.jpg
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If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes.
 
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#37
#37
cooterbob said:
Not to hijack your thread but another one never mentioned is Scott Galyon. Anyone remember him.
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Heck yeah I remember Scott. He and I share a last name although itā€™s spelled differently. Remember watching games with my dad (whose middle name happens to be Scott) and always getting excited when Scott would make a play.
 
#38
#38
VOLINVONORE said:
Why is the leading tackler in Tennessee history never mentioned on this board? Andy Spiva made 547 tackles during his playing time at Tennessee. That is 122 more tackles than anyone else in Tennessee history and we never hear anything about him either. He made 194 tackles in 1976. Only Tom Fisher made more tackles in one game than Spiva, 28 vs 25. Spiva was drafted by the Falcons but was killed in a car accident in 1977, his first year with the Falcons. Tom Fisher may have been the best linebacker in Tennessee history, but his life was also last in a car wreck in Benton Tennessee in 1966. We have had a lot of really good linebackers at Tennessee, but these two were the best we ever had. It is a shame that neither of these players every had the chance to play multiple seasons in the NFL.
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Spiva & Fisher both could have been all pro type players. They were that good.
 
#39
#39
RedStickVOL said:
Heck yeah I remember Scott. He and I share a last name although itā€™s spelled differently. Remember watching games with my dad (whose middle name happens to be Scott) and always getting excited when Scott would make a play.
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His son plays baseball at Seymour, committed to kensucky :mad:
 
#40
#40
Evergrenevol said:
I do. If I remember correctly he was a strong safety initially, then grew into a linebacker. He was big (6-3 235), fast, aggressive and a hell of a linebacker for UT. He Led the team in tackles his last two years and was a team captain. He had good years in the NFL and played on the west coast...I believe with Seattle.
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I went to HS with Scott at Seymour, unbelievably nice guy even as a kid. He was always a LB but was not well suited to be a middle LB. Once they moved him to OLB he thrived and still called the formations. He played in the NFL for the NYG and retired with the Dolphins.
 
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#42
#42
Not taking anything away from Fields contributions, but he was our 3rd in tackles at THAT time, right? Article written before Al Wilson and all LBs since.
 
#43
#43
vol-un-tear said:
Good stuff but Hardy is my all time favorite Vol!
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Hardy was able to roam around, wreaking havoc because Earnest Fields was filling the gaps. You can gamble, when you have guys like Fields who've got your back. Hardy was slimmer, and taller, and a better athlete than Earnest. But, Earnest was the backbone of that defense, calling the defensive plays, and meeting the push head on.
 
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#47
#47
wmcovol said:
It wasnt coaches who had a near mutiny but the majority of the players. If you remember Dale Carter fumbled the opening kickoff and Majors got on him pretty hard in the locker room at the half. Carl Pickens told Majors to get off his back and that started a meltdown when the entire team refused to take the field at the 2nd half. The assistant coaches persuaded the team to go back out where they were easily destroyed by Penn State in the 2nd half after completely dominating the Lions in the first half. This started the concern many in the administration had about the ability of Majors to run the program. Who would have thought less than 12 months later, he'd be fired.

This is a true and actual story told to me by several who were in the locker room that day.
Click to expand...



I remember Penn State's QB Kerry Collins' smart-alecky post game interview, saying that Tennessee's first half performance was all luck.

It gave another reason to hate Penn State.
 
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#48
#48
If Iā€™m not mistaken Jamie Rotella is 3rd and Fields is 4th. Kelly Ziegler is another one who excelled and you hear little about.
 
#50
#50
BreatheUT said:
The Bulldogs don't produce them like that anymore. He played RB, NG and CB in high school as well. That is how big, strong, fast and versatile he was. He was a good high school basketball player and tremendous baseball player. West Tn athlete of the year. That was before ratings and the sort where good players flew under the radar all the time. Came from a legendary program with a legendary coach. It was an era of some of the best teams in program history with no state championships due to the incredible compacted competition back then.
Click to expand...

Iam4utalways said:
I spent some time around those parts. I donā€™t know about other P5s but, John Fisher and George Kid come to mind. Coach Tucker knew what he was doing.
Click to expand...

Yep, Coach Tucker was a good old-fashioned hard nosed coach that new how to win, with state championships at Milan in 71 an 77. Brentwood always seemed to be our spoiler going into the 80s.

Jeff Smith was another good one from Milan, played from 82-85 at UT, with a TD catch against Miami in the 85 season Sugar Bowl; I always remember his "bow" after the catch in the end zone. He was a couple classes ahead of me, and I have the honor of having my arm broken by him in one of Coach Tucker's practices.
 
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