Notes and quotes from Butch Jones’ opening spring presser
Tennessee kicks off spring football practice this week. Head coach Butch Jones met with the media on Monday.
Photo by Parker Anderson, courtesy of creativecommons.org. No changes made.
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“Happy Spring.”
Spring football season for Team 120 beings today.
“We have one goal for spring – improvement,” said head coach Butch Jones. “It’s all about reinventing yourself.”
“We are going to start from Ground Zero – Football 101.”
Early on in the press conference, Jones referenced the improvements the program has already made. “In the past 18 games we are 13-5 as a football program.”
In those five losses, the Volunteers lost by a combined 25 points.
“We are searching for those 25 points in all that we do,” said Jones.
“Nothing in this conference goes uncontested. We are going to be contesting every practice, every class and every meeting.”
In an update on who will be missing spring practice, Jones said Team 120 will have 11 players out.
“We didn’t tell Coach Shoop this when we hired him, but he might have to play a little defensive line this spring,” joked Jones.
This spring, there will be five defensive linemen out due to injury: Shy Tuttle, Derek Barnett, Kendal Vickers, Kyle Phillips and Andrew Butcher.
On the additions of tight ends coach Larry Scott and defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, Jones said they “have been great additions to our football family.”
As far as position changes, sophomore Micah Abernathy has moved from cornerback to safety and sophomore Austin Smith has moved from linebacker to defensive end.
Explaining the reasoning on Smith’s move to defensive end, Shoop said, “Austin Smith continues to grow and get bigger. He has an explosiveness off the edge.”
On the expectations this year’s team has, Jones said, “Our players have worked very hard to put their self in these conversations. But that’s all they are, conversations. Team 120 has not yet played a snap of football.”
“This is the best time of the year because you get to reinvent yourself,” said Jones. “We can’t be the same players as we were last year, we can’t be the same coaching staff. We have to continue to grow.”
The Volunteers kick off spring practice today at 3:30 pm.
Featured image by Parker Anderson
Edited by Cody McClure
Dalton, a firm believer that sporting events are best spent on Twitter, is an Assistant Sports Editor for TNJN and a sophomore studying Journalism at the University of Tennessee. Two of his favorite pastimes include beating his roommates at 2k and remaining in awe of the amount of stories fellow editor David Bradford writes. Twitter: @dk_writes
