Vols host Student Appreciation Day practice
The University of Tennessee football team hosted practice for Student Appreciation Day in Neyland Stadium this afternoon, performing a number of drills that excited Vol Nation for a highly-anticipated 2016 season.
KNOXVILLE,TN - MARCH 07, 2016 - The team practices during Spring Football practice in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Athletics
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The University of Tennessee football team hosted practice for Student Appreciation Day in Neyland Stadium this afternoon.
Head coach Butch Jones brought the energy from the jump by organizing his trademark Circle of Life drill directly in front of the student section. There were 10 rounds in total, with matchups such as Drew Richmond against LaTroy Lewis, newcomers DJ Henderson vs. Jeff George and Khalil McKenzie against Coleman Thomas.
The star of the drill was walk-on tight end Eli Wolf. After receiving praise from Coach Jones earlier this week, Wolf bested Quarte’ Sapp in their round. For his reward, Jones decided to pit him against his older brother Ethan Wolf. Eli emerged victorious over Ethan to thunderous applause from teammates and coaches.
Despite a relaxing atmosphere on the sidelines of visiting recruits and families, Sterl the Pearl on the 1’s and 2’s, and former Vols such as Eric Berry, Inky Johnson and Ramone Foster, Team 120 locked in on Shield-Watkins field with a plethora of live-ball situations. Behind a heavy dose of the run game, the offense claimed victory in the scrimmage for the second week in a row.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs praised the growth and development of both his offensive line and his young skill players, specifically Vincent Perry, Preston Williams and Jauan Jennings. Jennings had a strong performance today, with two tough third-down catches when the offense was backed up on its own goal line.
However, the player with the strongest performance was running back Alvin Kamara. Kamara broke two runs of 60-plus yards for touchdowns, flashing his electric speed on the edge. The combination of Kamara, Dobbs, Jalen Hurd and the young John Kelly give the Vols an incredibly diverse backfield that will terrify defensive coordinators in 2016.
Tennessee has a few weeks left of spring practice before culminating with the Orange and White Game on April 16.
Featured image by Donald Page, courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
Edited by David Bradford
Dominic is in his second year writing on staff at TNJN. Along with being a staff writer, he also covers the UT men's basketball beat. He is currently a senior at the University of Tennessee majoring in Journalism and Electronic Media. Follow him @dominiclobianco on Twitter!
