A funny thing happened

Sort of.

The Vols' resident prankster the past four years, Larkins has learned to direct more of his energy on making plays and less toward making people laugh.

As a freshman, Larkins pulled off one of the funniest pranks in recent UT football history after a practice session. A fan was waiting outside the locker room to have players autograph a football. Larkins, who had yet to contribute to the team, offered to sign the football.

"Who are you?'' the fan asked.

The diminutive Larkins replied with a straight face: "I'm Al Wilson,'' and proceeded to sign the name of the Vols' legendary linebacker before heading back to his dorm room.

Since then, every time a water balloon drops or a practical joke is pulled, Larkins is the first suspect.

"Every day, Corey does something funny,'' junior cornerback Jason Allen said. "He's just a character.''

Indeed, but Larkins has also become a contributor. His focus -- and talent -- have left him entrenched in a battle for the starting tailback position as well as holding down kick-return duties.

"As a coach, it's just like being a parent,'' said UT special teams coach Steve Caldwell, who has spent more time with Larkins than any assistant. "There are times when you can accept the joking around and times you can't accept it. I think Corey has grown up a lot and learned when those times are.''

Larkins clashed with former UT running backs coach Woody McCorvey and was moved to the secondary. But again, there were times when his focus was lacking, and Larkins was shipped back to the offense.

New running backs coach Trooper Taylor took over in the spring and wiped the slate clean on all the backs, and Larkins proceeded to develop a new attitude.

"I saw a different Corey back in the spring when he was getting an opportunity to show what he had,'' senior captain Jason Respert said. "I was very pleased.''

Larkins still has his moments; in addition to having a great sense of humor, Larkins also has a fiery temper, and it erupted during a recent scrimmage.

Upset that he wasn't going to get to carry the ball in a goal line drill, Larkins slammed his helmet down and removed his shoulder pads. An argument with Taylor ensued, and coach and player exchanged shoves.

"People made it out like it was a fight, and it wasn't,'' Taylor said. "If I was going to whip him, he'd have a sign on his eye 'closed for the weekend.' ''

It seems Larkins has finally met his match in Taylor. Not only is his position coach as quick witted and funny as he is, but Taylor was also a lightning-quick return man during his playing years at Baylor.

Perhaps that's why Taylor can understand Larkins better than any prior coach and get the most out of him.

"Cory is a funny guy; he's cracked a few jokes about my bald head and me being short,'' Taylor said. "But he has been pleasant to be around and worked his butt off. We have plays built into our offense for him.

"He's a competitive guy, too, and I'd rather have to say, 'Whoa,' than, 'Sic 'em.' ''

Junior captain Kevin Simon said that, in the end, Larkins just wants to be appreciated.

"He just wants things to go smoothly,'' Simon said. "He's come along a lot as a team player, and I'm happy for him.''

That's something everyone can smile about.

Mike Griffith may be reached at knsgriff@aol.com.