Vols have chance to relax

Tennessee's football team can focus solely on its business, preparing for Texas A&M and the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

"Anytime you get a break from school I think everybody's says it's great," offensive guard Cody Douglas said. "I don't think anybody really enjoys going to class. Just now that school's over and finals are over, everybody has a chance to relax and chill out and focus on football for a little while."

For the most part, Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer and his staff expect to have full attention of players during the break.

Of course, there is down time — which means more television, movies, music, video games — and hopefully nothing outside of team rules.

Not every player thinks practice is easier when school is out.

"It's harder to practice, but you have to be mature about the whole situation and know we have a game to play," center Jason Respert said, "and what you do out there (in practice) is going to be the way you play when you go to the Cotton Bowl."

Respert, who is from Warner Robbins, Ga., says it isn't easy sticking around campus for football when the rest of the student body has gone home.

"You've got more time on your hands, you're in the middle of the holiday season, you don't want to be out there practicing number one, you want to be with your family," Respert said. "So yeah, those obstacles you have to slide out of your mind to get ready for a football game."

Other obstacles, however, are not in the way.

There are no classes, no professors, no tests, no homework. Only football to worry about.

"Personally it's easier for me to practice (when school is out)," running back Gerald Riggs said. "I know when I know I don't have to wake up and go to class or if I don't have something else to do after practice, I tend to focus (on football) that much more because that's the only thing I have to do the rest of the day.

"You devote the next three and a half or four hours strictly to football and the rest of the day is basically on you."

The Vols continue practice through Monday, takes a break for Christmas, and report again Christmas night in Dallas, site of the Cotton Bowl.

From now till Monday, the Vols will have the campus and their coaches to themselves.

"It gives you a chance to kind of focus on football and relax a little bit more during the day," Douglas said, "and have your mind solely on football practice and getting ready to come in the afternoon and be at your best mentally wise and physically wise."