Tennessee center Chuck Prugh might finally live his dream Saturday.

Prugh fought through a life-threatening illness last fall. An irregular heartbeat this past summer severely hampered his conditioning.

He is close to full speed now.

He could start Saturday against Notre Dame, a team that captivated him as a child.

"It's kind of a big dream for a big boy from Maryville, I guess," Prugh said Tuesday. "You know, coming here, just trying to get coach to know your name really if you walk on here.

"Your whole goal is to maybe get on the field, to earn a scholarship, and I did that, and then your next goal is to prove to them that they can put you into a game and you can contribute, so hopefully I've done that so far where they feel comfortable enough that they can put me in the game."

Prugh, a senior, could get the start against Saturday if senior starter Jason Respert can't play. Respert suffered an ankle injury Saturday at South Carolina.

Prugh and Respert are roommates and close friends.

When Prugh was in intensive care last fall with a mysterious illness, Respert was there for much of the time.

"I don't know from personal experience, but my mother and father told me how much that (Prush's illness) affected him last year," Prugh said. "It affected his play and his attitude.

"To see him come through that and be there for me, that's the least I can do is to pick him up. I'll try to nurse him back to health as much as I can this week, but if given the chance I've got to be accountable to him. I don't want to disappoint him because he's played so well. He's been the anchor of the line this year."

Prugh, who played for Maryville High School's Class 4A state championship team as a senior, spent his first college season at Carson-Newman College in 1999 before walking on at UT.

He sat out the 2000 season, played in one game in 2001, and played in four games in 2002.

Last season, Prugh played in the opener against Fresno State and in the third game against Florida.

Not until later did Prugh find out he had mononucleosis during the Florida game. On the next Saturday, Prugh was hospitalized in the intensive care unit when the Vols played South Carolina.

He still doesn't know the official diagnosis of the illness.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said.

While in the hospital for a month, Prugh lost 37 pounds.

He is now almost back to his weight, 325 pounds, before the illness.

This week, Prugh is preparing as if he will start, or at least play the majority of snaps.

"You've always got to prepare like that," he said, "even when (Respert) was healthy. You're only one play away from being in there."

Respert says if he can't play, he believes Prugh can do the job.

"We have a lot of confidence in Chuck," Respert said. "He's been around as long as I have, and I feel like I've been around as long as General Neyland."

Prugh grew up in Indiana — Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Ind. — and he is Catholic, so playing a crucial role for the first time against the Irish would be special.

"That's the one place you want to go if you're Catholic and you like football, you want to go to Notre Dame," Prugh said. "A lot of the players on this team have never really learned about the history and the mystique of Notre Dame, but growing up around it when Lou Holtz was there and everything, I know how important this game is."