Tony McDaniel felt almost obligated to return to Tennessee for his senior football season.

The main reasons: Phillip Fulmer and Dan Brooks.

"Coach Fulmer and Dan Brooks are like second dads to me," McDaniel said.

"They're really like family to me. I thought about leaving, but I always wanted to come back to help my team and I'm going to help coach Fulmer and coach Brooks in any way I can."

McDaniel, Justin Harrell, Turk McBride, Arron Sears and Cory Anderson each declared their intention to return to UT at a media gathering Wednesday night.

It was McDaniel's first media appearance since he was suspended for the first two games of the 2005 season.

He was involved in an off-field altercation on the Tennessee campus last summer that resulted in four broken bones to the face of DeShaun Goodrich.

When McDaniel returned to the field, he came off the bench to provide solid depth on the defensive front.

For the 6-foot-7, 295-pound junior from Columbia, S.C., returning for his final season wasn't much of a decision.

"I would not give up my last year playing here for anything," McDaniel said. "I never thought I'd be able to play here at the University of Tennessee and it has been a great experience."

Fulmer feels the same about McDaniel.

"Tony has been a fine young man since he has been here," he said. "He had one situation that nobody is proud of, and I really don't think we should be talking about.

"I'm glad he's staying because he's going to be close to his degree, he's going to have a chance to improve his draft status, and he's going to help our football team by getting a chance to play every down."