HOOVER, Ala. -- Wipe that blurry "aberration" away from the eyes. Shake off the nightmarish memory of 5-6.

Refocus.

There's a new slogan around Tennessee football and head coach Phillip Fulmer.

"Our motto right now is we want to be a fired-up, focused and prepared football team," Fulmer said Thursday at SEC Media Days.

The 2006 UT media guide has the same theme. Blurred figures of 10 Vol seniors surround Fulmer and come into focus under the glare of the Power T.

Fulmer used the "fired-up and focused" line more than once as he ran the media gauntlet heading into his 15th season as head coach at UT.

It's not like glory years are forgotten. It's just a new experience for Tennessee players and coaches to have to talk so much about disappointment and failure.

"You've got to have a chip on your shoulder with something to prove being at the University of Tennessee," senior offensive tackle Arron Sears said. "It's never been a losing program and it's not going to start."

Refocus.

Regain the swagger. Rediscover the toughness, mentally and physically.

The theme has been determined. Tennessee begins fall camp Aug. 4 hoping to produce results despite a glaring number of questions.

There's obviously no talk of a national championship this year. Not like 2005.

"People are more humble," defensive tackle Justin Harrell said. "We've got a bad taste in our mouths from last year knowing Tennessee is not used to being 5-6.

"It was definitely a growing experience and we're just trying to erase that. The only way we'll get that taste out of our mouths is to go out and win ballgames."

By far, the most asked question hurled at Fulmer, Sears and Harrell involved quarterback Erik Ainge and the development of the offense under the returning tutelage of offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe.

To a man, the UT contingent promised noticeable change.

"The first thing (Ainge) has to do is earn the confidence of his teammates," Fulmer said. "I've watched it in the offseason, in the weight room.

"He's leading the sprints. He's working like heck. Every time the door is open, he's staying extra and doing all the things that win the confidence of your teammates."

Ainge's downfall a year ago, according to Fulmer, came in trying to make too many big plays instead of doing all the little things correctly.

For Sears, the change he has seen in UT's junior quarterback has been obvious.

"Erik still has the talent," he said. "That hasn't dropped off at all.

"His confidence is getting back to where it needs to be and I can't wait to see him get back in the pads and watch him throw."

Protecting Ainge could be a bigger issue.

Sears will be surrounded by a bevy of younger, less experienced players on the offensive line.

"I know there are four young guys who haven't played many games who are going to be out there with me, but they're hungry," Sears said. "Eric Young is probably going to be the other tackle. Ramon Foster, Anthony Parker and David Ligon, another senior, have all looked good."

The emphasis on a quicker, leaner line came into focus when 318-pound Sears said highly touted redshirt freshman Chris Scott had lost "about 60 pounds."

"Toughness" was the other recurring theme of the day for Fulmer and the Vols.

Reliving another 2005 of fragile psyches and over-inflated egos isn't on the agenda.

"It's like a complete turnaround," Harrell said. "We're doing more things as a team, guys are dressing the same, we're showing up for workouts with no excuses, everybody's working hard."

Fulmer said the Vols had 737 scrimmage snaps during the spring.

He hinted the no-contact green jerseys would become seriously limited and possibly even disappear -- including on quarterbacks -- in some UT scrimmage situations.

"I think we have established ourselves to a degree as a tougher football team than we were at any point last year," Fulmer said. "That part is encouraging."

Replacing six of the defensive front seven is still a concern, but Fulmer admitted he's a lot more comfortable with the defensive line than the issue of three relatively inexperienced players at linebacker.

Harrell understands the challenges.

"We'll be lucky to be ranked in the top 25, but we can't focus on that," he said. "That's just a little more motivation to go out and work hard."

Incentive hasn't been a problem for Fulmer after last season.

He admits he got a little too comfortable, even spoiled, with what he expected to be a championship-caliber team.

"I think I assumed too many things," he said. "That's the best way to say it.

"I didn't work any less hours or those kinds of things. We had just won the East (in 2004). We had a lot of people coming back. We had an exciting quarterback coming back. We had a defensive team that was as good as any I have been around. I think I assumed too much."

No more assumptions --only refocus.

As far as concrete news coming out of Tennessee's media day appearance, there wasn't much.

• Freshman linebacker/defensive end Gerald Williams continues to wait on the go-ahead to participate from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

• Senior linebacker Marvin Mitchell, involved in a minor offseason run-in with police, is expected to play in the opener against California on Sept. 2.

• Fulmer still hasn't announced his choices for team captains will be this fall, citing 10 to 15 possibilities.

• Walk-on center Michael Frogg has been placed on scholarship, but Fulmer said he wouldn't announce any other possible new scholarship players until Tennessee holds its own media day on Aug. 5.