Brent Vinson hadn’t always planned on playing football.

The wide receiver from Phoebus High School in Hampton, Va., signed a national letter of intent to play football for Tennessee on Feb. 1. If not for his friend Ronnie Hendrix, who died in a car accident in the summer of 2004, Vinson might not have signed that letter.

Vinson said Hendrix had always pushed him to play football. Until his junior year at Phoebus, Vinson had only played basketball.

When Vinson heard about Hendrix’s death, he decided he should give football a try.

Vinson talked about Hendrix’s influence on his football career, among other things, during this GVX Q and A.

Q: What is your most memorable moment from your official visit to Tennessee?

A: Just getting to a chance to see the college. I saw how good the people are and how they interact in the environment. When I went to Tennessee it was a real good place. They have great players, great people and a great football field. I like (head) coach (Phillip) Fulmer. He’s a good coach. The minute coach (David) Cutcliffe and I started talking we hit it off right away.

Q: What was your least favorite part about recruiting?

A: Sometimes people would call me late at night, at like 12-something. I’d be asleep. I talked to them. I wouldn’t say anything about it because I didn’t want them to think I’m a bad person. It was annoying a little bit but I’d rather them be calling me late at night than for me to not be getting any calls about recruiting at all.

Q: Who has been the biggest influence on your football career?

A: My boy Ronnie Hendrix. He got in a car accident. He had wanted me to play football. I play football for him. He’d feel good seeing me because he came from where I grew up. He saw me grow up and he saw where I came from. He’d probably be happy right now.

Q: Do you model your game after anyone?

A: No, I can’t really explain it. I just play hard. I just like catching the ball and being able to make plays and run the ball to get extra yardage. One of my favorite positions is tailback. Once I catch the ball that’s why I’m so good being able to run with the ball. I played (tailback) last season because our coach needed some speed and some guys to hit the holes real hard. I had a couple of good games.

Q: What are your goals for yourself at UT?

A: Basically just to make sure I catch the balls thrown to me and being able to make plays. I want to be a good person and have good character. That’s basically it, being able to stay humble and stay focused.

Q: What is your favorite part about playing football?

A: It’s getting out there and playing with other people and showing them my ability, putting my body up against others and being able to work hard. It’s a real competitive game. That’s what I like about football.

Q: You had been a basketball guy until you started playing football your junior year. Do you like the physical aspect of football?

A Yeah I like it. I’m going to stay playing football so I can get that down pat. I’m not going to rush it and play basketball.

Q: Who is your favorite athlete?

A: I like a lot of college players. I like Reggie Bush a lot because he’s an explosive player. He can make plays to change the game at any time. That’s what I’d like to try to be able to do.

Q: What do you think about some people saying Bush is too small to be an every-down running back in the NFL?

A: I don’t know but he’s got unbelievable speed so you can’t really say that. He’s able to make a lot of plays and avoid a lot of hits with that speed he has.

Q: What is your biggest athletic achievement?

A: We were playing Hampton High (last season). My first year we didn’t beat that team. Then my second year I made a real good catch to put us in scoring position. We were losing and it was like fourth-and-13. I made a catch and made the extra yardage so we can win. There were like 12,000 people at that game. It was a real good game. I like being competitive. I work out with a lot of those guys. It was a real good game for me to be able to change the game like that. The year before that I was sitting there watching the other seniors try to make plays in order to win the game. I was in that position and I did what I wanted to do.

Q: Who is your favorite celebrity?

A: That’s kind of hard. I’m kind of different when it comes to stuff like that. I like certain things about people. I don’t have a favorite person in particular. I look for them to know how to act when they have a lot of people around them, having good character and stuff like that. People that are known as a good person and a good role model in everybody’s eyes, not just a person that puts on an act in front of people and does the same thing at all times.