Tennessee's five newly appointed captains will each run through the 'T' for the final time Saturday.

At various points this season, they all might have hobbled or limped their way onto the field.

If there's a common thread that binds Justin Harrell, Turk McBride, Marvin Mitchell, Arron Sears and Jayson Swain, it's that they were all able to play through pain.

"We've been battling through pain and injury," Mitchell said. "When young guys see us going out there and practicing, that encourages them and they say, 'Hey I've got to do the same thing.' It's almost like little kids. You're their role models. What you do, they're going to want to do it."

Mitchell, a linebacker, has battled a sprained shoulder since the Vols' loss to LSU on Nov. 4.

McBride, a defensive tackle, has a nagging ankle injury.

So has Swain, a receiver.

Sears, an offensive tackle, played through injuries to his ankles and elbow this season.

None of those examples was more compelling than Harrell's.

After suffering a ruptured biceps tendon against Air Force in the second game of the season, the preseason All-SEC defensive tackle postponed season-ending surgery for a week to play against Florida.

"He gave the team his best and last effort," redshirt freshman center Josh McNeil said. "For him to do that was just amazing. It really made me look at him as a leader of this football team."

UT coach Phillip Fulmer saw it, too.

"There were three or four others who could have easily been captains," he said. "This has been a good group of seniors. I think it was interesting they elected Justin and sort of in his absence."

Harrell has been around practice for most of the fall. He's attended meetings and traveled with the Vols on the road.

But McBride knew that Harrell was unselfish well before the Florida game.

"He chose not to go the NFL and chose to lead this football team," McBride said. "That's saying a lot. He's always going to be a leader in my eyes."

That toughness has been one of the reasons the Vols are 8-3 heading into Saturday's 12:30 p.m. kickoff against Kentucky (TV: WVLT).

"When we came in, we had real strong people that would fight through everything," McBride said. "So basically, we wanted to leave the foundation the same way we found it. We're trying to bring that tough and rugged (attitude) back to Tennessee football."

Even Mitchell's off-the-field troubles helped him grow as a leader.

"It made me a lot more determined and it made me grow up a little bit," said Mitchell, who was arrested in May and charged with disorderly conduct. "I don't even go out that much, and I got caught in a bad situation. It helped me grow as the man that I am now.

"You can help some of the younger guys who come into those roles because you've been there and done that."

Where each of UT's five captains, elected this week by their teammates, will be Saturday is playing their last game at Neyland Stadium.

For Swain, four years of football went by too quickly.

"It came up fast," he said. "We're about to hit the real world now. A fun ride has come to an end. We're just thankful for our four years here. We want to put an exclamation point on our careers."