The seeds of success were planted long ago amid hot, humid conditions. But it was the competitive environment that made stifling weather conditions seem very secondary.

Throughout summer workouts, observers didn’t have to look long nor hard to see two players already determined to establish a spot in the Tennessee football pecking order.

There were freshmen Eric Berry and Gerald Jones, always close by, always the first to participate in sprints, agility drills and weightlifting sessions designed to improve their athletic ability and stamina for the 2007 season.

Competitive? Absolutely. The intensity between the two was palpable this summer, no matter the drill.

“If you push each other to be the best, that’s what will come out,” said Jones, the highly touted receiver from Oklahoma.

The hard work seems to have had an effect. Jones made four receptions for 20 yards in Saturday night’s scrimmage and has shown an ability to register spectacular catches during preseason camp, putting him in strong position to secure a spot on UT’s travel squad for the season opener against California on Sept. 1.

“I think I’ve showed a lot of energy, adrenaline and the urge to work hard,” Jones said. “I’m a hard worker. I go 110 percent every drill and every play. Our theme is to be totally committed in everything you do and that’s to work hard.”

Berry has been even better. It seems to only be a matter of time until the athlete from Georgia secures a starting cornerback spot. He said the offseason competition between himself and Jones has helped both to prepare.

“Just trying to get each other better,” Berry said. “We know that when we line up against Cal, the corner isn’t going to take it easy on him and he knows that (Cal receiver) DeSean Jackson isn’t going to take it easy on us.”

In preparing for such times, Berry and Jones have made sure not to take it easy on each other. It started when Berry and Jones found themselves matched up in last January’s U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio.

In Berry’s first game at cornerback, he held Jones to one catch, good for a two-point conversion. Jones also carried once for 16 yards.

“Off the field,” Berry said, “we’re real cool. We’re like brothers basically. But when we’re on the field he’s trying to take my head off and I’m trying to take his head off. It’s just competitive.”

Said Jones: “We’re on opposite sides of the ball. We’re taught to be physical with each other. It’s like we never even knew each other on the field but when we’re off the field, it’s back to friends.”

So who is the better athlete?

“We both are,” Berry modestly claimed.

“I call it dead even,” Jones agreed.

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.