One of Tennessee's most impressive football players this spring hasn't taken a snap or played a down in nearly three weeks.

Chances are, he won't be ready to play for another six weeks or so.

But for walk-on Nick Reveiz the question is when, not if, he'll play.

"He'll play for Tennessee, no doubt," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said.

And it didn't even take Reveiz all of spring practice to prove it.

The former Farragut High School standout and 2005 Class 5A Mr. Football finalist took part in just seven practices this spring. During his final practice on March 6, fellow linebacker Adam Myers-White fell on Reveiz' exposed left leg.

Reveiz heard his leg snap, and has been in a walking boot and using crutches ever since.

But even while his leg, which didn't require surgery, is still on the mend, his stock is on the rise.

"God blessed me with the time that he gave me," Reveiz said. "I have to look at the bright side. I'm glad it didn't happen the first day because I would have been right where I was in fall practice. I think I proved to them what I can do."

The proving began last spring.

At 5-foot-10, Reveiz was dismissed as being too short to play Division I football. Reveiz wasn't deterred by the lack of major college offers, but wanted to make sure that he'd be given a legitimate shot as a walk-on.

So he and his father, former UT kicker Fuad Reveiz, met with Fulmer and were given assurances that he'd be given the chance to prove himself.

"My mentality going in was that I had to work real hard," said Reveiz, whose younger brother Shane plans to join him at UT this fall as a walk-on. "I know that I didn't have some traits they wanted in a scholarship player, but through my work I could show them that I had the capability to play at this level."

He did a lot of that work without an audience.

In the fall, he began his mornings in the weight room at 6 a.m. After practice in the afternoon, he'd strap on a weighted vest and work out on an elliptical machine and run 100-yard sprints inside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center all in the name of getting faster.

The idea was simple.

"I think if you're doing more than what they ask you, you're going to get better," he says.

By the start of spring practice in February, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach John Chavis noticed a change in Reveiz's body.

By UT's first full scrimmage on March 3, everyone noticed his performance.

Despite a sleepless night before that first scrimmage, Reveiz made six tackles and was all over the field.

"My body changed," he said. "My speed changed. My explosiveness. That's what it really came down to. I had a different body. I made my body into what a Division I player needs to be like."

His body still hasn't caught up to his work ethic.

Reveiz is in the training room every day rehabbing his injury. He's able to do some stretches and light work. In three weeks, he hopes to be out of the walking boot. Three or four weeks after that, he should be fully healed.

"Unbelievable kid," Fulmer says. "He's just as tough as any kid we've had here. Loves Tennessee, loves to practice. Loves football. He's a smart young man, and has all the things going for him in the world. He really does."

Before his injury, Reveiz earned a spot on UT's punt coverage team. His next goal is to play on kickoff coverage.

And despite a wealth of talent at linebacker, Chavis believes Reveiz has what it takes to play there, too.

"He's going to be able to help us," Chavis said. "He deserves to be here. He's going to make a big contribution to this program because of his attitude, because of his effort. He's a good enough athlete to play."