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Rogan tries to make most of playing time

By Dave Hooker (Contact)
Originally published 09:25 p.m., April 9, 2008
Updated 09:25 p.m., April 9, 2008

Opportunity is awaiting Dennis Rogan's embrace.

Such is often the case in spring football practice when injuries can mount. Nowhere is that more evident than at cornerback where minor ailments have robbed Tennessee of at least one starter, Brent Vinson, and a handful of other experienced players.

Thus the door swings open for Rogan, the former Fulton High star who made a mark last season as a freshman special-teams standout.

Rogan is Spongebob Squarepants, striving to soak up a trunk load of information. Rogan's teachers are just a few yards away: safeties Demetrice Morley and Eric Berry.

"They're going to make sure you know everything, make sure you're getting a lot of extra work and make sure you know what you're doing," Rogan said.

Playing with Morley and Berry has had another effect on Rogan's game.

"More aggressive," Rogan said with a sly smile. "You know they've got your back. They're two of the fastest and best safeties in the nation. You don't really have to worry about getting beat deep. You know they're going to be there with you."

UT's coaches will judge Rogan's aggressiveness. Physically, the jury is out. Rogan weighed only 170 pounds last season. He's up to 185.

Go-To Guy: Quinton Hancock appreciated being called the "go-to" receiver of spring practice by receiver coach Latrell Scott. Who wouldn't relish such compliments from his position coach?

But Hancock knows practice doesn't always relate directly to games. Take Hancock's freshman year for example, when the Floridian turned heads but didn't turn up anywhere close to the top of the depth chart.

Hancock's mission: To not be known as just a practice player.

"It's very important," he said. "Everybody wants to have good games.

In UT's two full scrimmages this spring, Hancock has seven catches for 70 yards. More importantly, he has impressed UT's coaches, the best way to get into the lineup.

Practice is important, but far from the final product.

"Just got to keep having good practices," Hancock said, "keep impressing the coaches."

Out of Hibernation: Defensive tackle Dan Williams wasn't real crazy about meeting with reporters following Tuesday's practice. He knew the questions were coming: So just how much weight have you gained, Dan?

The answer was only 15 pounds, eight of which he's already lost. That's a far cry from the 50-plus pounds he lost before last season.

"It's just winter weight," Williams said. "I do need to get it off and I will. It will be off before fall camp."

With some support from UT's head strength-and-conditioning coach.

"Johnny Long promised me (I'd lose it)," Williams said. "I kind of got a little lax after the bowl game."

While Williams doesn't like questions about his weight, he admits the extra pounds have hindered him this spring.

"Especially on a John Chavis defense," he said, "because all we're doing is running. The first practice we did, I felt it."

When he began at UT, Williams was once behind standout defensive tackles Jesse Mahelona and Justin Harrell. Williams, heading into his junior season, is a projected starter. Not that a spring depth chart has him feeling comfortable.

"These young guys are getting better every day," Williams said. "No spot is set. I think there's a lot of pressure. I also put a lot of pressure on myself to get better."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

       93 Comments

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 9, 2008 at 9:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The HULK ROGAN!!!!!!!!

Why have 70% of the articles written about spring practice been mostly about weight? McNeill, Ahmad Paige, Rogan, Williams, and Ben Martin. Who will be in tomorrow's weight watcher report?

Posted by yemmusdarb on April 9, 2008 at 9:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

saying "dang" is a copy-cat comment and it's also not funny in any way.

aside from that fact, I think our safeties/secondary looks so good because our wide receivers/offense look so bad. wait until we play Florida with their spread, I guarantee we get ripped. just sayin...

Posted by redneckerson on April 9, 2008 at 11:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

dang ... dang ... dang

Posted by nicksjuzunk on April 9, 2008 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Rogan is sponge-bob?

Ok, never mind.

Posted by richvol on April 10, 2008 at 1:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hefney put on too much weight before his senior year and it made him less effective.

Don't put any more weight on Rogan...he's just fine as he is.

Posted by Go_Joe_Bruin on April 10, 2008 at 1:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Have you guys already started to pack for the Labor Day Game? If you have never been to the Rosebowl, you will love it. Go early, BBQ, and drink without any hassels from anyone.

I went to the first BSC game when you beat FSU, and Vol fans are die hards, but very cool and respectful towards other fans. Because of this, we are going to your stadium in 2009.

Go Bruins, but we'll drink with you too!

Posted by volfan73120 on April 10, 2008 at 2:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Go_Joe, you are an alright guy. Welcome to this site. I will look foorward to visiting the Rosebowl come September. You will certainly be welcome visiting Neyland Stadium the following year. Go Vols

Posted by wjackson on April 10, 2008 at 6:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey yemmusdarb. Your guaranteeing that? I hope you are man enough to bring this back up and admit you didn't know what you were talking about if it turns out differently. I don't know how it will turn out. I don't think we will get ripped. But I will not put a guarantee on how these kids play. just sayin.

Posted by jimr07 on April 10, 2008 at 6:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

yemmusdard--Just wondered if they still plan on playing the game?

Posted by nicksjuzunk on April 10, 2008 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

go_joe,

welcome to the site where we are courteous to all except alabama fans and fellow tennessee fans

Posted by bigtimevol on April 10, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Just what every player wants to be called...Spongebob Squarepants..."watch out for that corner over there, he's a real sponge."

Posted by BOASoldier on April 10, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dang dang dang dang dang. There is no way we'll get ripped.. No one can promise a win except hollywood joe, but we won't get ripped this year. It just won't happen .... at least as long as Berry and Morely are back there.. sorry Yay musdard just won't happen

Posted by Greyback_Vol on April 10, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Does anyone know who the projected starters are at corner? With all of the injuries over the past year or so, it's hard to keep up with each change. I'm assuming Antonio Gaines and Marsalous Johnson started spring penciled in, but it seems Rogan, Vinson, and Willingham are gaining all the time and you really can't keep that type of talent on the sideline for long. At least we won't have a problem with depth when Chavis drops into the Mustang package.

Posted by NJVol on April 10, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I thought it was Broadway Joe?
Any way.....Maybe Williams should leave the pounds on. We need a run stuffer up the middle. Turn him into Gilbert Brown.

Posted by NJVol on April 10, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think Vinson will start over Gaines and Johnson will be the other corner.

Posted by bigbluevol on April 10, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

greyback- Gaines and Johnson are both out of spring practice, as is Vinson (surgeries). I think Vinson is taking part in some non-contact work, but I'm not positive. As far as the starters go, I believe Vinson is slated to start and the other spot is the one where the uncertainty lies. However, if the guys battling for it are strong, Vinson might have to earn his spot back. As of now though, I believe the coaches are operating under the impression that they are looking to only fill on corner spot.

Posted by bigbluevol on April 10, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

fill one corner spot, that should say.

Posted by BOASoldier on April 10, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dang you're correct NJVol i'm still half asleep my bad

Posted by losvolsganan on April 10, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

mustard? ketchup?

HOT DOGS!!! yummmmmm...

(dang!)

I agree w/ NJVol on Williams. Seems we could use a little bulk clogging up the middle.

Posted by pdhuff on April 10, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I prefer the original "dang" from tngeoff.

Chavis prefers "light" d-men who can run. I would prefer d-men who can tackle or jam up running lanes. We've got to be better than last season.

Hope we don't over-hype the DBs.

Posted by johnlg00 on April 10, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

While you're in the existentialist mode, Workin, here are a few more questions for you: Why does speed matter to a sprinter? Why does reach matter for a boxer? Why is height important to a basketball player? Why is the sky blue? For that matter, what is the purpose of spring practice? I'll try to help with that one. For one thing, coaches need to know who is in proper shape for his position. We prefer speed at every defensive position. An overweight lineman won't be quick enough and might not be in good enough condition to carry that weight for a whole game. A d-back needs speed but also needs to bring down big receivers and running backs. A naturally skinny guy like Rogan might wear down over the course of a season if he is under-weight to start with. In short, some players need more weight for strength and staying power; some need less for game conditioning and speed. Assessing which players have made the necessary progress in those respects is, I would argue, one of THE most important aspects of spring practice.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sorry john, the most important of Spring practice is to actually practice and get reps to guys who aren't your penciled in starters. This spring practice is a little different though since we are installing a new offense. Both of these things are far MORE important right now than a said player's weight.

I just think the strength and conditioning program prior to spring and over the summer would be handling the players weight gain/loss and therefore not using spring practice to guage this. My main comment had to do with my opinion that the articles and information have been focusing on weight gain/loss which really isn't the point of spring practice and should be addressed prior to spring practice to get them into "game shape" and then over the summer to get them ready. It just seems that we have had alot concerns over the weight of our players.

Posted by orangebloodgmc on April 10, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Whoever plays cb, they have to be able to put down Tebow with an unassisted open-field tackle. Can the smaller guys do that this year? I know they have other talents, but this is part of the job, too.

Posted by auttat on April 10, 2008 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For some reason I doubt that Rogan is gaining weight just to be able to tackle Tebow in the open field. I could be wrong, but I think the extra weight will help him control the WR at the line of scrimmage if he were to play bump coverage. Then again, UT's cbs usually play 10 to 15 off the line, so maybe it is to tackle Tebow.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

auttat, that is your best of your posting career.

Posted by auttat on April 10, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Is a compliment from CR a good thing or a bad thing? I have a bad feeling about this.

Posted by FlushTheJohn on April 10, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Tebow is going down. These guys won't forget how Florida ran it up last year. We get them at home this time. Tebow better watch his knees!!

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by FlushTheJohn on April 10, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"We get them at home this time."

***This is comical...like it matters that we are playing Florida at home. We've won what 3 games since 1992 (92,98,04) at home vs. Florida?

Posted by orangebloodgmc on April 10, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Flush, good point. I think our guys will be revved up, and the crowd will do their part too.

Posted by johnlg00 on April 10, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Workin, I said assessing conditioning was ONE of the most important aspects of spring practice. Performance in the weight room doesn't automatically translate into improved performance on the field. There is a difference, for example, between track speed and football speed. Also, the importance of reps in spring practice is somewhat overrated. In a previous article on spring practice, Doug Matthews, former UT assistant among other things, reminded us how insignificant spring practice stats are in the grand scheme of things, though that is also the time when depth will be discovered. With key players out recovering from surgery, participating in track, taking care of academics, etc., the ones getting the most reps in the spring are usually not the ones getting them in the late summer practices. It is also in the pre-season practices that the reps become more important because they are using what they actually expect to run in the season, with the players they expect to play in the season. Spring practice is for identifying who those players will be, and one of the factors in that identification is to see who got the most out of winter conditioning.

Posted by volguy40 on April 10, 2008 at 11:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

WELLLL im stuck here in Louisiana...and dont get my fill of Vol football info.....Ive read up on the recruits and the messagers on here assessments of them....lol..but with all that said....How do we look with the new offense?..specail teams.....the whole thing....???any key players looking good....bad....just a Vol fan for life trying to figure out how we are fairing....thanks

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Spring practice to assess winter conditioning?
So all the guys running track (do we even have any this year?), taking care of academics, or who are injured are not really practicing and thus their conditioning is not able to be assessed. I guess one of the important reasons we have spring practice is to assess the winter conditioning of guys that won't play. I didn't know every school in the country would put as much emphasis on it as they did for basically a conditioning assessment of backups. Good one.

Why bring spring stats into the discussion?
It's about gettin reps for guys who haven't played that much just I mentioned earlier and your boy Doug Matthews said.

Posted by sjt18 on April 10, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Not every coach uses the spring exactly the same.

UT seems to use it more for finding contributors out of the gray area. In all the comments I've read, few if any close to the program are concerned about Crompton's grasp of the system.

That seems to be supported by the fact that Crompton is fixed while they run every WR they have out there with the 1st team trying to see who can do the job. UT will have good WR's that aren't part of the rotation this fall. Again according to what I've read, they'll try to get down to 3 or 4 primaries plus a couple more that provide depth. They're choosing from guys: Taylor, Moore, Hancock, Rogers, Briscoe, Jones, O'Neal, Paige, and several others like Campbell and Maples who are now buried plus Abrams-Ward and Wilks coming in this fall.

When the final 4-6 WR's are determined, JC's stats will improve regardless of who they're playing against just from familiarity and hopefully the fact that the best have risen to the top.

Posted by sjt18 on April 10, 2008 at 12:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Is that true Ashley? I think this year is a little better than 260 with Williams at 300+, Bolden @ 290, Ayer's @ 260+, and Brown @ 250+.

But is it true that the DL in 98 avg'd 260? That would be pretty incredible. Most teams play OL's around 300 now. Then many played them well over 300.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

it is true, none of our guys were particularly that big but they were all bulls.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

volguy40,On offense Paige and Hancock have been the most impessive along w/ Arian Foster whom looks to be in the best shape he has been in since coming to UT.I actually heard the words explosive/exploding used a couple of times.

On D:The secondary.This has been said by everyone from Barnhardt,Chris Low,Hubbs etc...(Folks actually getting to see the practices and scrimmages.)The linebackers have looked solid as well, especially Wilson.Langley has made some noise at DT,but has dropped weight and will have to gain it back in muscle mass over the summer.
Ayers has been solid at DE ,and Martin has shown improvement.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Our OL back in 98 were all between 295 and 315 so it's not they were smaller back then either.

Posted by volguy40 on April 10, 2008 at 12:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

thanks savage...Im actually from Monroe...same town as Ahmad...was sad to hear bout the weed problem...hope he has learned his lesson...he was a pretty good kid around here....but the operative word i suppose is kid....i just hope we take to the new system quickly and can convert on some short yardage situations...we need to get that nasty attitude back.....we are way to soft when it comes to who is gonna control the game.....thanks again

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just my projected starting D-lineup on opening day:

DE Ayers/Brown
DT Bolden/Williams

OLB McCoy/McKenzie
MLB Wilson

CB Vinson/Rogan
S The All-Americans

To me Bolden needs to gain weight.Yeah being able to run is great, but I've never seen anyone get somewhere fast when their on their backside!He should be playin at 315lbs IMHO.Clog it up a let LB's run them down.That's the way UT use to play D.I don't think times have changed that much.

Posted by volboy81 on April 10, 2008 at 12:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

SEC school's records for football, mens & womens basketball for the 2007-08 school year.
BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE.
THESE STATS ARE UNREAL.
NO MORE WHINING FROM VOL FANS!!

1. TENNESSEE 77-11 .875
2. VANDY 56-24 .700
3. LSU 56-26 .683
4. GEORGIA 51-29 .638
5. FLORIDA 52-30 .634
6. ARKANSAS 48-30 .615
7. MISS ST 47-31 .603
8. AUBURN 43-32 .573
9. KENTUCKY 43-34 .558
10.S CAROLINA 36-40 .474
10.OLE MISS 40-36 .526
12.ALABAMA 32-44 .421

87.5% WINNING PERCENTAGE...ITS PROBABLY THE BEST
IN THE NATION!
WE'RE ALSO #3 OR #4 IN FB ATTENDANCE,
(#1 IN THE SEC)
#1 IN WOMENS BB ATTENDANCE(IN THE SEC & NATION)
AND #3 OR #4 IN MENS BB (#2 IN THE SEC)

VOL ATHLETES AND FANS ARE THE BEST!!

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 12:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

volguy40, No problem!Hey , can you drive over to Mansfield,and tell Chris Davenport how great UT is?He is a 6'4 307lb DT we need very much.

Posted by douglasawilliams on April 10, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What made the d-line play so good against Georgia and Arkansas and really struggle the rest of the season? That is the key question.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

douglasawilliams,Bolden's effort IMO.I think he will have a break out yr.It's kind of like an NFL guy in a contract yr.When it's about the money ,you don't take a play off.And for Demonte, he is playing for money.

Posted by BOASoldier on April 10, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

everyone telling them that Ga was going to whoop them after losing so bad to Fla. and Al. and then everyone saying McFadden would have a career day against us. That seemed to be the difference.

Posted by cjraney on April 10, 2008 at 12:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dang yemmus,
Guess you can go out and doing some yard work during the Florida game since its such a foregone conclusion. If you've got tickets I'll gladly take em off your hands.

Posted by cjraney on April 10, 2008 at 12:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Go-joe-bruin: Thanks for representing your school with class. Welcome to the board, we would love to hear your insight into the ongoing status of UCLA's team this year. Should be a very interesting contest out in the Rose Bowl, wish I was going.

Posted by General_Watermelon on April 10, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Williams needs to stop meeting Fulmer for breakfast and the weight will come off.

Posted by johnlg00 on April 10, 2008 at 12:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Interesting stats, volboy81. I have often wondered where we would rank nationally in combined attendance for football, men's bball, and women's bball. I wouldn't be at all surprised if more people watch those three teams in person, home and away, than any other school in the country. Combine that with TV exposure, and I think it could be said that, in the 2007-8 season(s), more people watched UT play than any other program. Can anyone think who WOULD be #1 in such a statistic if it isn't us?

Posted by marc_ash on April 10, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The issue with Rogan gaining weight could benefit press or bump coverage. UT's DB's generally play off the WR's, but (as auttat eluded to) db's could benefit from playing up tight with the secondary being as good as they should be.

I hope Williams takes his weight seriously. Based on what I read today, I have a reaaaaal bad feeling about this. Don't be surprised if he has trouble making weight AND possibly gets injured if he isn't careful. Don't pen him in as a starter at the beginning of the season....a pencil may be more appropriate.

Posted by marc_ash on April 10, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

SJT,

260-300 is fine and dandy, if you have speed to accompany that weight. The game today (as you already know) is a speed game (especially with more teams implementing the spread system).

I think the 98 team was a little smaller by industry standards than the lines of today. But...that team had talented players and guys that were a combination of fast and strong.

I personally hope Williams slims down a bit. If he can stay conditioned with the extra weight thats one thing...if not, we have a problem.

Posted by invisiblekid on April 10, 2008 at 1:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it's time to start talking about Williams making a push to be an All-SEC caliber defensive tackle as opposed to the obsession over his weight. I understand the need to keep the weight off to help with conditioning but it's not as if these guys are going to be making plays 20 yards down the field that often. You also don't see Chavis throwing out that many zone blitzes where one of the DT's are asked to drop into coverage. To the best of my recollection, Mahelona played at around 295 lbs and Harrell was north of 310 and they both turned out OK. Not sure I am following the reasoning to stay small up front, especially given the way Tebow and others have steamrolled us right up the middle lately.

Posted by orangebloodgmc on April 10, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I forget how tall Williams is, but for comparison, LSU' Glenn Dorsey who was all-american and could possibly go #1 in nfl draft was listed at 6-2, 303, for what its worth. Seems like Williams is similar proportions, but kinda like marc_ash said, come August, will it be real muscle weight or out-of-condition weight?

Posted by Bigger_Al on April 10, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Right on, Ashley. John Adams is Squidward.

Pencil Neck... check.
Geeky face... check.
Nasal-squeeky voice... check.
Bad attitude... check.

Posted by bigbluevol on April 10, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The other issue for weight with Rogan could largely be the fact that at 170 he wasn't as prepared to come up and support in the run game, hitting rb's and fb's that weigh 200+. Putting on the weight without losing speed is the key, that allows him to play press coverage and to take on bigger guys without getting swatted away or crumpled.

Posted by auttat on April 10, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If anybody wants to question Rogan gaining weight, just watch the replay of him getting BLOWN UP by the UF backup qb last year. I think it pretty much summed up that whole debacle. It was like the kids playing with the adults.

Not sure why CR is so concerned about articles on weight, other than he/she/it (couldn't resist sjt18) will find anything to complain about, because isn't spring all about new up-and-comers and how they are progressing? Part of that progression is putting on the Freshman 15. For most, that is attributable to beer. For these guys, its adding muscle in the weight room.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 1:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Nice try little auttat. Too bad I asking why we have all these articles on weight. It seems as if half of the spring practice info has been about weight. Not really my concern as I am not the one writing the article.

I am not really too concerned about Rogan's weight as long as he can cover someone and return kicks because if we are depending on him to stop Tebow and company from running the ball (other than keeping the runner in front of him i the open field) than we'll likely have a repeat of last year.

Posted by volguy40 on April 10, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

savage......Man...if i could get ahold of him...I would in a heartbeat...nothing like Neyland on a fall saturday.....Ill have to look into it and see if I know anyone that can get to him...lol

Posted by sjt18 on April 10, 2008 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I know I'm in the minority but I don't like Chavis' philosophy on DT's. I think those guys need to be 300+ and nasty meat eaters.

Williams weight doesn't seem to be hurting his performance this spring. Maybe his inability to get down to the 285 or so that Chavis wants was what made him the most effective DT UT had last year?

I think he's listed at 6'3" but the guy who writes for the Chattanooga paper said he's not that tall.

If he's 15 lbs heavy, that's very manageable.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

orangebloodgmc ,Williams is 6'3...

The top 5 DT's going into the 08 draft:

1.Glenn Dorsey 6'3 305lbs (LSU)
2.Sedrick Ellis 6'1 285lbs(USC)...But benches 510lbs
3.Frank Okam 6'5 320lbs(Texas)
4.Kentwan Balmer 6'5 300lbs(North Carolina)
5.Andre Fluellen 6'2 296(FSU)...Benched 225lbs 28 times
Common theme?Either their right at 300 or bigger,extremely strong, or a combination of the 2 like Dorsey.
invisiblekid ,I don't get it either.Bolden is listed today at 294lbs.The exact weight he was the day he commited.??????

Posted by volguy40 on April 10, 2008 at 2:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

DT QUALIFICATIONS FOR UT.....Big...(6'3 -6'6....275-315lbs....) Strong...Quick...and most importantly...NASTY....(ie...their momma is carrying the ball and you knock her girdle around mean.....the mere mention of Florida...or Alabama...and you start foaming mean.....We just need to be NASTY.....PERIOD

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 2:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Boy and girls, this is what a real DT looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4cXZG...

Man, I got chill bumps!Come on demonte get mean.

Posted by bigbluevol on April 10, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There was an article in the Chattanooga paper awhile ago that talked about Bolden and how he had a hard time keeping the weight on. He's not the only one on the team that seems to have that problem.

Posted by auttat on April 10, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, UT football isn't relevant so the articles aren't relevant. Quit reading them.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

auttat, running out of material already, LOL. I'll do whatever I want. Thanks.

Posted by TurboFan on April 10, 2008 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Weight is frosting on the cake (mmmm, frosssting). The cake is a double layer of technique and tactics sitting on a plate of aggressiveness.

Posted by TommyJack on April 10, 2008 at 2:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

bigbluevol: They need to talk to CPF.

Posted by bigbluevol on April 10, 2008 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

That is poetic and hunger inspiring, WD

Posted by bigbluevol on April 10, 2008 at 2:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Vicious, TJ. Funny but vicious.

Posted by 99gator on April 10, 2008 at 3:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

good to see you all are back to normal.

i don't know what got you refocused....but, there are no IQ tests or anything else today.

today, all of you are talking about florida and tebow going down, who's starting at cb, who will be on the d-line.

no one has said anything about fritters, but other than that.....the board is back to normal

Posted by sjt18 on April 10, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

99gator, wait a few days... there'll be another.

I'm not sure it has anything to do with anything other than conflicting styles, attitudes, and opinions.

Posted by BOASoldier on April 10, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

mmmm apple fritters with frosting on top of cakes

Posted by invisiblekid on April 10, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Savage O, thanks for the list and I'll bet you one thing, none of those DT's will be smaller after their first season in the NFL. I dug up an old story that had a section about Bolden complaining about playing at 279lbs:
_______________________________________
Small Man Syndrome: At 6-foot-6, defensive tackle Demonte' Bolden drew some strange looks when he described himself as "small" during media interviews following Wednesday's practice.

But at 279 pounds, he actually is lighter than most of the offensive linemen he'll face in college football. Bolden came to UT weighing 320 pounds. He said he'd like to weigh 295, but can't keep weight on during football season.

"Somehow, someway or another, I always lose weight," Bolden said.

With mass not often in his favor, Bolden is relying on some other attributes.

"If I work on quickness," he said, "I can get a little edge on them. If I get off the ball hard, I don't care how big you are. As long as I push you back, I got my job done."

So how come Bolden weighed more before arriving at UT?

"In high school," Bolden said flatly, "I didn't do nothing."
_________________________________________

Here is the link to the whole story:

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2007/o...

My opinion is that any quickness or stamina advantage Bolden and the other DT's may have at a lighter weight is going to be offset by having to push against an offensive lineman that outweighs them by 20-40 lbs over the course of a game.

Posted by invisiblekid on April 10, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

BTW, I'll skip the cake and do my weight training with delicious barley and hops.

Posted by tigervol9802 on April 10, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As much as I want to get excited about the secondary, I can't only because our D-line looks like it may be even worse.

I don't care how good they are, if teams are able to run the ball at will on us and QBs have all day to stand back in the pocket, a great secondary becomes less and less effective.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 5:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

invisiblekid ,Thanks I didn't remember that story from last yr.I can understand how you can drop fat weight during spring,summer,or during the season, but their is one thing you shouldn't lose,muscle mass.That is if you're working out properly.These guys have conditioning trainers ,weight trainers,nutritionist etc...There has to be some way to get him bigger, and to keep it on.

I don't remember what game it was last yr, but one team we played averaged like 315lbs across the line.The only team we handled last yr w/ a huge line was ARkansas, whos QB couldn't hit a wide open brontosaurus.

Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on April 10, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

DTs have a been a major recruiting need the last 3-4 years. We haven't filled them appropriately it seems. Meanwhile, Saban is stockpiling them at Bama. They already have a commitment from a 6'7" 325 lbs DT for next year.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 5:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WorkinLikeHeck ,You're right unfortunately.Not only that, but they have 7 DT's already in spring not including the 4 they signed last yr which avg 6'4 and 316lbs.They run a 3-4 so it's hard to determine whos a true tackle ,but they have atleast 9 guys they can use as one.

Posted by General_Watermelon on April 10, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Some of our bigger name DT's have been busts or 5 stars who have played like 3 stars - no names mentioned. You know who they are.

Posted by General_Watermelon on April 10, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

BOASoldier - you're speaking my language.

Eat more Fritters!

Posted by objk1 on April 10, 2008 at 6:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I looked for a blog page about Tennessee football and could not find an independent site.
So I created one at http://tennessee-volunteers.blogspot....
I have been a Vol fan since 1987 with Andy Kelly and Reggie Cobb, graduated from Knoxville Catholic High School(the old one) and love reading anything about the Vols check it out if you can.

Posted by invisiblekid on April 10, 2008 at 6:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Can I have a B and then buy an O General Sajak?

Savage O, no problem on the story. I'm guessing MS ST is the team you're thinking of that had the huge offensive line, they always seem to have huge offensive fronts.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 6:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ashley,He is also freakishly strong.He also weighs 9 pounds heavier than Bolden.Jesse Mahelona is only 6'0 ,but weighs 311lbs.Darwin Walker goes at 6'3 296.

The guys that have been great for UT at Boldens heighth played much heavier.

Haynesworth: 6'6 315
Henderson:6'7 325

Just an observation.

Posted by thesavageorange on April 10, 2008 at 6:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

General,Your onto something!Stuff Bolden full of Fritters.He'll be ue up to 320 in no time.And belive me, fritter weight doesn't come off so easy.

Posted by pdhuff on April 10, 2008 at 7:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

TJ 2:53 - Be careful and don't peak too early. I feel we'll need some witty repartee later on to keep our mind off certain facets of our beloved Volunteers. Dangerous talking about Vol d-linemen.

Then, maybe not...........

Posted by TurboFan on April 10, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Reggie White was 6-5 and played at around 300 lbs. Then again he was a pass rusher off the end, not in the middle. Giving up 10-15 lbs is not that much. Strength, technique and speed is why he won his battles on the field.

Posted by Colliervol on April 10, 2008 at 10:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

With all due respect WD, if Bolden is playing at 280, he'll be giving up 30 to 40 lbs in a lot of cases, not 10 to 15. I would much prefer that we had a couple of 300 lb space eaters (with attitudes like a rabid badger) in the middle. It's the one area of this team that I'm really worried about. Especially if anybody gets hurt.

Agree with workin' on this one. I don't know why all the "weight" articles either. I'm much more concerned with their conditioning and weight in August than I am in April. I'd much rather read about how the offense is adjusting to the new schemes and coaches. And especially how Crompton and Coleman are doing.

Posted by Go_Joe_Bruin on April 11, 2008 at 12:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Who do Vols hate more, Florida or Bama, and why?
I hate $UC (Southern Cal.), but to me, I just don't mention their name. Besides, most $UC fans are front runners, I've been a Bruin fan for 25 yrs.

Posted by orangebloodgmc on April 11, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Go_Joe_Bruin, some of us just aint got no use for Bama nor Florida, nor gamechickens coach Spurrier nor editor-wannabe Adams. It would take a dissertation to recount all the reasons why.

Posted by sjt18 on April 11, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I despise UF the most but I like Bama less with each Bama fan I run across.

It could be because UF has had alot more recent success against UT than Bama... and no, Saban probably won't be there long enough to change that.

Posted by objk1 on April 11, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Go_Joe_Bruin your question about Florida or Bama is an age question. I you are over thirty (like myself) then it is without a doubt Bama. Through the 70's, 80's and early 90's we went through a stretch where we won 3 out of 20 something games against Bama. Ouch!!

So if you are in my age group you hate Bama. If you are younger it is Florida. Most of that stems from the old ball coach. Fulmer could not beat Spurrior when he was at Florida. Nor Richt, Miles, or Saban. Ugh, thanks alot Joe_Bruin for bringing those memories back to the table.

Go Vols and check this out.
http://tennessee-volunteers.blogspot....

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