Packer: Leaverton better for worst day

David Leaverton won't be watching Tennessee's game at UCLA Monday night. It's not because of the bad memories the former UT punter has from the last trip to the Rose Bowl for the Vols. It's because he'll be in Puerto Rico celebrating his first anniversary.

"My wife will not be interested in missing our anniversary dinner to find a TV Monday night," Leaverton said. "She's a little more important to me than Tennessee football, so we'll concentrate on dinner and not the game."

But emotions come running out when Leaverton talks about that 1997 game against the Bruins.

"It was the worst day of my life,'' he said. "That is the day that I let millions of people down, including my teammates."

The Vols had gone to the fourth quarter with a 27-6 lead when Leaverton's trials began.

"The first mistake wasn't really a mistake,'' he said. "We had 10 men on the field, so I turned to the official to call timeout. When I did, the snap went right through my hands for a safety.

"It was the second mistake that made me the man I am today. On the free kick I kicked it into the eighth row of the east stands. When I went to the sideline, my teammates and coaches gave me a talking to like I'd never gotten before. That's when I realized how big of a deal this game was.

"I had one more punt that game, which wasn't any better than the first one."

For Leaverton, it would be the last time he would touch the ball that season. Chris Hogue took over as the punter, and Leaverton took a seat on the bench.

"That game took every bit of confidence I had and threw it out the window,'' Leaverton said. "You have to remember that Peyton Manning had turned down the millions of the NFL to come back for his senior season and we were a top-five team. I almost single-handedly lost that game for us."

"I'm a man because of that game. I've learned to overcome adversity in life because of that UCLA game 11 years ago. I have to have a short memory in life. Things in the past can't get me down. That game taught me in life to "go for it," and shoot for big things. I now know how to pick myself back up and get back out there.

"You talk about two spectrums in life in 1997: I was the goat and then a benchwarmer. In 1998, I was a key contributor on a national championship team who made the biggest tackle of the year in the Fiesta Bowl. When we went to Syracuse to start the season, my first punt was a perfect spiral that turned over beautifully for me. At that moment I realized the UCLA game was in the past."

Now, don't think that Leaverton won't have the game on TIVO when he gets home later this week.

"I'm anxious to see what a full-time special teams coach can mean to a team,'' Leaverton said. "UCLA hired Frank Ganz Jr. He is the son of a guy that I played for in Jacksonville in the NFL. Ganz Jr. is sharp and knows his stuff."

"I think it is enormously important to have a full-time special teams coach on staff. When I got to the NFL, I realized how huge of an advantage that is. I think you have to win all three facets of the game: offense, defense and special teams. I'm interested in seeing how the special teams battle goes in this game."

Tennessee fans have cried for years that the Vols should have a special teams coach, but Leaverton understands why they don't. NCAA rules say that you can only have a certain number of coaches. Who are you going to get rid of? The special teams coach? It doesn't make a lot of sense to take a coach away from a position that gets 50 snaps in a game versus a part that may get 10.

"However, special teams are important and having a full-time special teams coach is huge,'' Leaverton said. "I'll say this, if UCLA's special teams coach makes a difference, it could change college football. The opportunity is there for Ganz Jr. So, it will be worth paying attention to in the game."

Special teams was a concern in two early games last year with punt return touchdowns by Cal and Florida. Leaverton is hoping that the Vols' special teams will be that Monday night.

"Yeah, it will bring back memories. But, 11 years later, I wouldn't change what I learned from that experience for anything in the world," he said.

Mark Packer hosts the Locker Room, presented by Parkwest Medical Center, on Sunday at 10 p.m. on MyVLT2.