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Former University of Tennessee running back Reggie Cobb remembers two of his toughest years of football.

"Those two years were at Central High School with Joel Helton as our head coach," Cobb said.

"He was trying to run everybody off the team who wasn't committed to doing whatever it took to win. I'm really happy to see the success he's had over the years. He taught me more about mental toughness than any other coach I've ever played for."

When Cobb came out of Central, Tennessee was the last place he wanted to play his college football.

"I wanted to go some where away from home to play," he said. "But, I got hurt my senior year and a lot of teams pulled their offers. Ken Donahue (a former UT assistant) told me that he didn't want me to go to another SEC school and only get to play in front of my family and friends a couple of times during my college career.

"He told me that I wouldn't have any connections after my career was over. In the end, I chose Tennessee over Georgia and Arizona State."

Every player has a "break-out" game. For Cobb it was the very first game he played.

"It was the Kickoff Classic in New Jersey against Colorado. Coach (John) Majors had a lot of confidence in me. He threw me in that game and I ran for 138 yards. I ended up having a very productive redshirt freshman season."

Of all the games he played at UT, Cobb says the Peach Bowl of 1987 may be the one he remembers the most.

"I'm probably the only running back to ever play for Johnny Majors who fumbled 3 times in a game but never got yanked out," he said.

"We were playing Indiana and had a pretty good lead on them when I fumbled the first time. After two more fumbles we were in the huddle when Harry Galbreath (Offensive Lineman) came after me, and I mean came after me. (Wide receiver) Anthony Miller had to get between us in the huddle. Harry was a senior and I was a freshman. He was yelling because the seniors could be on the bench by now if it weren't for this (expletive) freshman. I ended up scoring another touchdown and we won the game so it all worked out."

What ended up not working out was the end of his UT career. Cobb was suspended indefinitely part way through his junior season for drug use.

"I think the good Lord allows things to happen to us to make us better people," he said. "That's part of what I had to go through to get where I am today. College is a time to grow up and learn how to be a man.

"It wasn't the end of the world, but it was a big deal when it happened. I just hated that I let my teammates and coaches down. Coach Majors and I are still friends today and we talk often."

Most of Cobb's talking is from the road. He is a scout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spends most of his time on the road looking at college athletes. It was two former UT teammates that helped him get where he is today.

"I was playing in a celebrity basketball tournament with Todd Kelly and Reggie McKenzie," Cobb said. "Both of them had interned in scouting. Todd said he didn't like the travel and wasn't interested, but he thought I would really like it. I didn't want to coach, but this was great. I started with Green Bay, then went to Washington and finally Tampa Bay. I've been with the Bucs for seven years now.

"I'm on the road about 10 to 12 days at a time, and home for two to three. This weekend I'm at Arizona-Stanford, then Louisiana to visit several schools there. I'll go from there to Grambling, home for a couple of days, then to Austin, Texas, to watch Arkansas-Texas.

"I have to know everything about the young men, not just as players but as people. I'm almost a private detective. I talk to coaches, people on campus, equipment managers ... whoever I have to to learn everything we need to know."

Cobb is watching his son to reach the age of making a college choice.

"He's a lot better athlete than I was at that age," Cobb said. "He plays running back for his school in Sugarland, Texas, but he's about to grow out of it.

"He's in eighth grade and is dominating in track. Last year he entered five events in the district track meet and won all five events. Right now he wants to play at Texas, but we'll get that out of him. He also likes Rice because he's a very good student. I'm going to stay out of his decision. I think it's the kid's decision as to where he'll spend the next four to five years of his life. It's not my choice to make, it's his."

Although Cobb can't comment on UT players because of his scouting position with the Bucs, he still cheers for the Vols every week.

"I was as sick as anybody there Monday night," Cobb said about the season-opening loss to UCLA in overtime last Monday. "I was down Tuesday. I know the players pretty well and they'll bounce back. I'm still orange through and through."

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

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.