Giles 'going to stay a Vol' although depressed by boos

Jarvis Giles isn’t letting a disappointing loss to Florida or some Neyland Stadium boo birds alter his conviction.

“Win or loss, it didn’t really matter because I know I’m going to be a Vol,” said Giles, who committed to Tennessee in June. “I committed. I’m going to stay a Vol.”

Giles said he heard the questions about his commitment even before Saturday’s 30-6 loss to the Gators. People would ask him if he would waver if the Vols lost to Florida?

“Nah, once I committed, I’m going to keep my word,” the 6-foot, 185-pound tailback from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla., would say in response.

The boos weren’t as easy to deal with as the loss. As Giles and UT quarterback commitment Josh Nunes sat together, they both grew concerned about fan reaction to UT’s offense.

“That kind of bothered both of us a little bit,” Giles said. “Why would your own fans boo you?

“I felt pretty depressed. I hope I don’t get any boos anytime soon.”

Giles’ positive attitude works well for the Vols. One of UT’s key commitments, Giles is one of the top 100 prospects in the nation and will enroll at UT in January.

Also, Giles isn’t just a prospect; he’s a recruiter. As he’s done for weeks, Giles was working Memphis receiver Marlon Brown all weekend.

“Me and him were kicking it,” Giles said. “I’m real cool with Marlon.”

Giles also had his sights set on Morgan Moses, the 6-7, 345-pound offensive lineman from Meadowbrook High in Richmond, Va. Moses is one of the elite offensive line prospects in the nation.

“He loves it,” Giles said of Moses. “I told him once you come up here, you won’t want to leave. He feels real comfortable with Tennessee. Hopefully he commits soon.

“That’s a must have. We have to get him.”

The eternal optimist, one could almost hear Giles smiling during a phone interview as he shared his recruiting efforts this weekend.

“Oh yeah,” Giles said. “I think I wooed a lot of them in.”