Adams: On the line for Richard, teammates

Vladimir Richard is majoring in legal studies. But he surely has learned just as much about offense in his five years at the University of Tennessee.

And he has learned it from four different offensive coordinators.

You had the traditional UT offense that dated back to coach Johnny Majors. Next came the no-huddle offense that David Cutcliffe implemented in his encore performance as a UT coordinator. Then came whatever Dave Clawson was trying to do in his drive-by year as offensive coordinator. And now, you have the East Tennessee version of Southern California's pro-style offense under new coach Lane Kiffin.

Richard and the rest of UT's veteran offensive linemen can't just block, they have to block out. Learning a new offense is difficult enough without the remnants of three others getting in the way. It's a two-step drill: forget and remember.

And sometimes, it requires mixing and matching.

"In the spring, we would sometimes use a call from two years ago, so we would get the play right," Richard said. "Because we hadn't mastered the new coach's calls yet.

"There have been so many different calls. This year, we learn different calls every day."

Richard drove over to Saturday's scrimmage with freshman running back Bryce Brown. Along the way, they found common conversational ground in the new offense, and the stress that goes with it.

Veteran: "This is my fourth offensive system in four years."

Freshman: "Man, is it not stressful for you?"

"It's stressful if you let it be," Richard said. "I can't change it. I'm not the AD. I'm not a coach. So if someone leaves tomorrow, there's nothing I can do about it.

"It has been stressful at times going through a different offense every year. But I had to get past that and move on."

He is moving on with a mission. Last year's offense seemingly brought out the worst in everyone: an experienced line, inexperienced quarterbacks, receivers who couldn't get open, and running backs who couldn't get the ball nearly enough.

As one of four seniors in the offensive line, Richard knows he is working on a deadline.

"This is all we've got," he said. "This is our last go-round. We don't want to have any excuses why this season did not go well, because we're going to make it go well."

If you take that at face value, you haven't been paying attention. In the final years of the last UT regime, each preseason was distinguished by glowing projections for a supposedly promising offensive line. But even last year's line, which returned intact from 2007, couldn't rise above the quagmire that engulfed the entire offense in a 5-7 season.

If fans prefer to be optimistic, they can focus on the last two outings against Vanderbilt and Kentucky when UT asserted itself on the ground, and guys like Richard - who became a starter in the second half of the season - succeeded in knocking opponents off the ball. That line returns three other starters: center Josh McNeil, guard Jacques McClendon and tackle Chris Scott.

The spring and this preseason also have been encouraging for UT fans as long as they aren't holding grudges from last year's offensive fiasco. Despite having to adjust to a new offense, the line has functioned well at times, particularly in last Saturday's first preseason scrimmage.

"They (the offensive line) have gotten so much better," UT defensive end Chris Walker said. "(Offensive line coach James Cregg) has got those guys coming off the ball and being real technicians at their positions."

It's not just what the line has done on the field. It's also about the homework. And all the teachers.

Cregg is the lead guy on the offensive line, but offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has coached the position in college and the pros. There's also graduate assistant coach Mitch Browning, a veteran offensive coordinator and line coach.

"With all those coaches, there's no reason we should feel that in any game we aren't prepared," Richard said.

Their preparation isn't limited to the current coaches. It includes all the other coaching staffs and all the different systems they have committed to memory, then tried to forget.

They probably have experienced more change than any line in UT history. But now, with the help of a new coaching staff, perhaps they can make one more change.

Maybe they can change their legacy.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.