Former Tennessee star Tee Martin coming home

LEXINGTON, Ky. — You don't have to know Tennessee's football history to know what Volunteer fans think of Tee Martin. Just drive around Knoxville and even your GPS navigator knows.

Martin, the quarterback who led the Volunteers to a 13-0 record and a national championship in 1998, is now in his first year as the wide receivers coach at Kentucky. This Saturday, Martin will drive into Knoxville for the first time wearing a color other than orange.

If he wants, he can access Neyland Stadium from its south side by way of Tee Martin Drive.

Many of Knoxville's streets leading into Neyland Stadium bear names of Volunteer greats; Peyton Manning Pass and Phillip Fulmer Way, for example. Tee Martin Drive is a one-block stretch of access road to stadium parking.

Martin is still a beloved figure in Knoxville, and he said he's been greeted warmly and with open arms each time he's been back since he graduated in 1999. But he's never gone back in blue.

"The thing that you were engrained at Tennessee: You got to beat Florida, you got to beat Alabama, you got to beat Kentucky," Martin said. "That was pretty much how we were raised in that program."

The Wildcats haven't beaten Tennessee since 1984 - 25 straight losses, which is the longest active losing streak between opponents in the Football Championship Subdivision.

If Kentucky (6-5, 2-5) can snap the streak, it will put itself in position for a better bowl game, something that head coach Joker Phillips said is first and foremost in the team's mind instead of breaking a streak that extends over a quarter of a century. The Volunteers (5-6, 2-5) must win their regular-season finale to earn bowl eligibility.

Over the streak, Tennessee has outscored Kentucky by 517 points. The Wildcats have used that number as motivation this week, wearing it on T-shirts and posting it above the door leading outside to the practice fields. Martin said it was weird seeing the number at first, knowing he was partially responsible. In his four years at Tennessee (he spent his first two years as backup to Peyton Manning), the Volunteers outscored Kentucky 230-83.

"It is weird being responsible for some of those numbers on the shirts, and I'm not going to say anything wrong," Martin said. "But it's weird but at the same time. It's the facts. I can't speak on it much. That's what it is. Our job is to go out there and stop it so they have some numbers on their shirts."

Martin's legacy as a Volunteer isn't totally forgotten at Kentucky. Freshman tight end Tyler Robinson grew up in Friendsville, Tenn., which is included in the Knoxville metropolitan area. During his youth, Robinson said he was a die-hard Volunteer fan.

His favorite player?

"Oh, Tee Martin. I was his biggest fan," Robinson said. "I watched him every single game. He and Peerless Price were my two favorite players. Now that I'm older, it's different but I still have a little bit of kid in me. It's Tee Martin. That's pretty cool."

Martin said his emotions are bouncing around in the week leading up to his return to Knoxville. He asked offensive coordinator Randy Sanders - Martin's offensive coordinator in his senior season at Tennessee - what the return is like. Sanders' advice, Martin said: "You may not be able to control the emotions before the game but after the ball kicks off, you'll forget all about it."

Reminders of Martin's four years on Tennessee's campus will pop up everywhere, he said. Orange shirts. "Rocky Top." Walks through familiar stadium corridors.

Even signals on the GPS.

"It's going to be strange until the ball gets kicked off," Martin said. "I can't explain what it's going to feel like when I pull up to the stadium because I just don't know. But we're prepared to go out and do the best we can."