I imagine the a3 Celebrity Golf Tournament at Willow Creek on Friday bore no resemblance to the weekend's other big tournament, the U.S. Open.
But it was fun catching up with a bunch of ex-Tennessee athletes before the triple-bogey parade got underway.
Joey Kent loves family life in Nashville, where he has a radio gig on the side. Eric Westmoreland is an assistant football coach at Baylor School in Chattanooga.
Leonard Little is still decompressing from his NFL career, but said he might give coaching a shot one day.
Jason Allen is hoping to sustain his NFL career in Houston after being released by the Dolphins last November. And he watches any UT sports he can find on TV, including the Lady Vols' SEC softball championship.
And Eric Berry is making a name for himself in Kansas City - while staying connected to his UT roots.
"The biggest transition I had going to the NFL,'' Berry said, "was I'm used to having three or four roommates and then now I'm staying by myself.
"I'm used to seeing those guys every day. We worked out and ate and lived together. I was real homesick.''
Berry made the Pro Bowl as a rookie defensive back. Then he came back to Knoxville for UT's spring game and visited with another defensive back who has the tools to play in a Pro Bowl some day.
In November 2009 I wrote of Janzen Jackson that he had a choice to make. He could be the next James Banks or the next Eric Berry.
That choice is still up in the air.
Jackson, whose first two seasons at UT have been checkered by off-the-field issues, is currently trying to get his ducks back in a row to rejoin the team in the fall. Berry, who shared the secondary with Jackson in 2009, is among those encouraging him.
"I just told him to keep his head up and do whatever he has to do to get back on the field,'' Berry said. "This is a big opportunity for him.
"There are a lot of people who would really love to be in his shoes right now as far as playing football. The example I always use is Inky Johnson. I feel like he'd always do anything to get out there on the field again.''
Johnson's career at UT was cut short by a serious nerve injury in 2006. He and Berry are so tight Berry took on Johnson's No. 29 when he got to Kansas City.
"Here it is (Jackson) has all the talent in the world to do what he wants to do,'' Berry said, "and you've got somebody who wishes they had a little bit of the talent he has.
"You've got to take advantage of it while you can.''
Someone asked Berry if he thought the message sank in.
"I don't know,'' Berry said. "I just told him what I felt. I hope it did.''
Berry has plans to sew some of his NFL money back to good causes in Knoxville. He's already shared the wealth in his hometown of Fairburn, Ga.
With facilitation from a3, the Knoxville-based agency he signed with, the Eric Berry Foundation installed a turf field, the first of several planned enhancements for his old youth league park.
"That was one of the best moments of my life,'' he said, "seeing something I envisioned and they (a3) helped make it come true.''
Last Word: Kent, UT's all-time receptions leader (183), said he occasionally connects with his old quarterback, Peyton Manning.
"I texted Peyton after the birth of his kids (twins, born March 31),'' Kent said. "And I know he's had surgery.
"Peyton probably planned it, the lockout and having kids. He's so organized.''
Mike Strange may be reached at strangem@knoxnews.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/strangemike44 and http:blogs.knoxnews.com/strange.
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Comments » 4
rabidvol1998 writes:
"Peyton probably planned it, the lockout and having kids. He's so organized.''
Now that is funny ..... and probably true.
TheOpinion writes:
I don't want to start this trendy topic but am I the only one that found it interesting what EB said about Janzen? The entire time I've been under the impression that Janzen had some personal problems that were out of his hands and maybe even family issues. But the way EB makes it sound it seems like Janzen can control whatever the issue is. Maybe a drug addiction? Maybe depression? I'm not sure what it is but EB kept repeating how he told him that a lot of people would love this opportunity and he hopes the message sunk in. That sounds like someone trying to get another person on the right path not so much some one saying "man it's ok you can't do anything about it but its gonna be ok." So I'm a little curious what Janzen's real problem is....hmmmmm. If it's something he can fix with effort then he needs to get his butt in shape man up and do the darn thing. If its something he can't control then I hope it works out for him.
TheOpinion writes:
The Manning comment was funny. He probably did plan it out. haha
ncvol17 writes:
Kent was one fun WR to watch and cheer for...Too Bad EB did not have a better cast around him..kinda like Allan Houston was when he was here.EW always had his head on straight.Jackson is going down the same wormhole as Hubert Simpson, Tony Robinson, Chuck Webb, etc. Too flipping bad son,wasting talent & throwing out big $$$ to cement your future.
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