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There wasn’t much for Eric Berry to complain about last fall.
His first contract turned him into a millionaire, national endorsement deals were starting to roll in and the Kansas City Chiefs were destined for the playoffs.
But there was still one nagging thought that occasionally popped into the mind of the former Tennessee superstar safety.
What if he was a senior in
college instead of a rookie in the NFL?
“Every time I come back to Knoxville, I think I miss it a little bit more,” Berry said during a break of the camp he hosted Friday at D1 Sports. “I missed it as soon as I left campus. Every time I come back, so many memories come back. My guys, my teammates, we always talk about everything that happened when I was here and just kind of reminisce about everything that’s been going on.
“I mean, the decision I made, I’m happy with it. But at the same time, I still have that thought in the back of my mind, like, ‘What if I would have stayed and played my last year?’ That always runs through the back of my mind . . . I loved playing for the University of Tennessee and I love playing for the Chiefs, so it was a win-win situation. But at the same time, it’s kind of bittersweet.”
Certainly the Vols would have benefitted from having the All-American back for one more season as it went through another coaching change last fall, though Berry would have been risking his status as a No. 5 pick in the draft and everything that comes with it had he stuck around with the Vols.
Berry was always aware of that fact as the questions about foregoing his final year of eligibility started in 2009, but even then it was clear the decision wasn’t easy for a player who had followed UT practically since birth and never put his own interests in front of the program.
Some sort of validation came for Berry when Lane Kiffin and most of his staff bolted for Southern California shortly after he decided to go pro, though in hindsight that stunning move might also have factored into those wandering thoughts last fall, given the help Berry could have provided in the transition.
“The thing is, I was just kind of really upset about what happened,” Berry said. “If I was here, I would have been crushed if that would have happened and I had decided to stay just to play with those guys and bought into the program and they just up and left. At the same time, it is what it is and you can’t really do anything about that.
“That’s how I would have felt, and I felt it for my teammates that were going through it because I don’t think anybody can really understand what a coaching change does to a program unless they actually go through it.”
The Vols don’t have that problem now with Derek Dooley preparing for his second season in charge, though the bond between the players who went through the ups and downs is still clear when Berry touches down in Knoxville.
Former teammates Nick Reveiz and Savion Frazier were among those helping run the camp, and Berry also had support from current defensive back Prentiss Waggner throughout the afternoon. In return, Berry still is trying to give back to Knoxville and UT as much as he can — particularly since he couldn’t offer one more season at safety.
“I think the biggest thing I noticed about that Tennessee team (last season) is that they fought,” Berry said. “Whether it was, LSU, North Carolina, whoever it was, they fought to the end of the game.
“They probably weren’t on the same page for a lot of things, but that’s going to come with time, and those guys have heart, they’ve got good work ethic, and that’s all you can ask for out of a team. As long as they keep
fighting and keep buying into the program, I think everything will be OK.”
Austin Ward covers Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274. Follow him at http://twitter.com/Vols_Beat and http://blogs.knoxnews.com/ward.
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Comments » 28
Smooth_as_Eggs writes:
Still talented. Still classy. Need more like him.
thetrollhunter writes:
LOL Tebow fell on top of Berry after Eric Berry rocked him in the face.
You could see Tebow cry when he got back up! What a baby! HAHAHAHAHAH
winVol writes:
now little timmy is where the men play and eric will rock his world now,that is if little timmy can make it playing with the men
LJS1984 writes:
Every time I come to Knoxville I miss it a little bit more. If only I would have stretched that Bachelors degree from 5 and half years to 7 or 8.
headforTheHill writes:
Berry laid the wood to Tebow. If not for that 300 lb. lineman following Tebow, he would have been knocked backwards 3 yards. Thats when he suffered his concussion. The next game was Kentucky and they say once you have the first concussion the others happen much easier. Berry was just a hammer playing with nails.
thetrollhunter writes:
That's because after everybody saw how he laid out Timantha, nobody was gonna go anywhere NEAR Eric Berry!
Sorry you lose :] HAHAHAH
thetrollhunter writes:
^ this
MtJ_Orange writes:
Hmmm. I wonder if Dennis Rogan wishes he would have stayed for his senior year. I think there are still some of Kevin Prince's teeth in the endzone.
VOLliven2it writes:
Hey Man, we miss you but wish you the best. And know you are always welcome back on Rocky Top!
wigmeister writes:
Great player, great person. We miss you also. All the best for the future!
SouthDakotaBob writes:
Don't know who really won on that hit but Tebow knew where EB was after that www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-zIUJpGaKs
SouthDakotaBob writes:
My favorite Tebow moment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWij0B...
allvol32 writes:
Hey trolls - the very fact that you dandies want to come on this site and say something trite about Eric Berry who has more class than you guys could ever dream about tells the rest of us all we will ever need to know about you small minded little pieces of shart.
Orange_Juiced writes:
EB made the right moves, had the right timing. He knew where to be and when to be there and followed his instincts. No one faulted him in foregoing his senior year because everyone knew it was a great read by EB. Rogan and Hopson...not so much. They either had an overinflated sense of worth, had bad advising, or both.
orangecountyvols writes:
AllVol32,
You are 100% correct. This is the way trolls like this Bodeane kid think............they turn on the computer, see anything at all about Tennessee.........and believe they are compelled to say something. Anything to be noticed, to sound "tough" when we clearly see the difference in class and maturity.........between themselves and athletes who hold their heads high......like
Eric Berry.
Bodeane and his fellow sickos.........once a troll, always a troll. Vols win out once again
everytime a troll stalks here.
Orange_Scooter writes:
Well said. It's funny how several of them have accused Vol fans of having no class, yet this is all you ever see out of them- insults and idiotic posts.
On topic: Hang tough Eric, wish you the best.
Go Vols!
Down_The_Field writes:
Tim Dweedo - 5yr $33 million
Eric Berry - 6yr $60 million the highest paid safty in NFL history
actually this ends the discussion mullet head.
thetrollhunter writes:
The fact that Florida Gators have to come on here to try and demean Eric Berry shows just how little class the Florida fans there have. Way to represent your university.
What a bunch of classless losers!
punkin writes:
You must have been watching Tebow from the rear.
Dalton writes:
I seem to remember that the big freaky corn fed mule went the other direction and laid still as if he had turned ino a female dog....twitching and drizzling bloodytinkle....even though he outweighed the missile that lit him up by 60 pounds...in any case Tiny Tim was no longer a Heisman candidate after that gelding!
windy writes:
Ugh,,pardon me, but you had better go back and take another look at that hit. It was Tebow that got smashed and I have the picture on my screen saver. Just another wish on you Flordia want to be fans. You can't see or tell the truth, just what you want it to be. God help you all, you need it. Tebow may have had a good hit, but Berry definately got the better of it him whole game.
tennrich1 writes:
Yeah, Tim said that was one of the hardest licks he every got...both hit pretty hard...it was a draw...actually Tebow had the momentum and Eric was playing off a block...good hard nose football....Eric one of the best to play to game....
OwensboroVol writes:
I think there will come a time when history and fans look at last years team with more respect that a lot of others. Eric was correct when he stated that they were fighters. They fought hard in every game against teams who had them outmanned. Early in the year our guys just wore out in the 3rd and 4th quarters. But they did just keep fighting regardless of the score. They should have all of the VFL's respect.
Wilhelm16 writes:
Do us a favor, Eric, and talk to your little brothers. You wouldn't want them to miss out on being Vols.
hueypilot writes:
Great player as was Tebow, both of whom have more class in their little fingers than this Bodeane twerp has in his whole body. Tebow, when asked who was the best player in the league cited EB. Berry's INT was amazing in that game and as for the Berry Tebow smash, pretty strong. The really big hit in that game occurred in the Florida end zone when that little scatback from St. Augustine (forget his name) got his jock strap rearranged by J Jackson.
Bigger question. Can people who go on opponents football sites regularly and stir the pot lay claim to actually having a life?
VolGrad writes:
I think you've taken a few too many blows to the head yourself if that is how you remember it.
Go Vols!!!
nepperso#220348 writes:
You know Tim Tebow and Eric Berry have a lot in common. Chiefly, they are both class acts... unlike many of the posters here.
Jetvol writes:
Watch a closeup of their collision and it was Tebow who took the brunt. If you watch a closeup you see Tebows neck compress while Berry is fully extended.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRIfhZ...
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