JOHNSON CITY — Tennessee’s off-campus training camp began Friday not on the campus of Milligan College, but at a mammoth high school that might pass for a small college.
Tennessee players are lodged at Milligan, but heavy rains forced the Vols to practice on the artificial surface of Steve Spurrier Field at Science Hill High School, about 15 minutes away.
Regardless of the location, UT coach Derek Dooley wasn’t pleased with his team’s effort.
“Part of the reason we came here was to change environments and get (players) out of their comfort zones, and we didn’t handle it very well,” Dooley said. “It was disappointing, but we have a scrimmage tomorrow and we’ll be ready to amp it up.”
Spurrier, South Carolina’s head football coach, played football, basketball and baseball at Science Hill.The high school has an enrollment of about 2,700 students, according to Greatschools.org. Milligan has about 1,200 students.
Dooley, prodded for a comment about practicing on a field named for a rival team’s coach, offered only that it was “nice that (Spurrier) gave back to his high school.”
* Dooley said team-building on the Milligan campus had been productive, but it failed to transfer to the practice field.
“When it is ball time, you have to be a baller,” he said. “You can’t come up here, hold hands and sing ‘Kumbaya’ the whole time. We have to go practice.”
* Freshman linebacker Kenny Bynum tweeted that he underwent successful surgery Friday. Bynum is out with a torn meniscus.
Freshman tailback Davante Bourque has been out with a neck injury that Dooley compared to “whiplash.” Dooley said Friday there was no update on his condition.
Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (shoulder) wore a non-contact jersey and even caught some punts with one arm.
“He was a little better today,” Dooley said. “He tried to go but wasn’t quite ready. We’ll see if we can play him a little bit in the scrimmage without contact.”
* Players are accustomed to well-appointed coaches when they go on the road, but the trip to Milligan was made in yellow school buses.
It helped hammer home the change in environment.
“A lot of the guy’s reactions were like the movie ‘Remember the Titans,’ ” said senior linebacker Herman Lathers. “They thought we were going somewhere like that. It was great for us to get together, and when we go back it will make us appreciate what we have in Knoxville. A lot of guys don’t have what we have.”
* Milligan isn’t all rustic. Several players tweeted about its beauty. At least two complimented the food, which is being prepared by Milligan staffers at the school cafeteria with input from Tennessee’s nutrition staff.
“It’s a little odd, but it’s still football,” said sophomore tight end Brendan Downs. “I’m trying to stay focused and look at it as another day coming to work.”
Evan Woodbery covers Tennessee football. Follow him at Twitter.com/TennesseeBeat.
Dan Proctor draws Tennessee Football…
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Comments » 25
USMC_1959 writes:
The team is gonna go up there to get acustomed to playing in front of a large crowd. Kinda like Vandy going to Bellbuckle a couple years ago!!
GreerVol22 writes:
Bad idea coach...surely there was a soccer field or something in K-town you could have used...to many distractions, to much bus time, weird food, bad weights etc. The only positive I see is getting some turf time in in hopes of simulating the GA Dome enough to matter.
AtopTheHill06 writes:
I don't care if they are practicing at cowboys stadium, they need to focus on getting better every session and not worry about where the practices are being held.
Got my tickets for the for the ncst game, section 231 row 1.
Oh yeah!
orangecountyvols writes:
Kid.............one of your biggest problems is you cannot spell very well.
What you really mean for your screen name...
instead of BodeaneVol.........is:
BodeaneTroll
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I"m tired of practices. Can we play now?
NYvolFan writes:
KNS still has no mention of LSU punting the Honey Badger...awesome reporting!
lemme_axya_this writes:
Lotta fond memories from my years in JC, I remember getting two free tickets to the Florida game in 1990 (I think). Dale Carter returned a kickoff for a TD in that thrashing of the Gators.
SevenT writes:
Steve Spurrier was from Tennessee and he left the state to play QB for Florida. That was a very smart decision.
Steve Sloan was an even better QB out of Tennessee around the same time. He refused to go to Tennesse and he went to Alabama. That was a very good decision also.
BMSvol writes:
is the scrimmage at science hill or milligan?
and is it open to the public?
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
Tim Couch from tucky played QB at UK, that was a stupid decision.
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
He's definitely laughing at Foley and that hot head Muskrat at FU..And BTW, we're all laughing at ewe and dc..UGTH & GBO!!
barefoot43 writes:
Neither one went to UT because of the offense UT ran-the single wing.
barefoot43 writes:
Excellent
barefoot43 writes:
I grew up being a Spurrier fan. I ate dinner with him on more than one occasion when I was young. He was a great athlete and had a great sense for any game he played. I followed his career in the NFL and while he coached at Duke and was still a fan until he went to Florida and started running his mouth too much. He lost a lot of my respect until I heard him say that he wished that he had a chance to coach UT. He loves Science Hill and Johnson City and is proud that he can say he is a Tennessean. Though he is Florida Gator through and through.
PHAT_VOL writes:
Stevie did journey from the majestic hills of east Tennessee to u.f. The name of the football field at u.f. is very creative its called, for those who dont know, florida field. Very creative.
But one of the more creative things at u.f. is their fight song. That goes something like this, lets see now its a hard one, go gators go gators go gators get up and go. Now thats creative. It must have took the music dept months to compose and wirte the music. Does it even have music?
GO VOLS !!!
VolFanInTheBoro (Inactive) writes:
who?
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
In Florida it's called panty/shields field..
lomas98 writes:
I hope those white stripes on the shoulder of the jersey are just for practice and not game uniforms.
laraccoon writes:
some of you might find this interesting http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/st...
BIVOLAR_BEARE writes:
That weasel would lie when the truth would fit better..He's never going to change and even a senile dying Al Davis tried to warn UT about Lane's lying and unethical practices..No surprise here.
bob.bigorange#605842 writes:
bodeane u just plain dumb you know that?
bob.bigorange#605842 writes:
oh I get it.................ur name is REALLY John Adams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a putz.
Rich_Is_Re-born writes:
Neyland Stadium (pronounced NEE-land) was first conceived in 1919. Colonel W.S. Shields, president of Knoxville's City National Bank and a University of Tennessee trustee, provided the initial capital to prepare and equip an athletic field. Thus, when the original stadium–the lower level of the current stadium's West Stands– was completed in March 1921, it was called Shields-Watkins Field in honor of the donor and his wife, Alice Watkins-Shields.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neylan...
VolGrad writes:
Circumstances good, bad or indifferent, these kids are eating this stuff up. And they'll be even more appreciative when they get back to campus.
Go Vols! Beat the Pack!! Don't look back!!!
VolFanInTheBoro (Inactive) writes:
who?
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