Tom Mattingly

• Mattingly: Vols learned to live on the edge in 1987 Published 11/14/2009 at 7:42 p.m. 3 Comments

  Tennessee quarterback Jeff Francis tosses a pass to fullback William Howard against Mississippi State in 1987, a 38-10 Vols' win in Starkville.

• Mattingly: Turnaround of 1967 a cause to celebrate Updated 11/08/2009 at 12:33 p.m. 7 Comments

  When Tennessee defeated Florida 34-32 on Dec. 1, 2001, in Gainesville, there was a tumultuous celebration, albeit hastily arranged, at Tom Black Track just after the team charter touched down at McGhee-Tyson Airport.

• Mattingly: Majors proved November axiom true Published 10/31/2009 at 9:41 p.m. 6 Comments

  With Nov. 1 showing up on the calendar today, let's think about one of the best-known famous phrases in all of college football, courtesy of John Majors.

• Mattingly: Fans fear Alabama hangover Published 10/24/2009 at 10:28 p.m. 1 Comment

  Over the years, the results of the Tennessee-Alabama game have not been in the rear view mirror very long until a new concern would crop up among skittish Vol fans.

• Mattingly: Neyland Stadium grass a canvas for Bob Campbell Published 10/17/2009 at 6:42 p.m. 10 Comments

  There is a cliche that talks about something being "as boring as watching grass grow." That old line is not necessarily true.

• Mattingly: Third Saturday in October shouldn't be silent Published 10/10/2009 at 8:31 p.m. 6 Comments

  Check the calendar. Pull out the game tickets and check them, too.

• Mattingly: UT-Georgia rivalry is a late bloomer Published 10/03/2009 at 8:29 p.m. 10 Comments

  It just took a proper introduction, maybe even a push from the SEC, to get Tennessee and Georgia back together on the football field.

• Mattingly: In memoriam: Ray Nettles Published 09/30/2009 at 7:18 a.m. 29 Comments

  As is usually the case, the statistics on Ray Nettles, the former Vol linebacker (1969-71) who died Sept. 29 in Jacksonville, Fla., don’t tell the whole story.

• Mattingly: 1958 season saw extreme lows Published 09/27/2009 at 4:18 p.m. 5 Comments

  No Vol fan woke up in a good humor 51 years ago today - Sept. 28, 1958. That day will long live in infamy in the history of Tennessee football. The Vols are likely to be in the record books ...

• Mattingly: 1989 Vols were resourceful champions Published 09/19/2009 at 10:46 p.m. 5 Comments

  The 1989 Tennessee football season, that ended up 11-1 and included a 31-27 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, was quite a treat for Vol fans, given the Vols had compiled a 5-6 record a year before.

• Kephart novel published 80 years later Published 11/08/2009 at midnight

  Horace Kephart (1862-1931), best known as the Smoky Mountains author, outdoorsman and conservationist recently highlighted in the Ken Burns documentary on America's national parks, knew he had a novel somewhere in him, but it took a while for it to ...

• Remembering "Brother Bob" Published 11/06/2009 at 6:25 a.m.

  It’s really hard to explain, but I really liked and admired “Brother Bob” Bevington, the Knoxville minister who died Wednesday, Nov. 4.

• Remembering Mary Gwyn Shafer Published 10/23/2009 at 1:23 p.m.

  When news of Mary Gwyn Shafer’s passing reached members of the Kiwanis Club of Northside Knoxville this past Wednesday, someone opined that services might have to be held at the Civic Coliseum, maybe even Neyland Stadium.

• The Vol Historian: Some comments from the other side Published 10/12/2009 at 3:35 p.m. 34 Comments

  There was a great deal of vitriol on the Georgia chatboards, including some unbelievable whining from one writer, who wasn't impressed by Tennessee's performance, choosing instead to focus on the Bulldogs' inadequacies, perceived or actual.

• Vol fan reveals program from inside Published 08/23/2009 at midnight 4 Comments

  Clay Travis was living a dream, immersed in the sights and sounds of the University of Tennessee football program. He found himself sitting in the Vol locker room at the Rose Bowl just before the Tennessee-UCLA game Sept. 1, 2008.

• UT Press book explores Delta Published 08/16/2009 at midnight

  This is a story about the important concepts of "place" and "home" in the Mississippi Delta region, from Memphis to Vicksburg along U.S. 61, from Clarksdale to Jackson along U.S. 49, and all points in between. The work stands as ...

• TSWA Hall of Fame: Ed Harris had nose for news Updated 07/07/2009 at 10:43 p.m.

  His real name was Edward Morgan Harris, but to the people who worked with and knew him, he was simply "Ed."

• Mattingly: Father-son story a shocking tragedy Updated 05/23/2009 at 9:56 p.m. 15 Comments

  These father-son duos at Tennessee are often iffy deals. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they don't. There are success stories. You could think about Steve DeLong and son Keith or James Berry and son Eric, maybe even Al Rotella and sons ...

• Mattingly: Kerin's influence came through loudly Updated 05/16/2009 at 7:06 p.m. 19 Comments

  There is respect, and then there's respect. "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," as Aretha Franklin sang so many times over the years. Here's a wonderful example.

• Mattingly: No question, Vols history has answers Updated 05/09/2009 at 8:56 p.m. 14 Comments

  In this business, people are always asking intriguing questions, whether it's on the street, in restaurants, via E-mail, or on the telephone. There's never really a dull moment.

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