Not my words here but a light was turned on in my mind today. Read through this and you too will have a new respect for these young men. Over the last five seasons, the Vols are 27-34. They have lost 28 SEC games. They lost to both Vanderbilt and Kentucky. All unforgettable. But here's the numbers that no one should forget when remembering the 2012 senior class. And that's the number 36. That's the number of coaches (37 if you count Kippy Brown) who have passed through Knoxville during the five years the seniors have been here. For four-year players that number is 27. There have been four defensive coordinators, four offensive line coaches, and five different defensive line coaches to go with three different head coaches and two interim head men. And that doesn't count the fact that this group has had five different strength coaches. It's an ugly side to college football that no athlete should have to endure. And that gets me to my point about the 13 seniors who will run through the "T" for the final time on Saturday. They should be applauded and respected by all Tennessee fans. They should be held in high regard by the Big Orange faithful because that's exactly what they did to the program in their time at Tennessee. Despite all these hardships and disappointments, none of those who will individually pass through the human corridor of the Pride of the Southland Band on Saturday has ever embarrassed the program. None has lashed out publicly at the hand he was dealt. None of them has made any negative news off the field. Although Lathers, who has also dealt with serious injury, did admit this week that there were times he just thought it wasn't worth what he and the seniors have had to endure. "I think everyone has those moments, especially when you have injuries and go through all the things that we have," Lathers said. "As a leader on this team, as a strong person as I have always been, I learned to fight through stuff and I learned to put those things in the back of my mind and just move on. Things happen. You just have to be a better man and rise up above it." Better men might be the best way to describe the Vol senior class, and rise up is what the Vol faithful who are in attendance on Saturday should do to say thank-you to a group who had to handle more life lessons in the game they love than anyone should have to try to overcome.
Very nice testimonial to these very special young men. I hope they get the respect and appreciation they deserve. Thanks, Tom.
Tom, I think the best way to describe this group of players and the challenges they have met, boil down to one factor. RESPECT, that's something that can never take away from them.