HOOVER, Ala. -- Tennessee head coach Butch Jones and three of his players arrived at the SEC Media Days on Wednesday morning after a plane trip that Jones described as like a “family vacation.”
As he prepared to face the media horde, offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James marveled at the progress his coach had made in a few months.
“I call him ‘super star,’” James said. “I feel like the whole world loves him.”
Jones is likely to get a more skeptical reception in Hoover, where former coach Derek Dooley said only a year ago that the rest of the league would no longer have the Vols to “kick around” anymore.
A year later, the skill position stars that accompanied Dooley are gone, and three linemen -- James, Antonio “Tiny” Richardon and Jacques Smith -- are here to represent Tennessee.
“I think that shows you our strength is the offensive and defensive line,” Richardson said.
Smith wore an orange blazer similar to the kind worn by former men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl -- “I like his style,” Smith said -- while the other players were dressed more conservatively. Jones sported an orange tie.
Jones said it was important to manage expectations today amidst the excitement surrounding his first year.
“We’re going to focus on the process and not worry about the end result,” he said. “If you do that, you’ll be happy with your body of work.”
In other news:
Jones said he was pleased with his group of veteran linemen, but with many departing after this season, “We need to take a gigantic step in the recruiting process.”
Richardson said the offseason workouts included a lot of running, including an infamous morning with 52 110-yard sprints. “I’ve never done anything like that in my life,” he said.
South Carolina star defensive Jadaveon Clowney praised Richardson as the best lineman he had faced in 2012. He also said Richardson holds more than any other lineman.
“That’s part of the game,” Richardson said.
James joked that Clowney had “never been to my side before” and he defended Richardson’s alleged holds.
“That’s our job. On every play there’s holding,” James said. “It’s just whether it gets called or not.”
Richardson, a junior, had no interesting in talking about his NFL future. “I’m worried about winning the SEC championship,” he said.
Richardson did say he was in the process of taking out an insurance policy, which many NFL prospects do.
Jones said James, who elected to return for his senior year rather than pursue the NFL draft, “has been a model of consistency.”
“He’s a great football player and an even better person,” Jones said. “He’s a great representative of Tennessee football and a great student as well.”
Follow a constant stream of updates on SEC Media Days on Evan Woodbery’s Twitter feed, or visit his blog.
Bruce Pearl through the years
Tennessee 82, Auburn 54
Tennessee 70, Missouri 75
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 21
tomatosoup writes:
WOW…for this only being July, who’d u thunk it? I admit that I was “hopefully” optimistic when UT announced the hiring of CBJ but man o’ man, he has simply impressed the heck out of me! Again, we haven’t had the opportunity to watch him coach one play to this point but what he has been allowed to do at this point in time has blown me away! I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that CBJ doesn’t say something stupid at media days like “the SEC isn’t going to be able to kick Tennessee around anymore”! I liked the way Coach Dooley sounded when he spoke and even liked the way he dressed (always professional) and even thought his wife was hot but when it came to his coaching….different story! I have a crazy feeling that looking back 10 years from now, Coach Jones is going to realize that what he was able to accomplish at Tennessee was truly amazing and will probably never be duplicated. I’m just hoping that after Coach Jones brings us back in the spotlight, he doesn’t jump ship to head for the NFL. Anyway, go Vols and it’s getting closer and closer to football time in Tennessee! Oh yeah, one question, has anyone seen Coach Jones wife and if so, is she hot? Think I’m going to google her right now and hopefully report back later. I’m out!
tomatosoup writes:
Ok my good Vol fans, ole’ Mater Soup did some savey internet searching and the results are in, CBJ’s wife (Barb) is pretty cute! Go Vols and Go Barb!
trubleoj#657755 writes:
There's one play I wish Tiny HAD held Clowney.......
BigBadVol writes:
If you watch that game Tiny dominated TheClown 90% of the plays. It's the 10% that kills you.
tomatosoup writes:
+1. Go Vooooools!
antonio14313 writes:
we're just 7 saturdays away!!!
GO VOLS!
t
johnlg00 writes:
Glad to see Jones realizes he needs to start rounding up some beef for this class SOON! I'm pretty sure whatever big guys they have on their charts are going to get the full-court press going forward. Let's hope Butch pulls in a boat-load of them.
underthehill writes:
Looking over the current list..it looks like 2 3* O linemen are the only big guys..
ReeseHallRelic writes:
Yep, I'll admit it. I thought Crappy CommodeDoor was the lousy oddsmaker that always spouted meaningless manufactured stats, but now it seems it is likely Jeffy Flowers, with a bizarre turn towards Vanderbilt. (Who the heck would ever take an anti-Tennessee angle by supporting.... Vanderbilt?)
No legit CommodeDoor would ever think to make a reference to Bowden Wyatt, Jeffy! That sort of worshipping-the-past idolatry (you know, Wyatt, Dickey, and St. Phillip) is the exclusive province of Jeffy Flowers, cranky old bast**d par excellence!
illinoisvolfan writes:
I had the same thoughts as you did, RHR. But his cute nicknames for people, along with his bashing of former Tennessee players/coaches reveals him to be none other than Richmond's second-rate, no-good p.o.s. brother.
Good to see you again, Jeffy. How's the lobotomy healing?
SewaneeVolFan writes:
Man, when a guy is a really good player like J. Jones, I surely love it when his coach says the guy's a better person than he is a player.
When a coach says a guy's a better person than he is a player, but the young man ISN'T a very good player, at least I know that he'll be a good citizen, heh heh.
JSmith525 writes:
Hey fill me in a little on this Vol-Want-to-Be. I see that he is listed as a 1990 member, but with no number. I was Overseas during those years serving in the Navy and I have no Clue as to who he is. I'll always remember Richmond. thanks in advance....
Munsterlander writes:
My my. Since joining the SEC in 1932 the Commodes' record is 133 wins versus 384 losses, for a .266 percentage. So I will cede that you definitely know something about perpetual slides. Reminded of the blind squirrel. And I love that guys have bought into the most ridiculous, non-sensical slogan of all time - Anchor Down. Go Vols! 79-23-5 all-time against the Commodes!
Olddogsrule writes:
illinoisvolfan-
It's the schizoid jeffy allright, he can't help but post the same things over and over even when he thinks he's 'crafty' by hiding behind the Vandy name. Not so crafty is he?
I call him ‘Eeyore’ since he's like all stuffed animals, especially SportsTrolls since... "They haven't got brains, any of them, only grey fluff that's blown into their heads by mistake, and they don't Think."
Craftless Jeffy: It's time now fer you to put yer orange jammies on what yer mommy so delicately embroiderd "Coach Philip" across the hinny, nappy time, and yes you can take yer stuffed Smokey Doggie wi' you. But no binkie! Yer too old fer that!
Olddogsrule writes:
Oh! and Eeyore-Craftless-Corny-Ghostie-Misspelled Speyer-Del-Schoffner- football wannabe ....
Don't forget to take yer meds!
sambad writes:
Well, he did come here as a head coach. You have your panties in a wad for a coach who was an assistant before the Commode Doors hired him. Enjoy the way the VOLS(NOT VOLES) rip the Commode Doors off this season and every season to come, for let's say the next 20 years.
sambad writes:
One other thing. Anchor Down is a totally stupid motto. It means your sitting still. We are going to be building, rising and moving. I'm glad Franklin approves of a sitting still motto. Just keep your anchor down like it has been for as long as I can remember.
Olddogsrule writes:
His brother Richmond "The Fastest White Boy Alive" was fantastic. Poor health as a kid, but wow! My junior and senior years in high school he was all the rage for local kids.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/classi...
Football and Track. A 1968 Olympic hurdler (tore hamstring just before the games). Worthy of being every kids sports hero. Even with the bad hamstring, he was drafted by Dallas in the 2nd round. So ... the VOLS gave his little brother Jeff a chance and he didn't do much. My season tickets then were up against the press box near the 50. I remember grinning when I saw another Flowers on the roster, but nothing came of my hopes for him. But hey, not many in sports history have ever done what Richmond Flowers did. And no one poor mouthed Jeff.
But Jeff, (I'm guessing now-I'm not a doc)internalized all this and has arrested development problems (post toddler level)and he's turned into this sad sports troll and is acting out, and acting out, and acting out, and acting out, and acting out... (whew!) ... and acting out, and acting out,.................... folks have tried to engage him in real conversation, you know ..but he just keeps on keepin' on .. acting out like a child. Gets banned and comes back with another name, has more than one screen name going at once, get banned and comes back.. ad nauseum. I fully expect someday he'll call me a turdy-poo and he's gonna tell Phil on me.
If he'd just be cordial and talk sports it'd be fine. But nooo! In virtually every post he has to demean, belittle, and ridicule, everyone and everything having to do with current UT sports.
OK .. I'm done. Don't feed the trolls.
Sure .... :(
gameofvols writes:
Anchor down Vols 52 Vander Losers 0. I went to a TN / Vandy game a few years ago and that was the score. If TN had not let up, it would have been worse. Do you want other scores from the last 20 yrs???
exlineman writes:
Brett, you have got these people thinking you are Jeff Flowers. They could easily figure out who you are, if they would just do a background searching on you. Your you tube as Brett Maverick and your many posts referring to the odds on games etc and your love for Fulmer and hatred for Dooley and his many names come out in all of your posts.
How long is Lisa going to keep you around, before she dumps you like Amy did and ran you off from your bartender status and table waiter. Brett, your son Ty---is ashamed of your life, no job always latching onto some gal with an income and a home. How is your yacht down there in St. Pete working out with Lisa making payments. Guess you will fool around and loose the yacht as well as Lisa. Get a life Brett and get on the big orange band wagon, as your son is already aboard.
SCVFL writes:
If it was your one winning season in your lifetime, would you not want to (anchor down) and stay frozen in that time as a winner?
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