KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee began its third week of spring practice on Tuesdayat Haslam Field, running through a nearly two-hour workout under sunny skies.
Having completed its first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, the Vols took a measured approach to Tuesday’s workout. Practicing in shells, UT slowed down to focus on the fundamental execution of winning football — an emphasis dubbed Technique Tuesday.
“Today we kind of took a step back in terms of focusing on the fundamentals with Technique Tuesday,” head coach Butch Jones said. “[Just] getting back to the blocking, the tackling and executing. Sometimes with a young football team you have to slow down and remember that the core and the base is all in your fundamentals, owning your fundamentals and understanding the ‘why.’ I thought it was a really productive day, one of the best most productive days we have had all spring.”
Tennessee is now approaching the midway point of the spring season, having completed seven of 15 scheduled workouts. The spring season concludes on April 22with the annual DISH Orange & White Game (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Admission and parking to the Orange & White Game are free to the public and a fan appreciation event will precede kickoff.
Continuing its spring schedule, the Vols will practice again on Thursday before moving to a closed session on Saturday.
Day Seven Quotables
Head coach Butch Jones
(On the team’s maturation through two weeks of spring ball)
“I think as a coach you always have to evolve. The great thing for me to see is how much the older players are coaching the younger players. Were talking about details, accountability and toughness and that is where they are holding each other accountable and that has been really great to see. I go into every position meeting room and the way they are coaching each other out here on the field — there is seriousness and maturation to it. Just like today we still have to continue to work towards being a physical football team. You do not have to be full pads to be a physical football team and you have to live that way every day. So we’re learning, but I think what I see is that the players understand the expectations and they believe in the team.”
Associate head coach/defensive line Brady Hoke
(On the style and technique he is aiming to instill in the defensive line)
“I think you are always real prideful about your position. We talk about the position and having pride and ownership. (Steve Stripling) and I have known each other a long time and we’ve probably stolen a lot of things from each other. There were some things — the terminology and some of the way I do things — that may be different, but there’s a lot of similarities also.”
Sophomore WR Tyler Byrd
(On transitioning from former wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni to current coach Kevin Beard)
“There are different ways of teaching it and different styles of teaching it. Like you said, we already had the tool belt that Coach Azzanni gave us and now (Coach Beard) is just adding more to our tool belt to give us more weapons to be a better athlete and be a better wide receiver.”
Sophomore LB Daniel Bituli
(On how the coaches have challenged him to be a leader)
“They definitely wanted me more vocal this year. It is hard coming in as a freshman trying to speak to the older guys while trying to learn all of these things. Going into my sophomore year I definitely want to take more of a leadership role and influencing my guys to make plays and for myself to make plays.”
-UT Athletics
