Author Archives: Joel Hollingsworth

Worth watching 6.29.18: Ward tribute highlights

 

Worth doing 6.29.18: Follow Josh Ward

If you do only one thing as a Vols fan today . . .

. . . follow friend of the blog Josh Ward from his old podcast digs at SEC Country (which is shutting down) to his new Rocky Talk Podcast feed at SoundCloud.

Josh is really good at what he does, and his podcasts are conveniently bite-sized yet information-packed news bits about the Vols without the downsides of radio (excessive ads, lack of ability to time-shift the content to a schedule that works for you, etc.) Plus, he’s just a good guy. So do him a favor and be sure to migrate over to his new Rocky Talk Podcast feed with him.

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. 10 Questions for 2018: Special Teams
  2. Vols Get Big Puzzle Piece With Commitment from QB Brian Maurer
  3. Josh Smith reveals that Jauan Jennings’ miracle catch vs. Georgia was supposed to go to Jason Croom, via Saturday Down South. Jennings apparently went rogue here, too, but with better results than the time he did it on Instagram.
  4. Only 28% of Vols roster has more than one start; UT by the numbers, via Vince Ferrara at WNML. Great compilation of games/starts information about this year’s team from Vince.
  5. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee RB Princeton Fant, via 247Sports
  6. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee DB Maleik Gray, via 247Sports
  7. CFB analyst Mike Detillier weighs in on Tennessee QB Keller Chryst, calls him a ‘dink-and-dunk guy’, via Saturday Down South
  8. CFB analyst Mike Detillier calls Jarrett Guarantano ‘erratic,’ but says he has potential, via Saturday Down South. So apparently, Detillier thinks our choices this fall are limited to “dink-and-dunk” or “erratic.”
  9. Teams with the most commits at The Opening 2018, via 247Sports
  10. With more responsibility, Vols want more aggression from Jordan Bowden, via 247Sports
  11. The best (and worst) college football TV intro theme songs, via SB Nation. I haven’t actually made it all the way through this piece, but it looks promising.

Behind the paywalls

  • Advice from Peyton Manning in hand, Brian Maurer decides to become a Vol, via The Athletic
  • Bowden using offseason to build towards more success, via VolQuest
  • DT Jared Harrison-Hunte says Vols ‘in my mind’ after camp, offer, via 247Sports
  • Tennessee visit leaves four-star CB Jaydon Hill with ‘hard decision’, via 247Sports

Worth reading 6.27.18: Vols’ talent

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Jimmy Hyams:

Which UT position has the most talent, depth

Part discussion of the talent vs. development debate, and part unit rankings, Hyams concludes that the linebacking corps is the most talented and deepest unit for the Vols headed into 2018. Read the whole thing.

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Tennessee targets, storylines at the Rivals 5-star Challenge, via VolQuest
  2. Jeremy Pruitt relieves two doctors with long record of serving Vols football of duties, via Gridiron Now. There’s some talk of concern about this, but we really can’t know the reason for this at this time. If it’s for more lax standards relating to player safety, then it’s bad. But it may just be the natural phenomenon of long-tenured employees not keeping up with the times, either. We don’t know.
  3. Tennessee QB target announcing Wednesday morning, via 247Sports. Crystal Ball is looking favorable for the Vols.
  4. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee lineman Eric Crosby, via 247Sports
  5. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee RB Trey Coleman, via 247Sports
  6. 2 Deep Class Breakdown, via Phil Steele. Tennessee’s tied for 84th.
  7.  Former Vols WR CJ Fayton happy to return as VFL director, via 247Sports
  8. Top five opposing offensive lines on 2018 schedule, via 247Sports
  9. Tennessee national championship team still united 20 years later, via KnoxNews
  10. Rick Barnes says Tennessee Vols season was good last year, but this year can be better, via KnoxNews

 

Worth watching 6.26.18

More John Ward, and yes, it’s audio, but with John, it was always “watching,” even using only our ears:


Great tribute to John, after his final broadcast:


Grant Williams can apparently do it all:

Worth reading 6.26.18

Live, from the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, without my favored schedule or equipment!

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Will:

10 Questions for 2018: Defensive Line Depth

Other Vols stuff worth reading

  1. Tennessee led nation in missed starts two straight years, via the Times Free Press. The Vols presumed starters missed a combined 58 games in 2017. Only Ball State was close, with 57. Next was Florida, with 49. Woo.
  2. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee DL Matthew Butler, via 247Sports
  3. Second-Year Surge: Tennessee tight end LaTrell Bumphus, via 247Sports
  4. Tennessee Recruiting: Jalil Clemons Camps, Commits
  5. Tennessee Vols QB Jarrett Guarantano Manning Passing Academy ‘a dream come true’, via 247Sports
  6. Vols among favorites for Kansas RB Breece Hall, via 247Sports
  7. Vols offer massive 2022 OT prospect Kiyaunta Goodwin, via 247Sports. “Massive,” as in, “just finished middle school and is already 6’7″, 370 pounds.”
  8. Tennessee to Host John Ward Tribute Ceremony Wednesday – University of Tennessee, via UTSports
  9. Did a tape voiced by John Ward help Vols land Ernie Grunfeld?, via 247Sports
  10. Jeff Powell Sugar Bowl TD was John Ward’s top call, via 247Sports
  11. John Ward’s voice helped shape Vols basketball program, too, via 247Sports
  12. Voice of the Vols John Ward mixed professionalism, pranks, via 247Sports
  13. Betting odds for SEC teams to qualify for College Football Playoff, via Gridiron Now

Worth watching: Ward on 1998 Arkansas

I will never, ever tire of this, and Ward’s description of it just makes it all the more compulsory today:


There’s a speech from Ward after Chesney, for those of you who want to skip forward:


The coolest thing about this next video? Ward does that thing he does. At the end, when he shoots for the trash can, you know it’s coming, but he makes you wait. Is he not going to say it? Surely, he’s going to say it. And only then, “Bottom!” It’s this that made me realize that that might be the most magical thing about his voice synched with all those memories all those years.


Bob, talking about Ward.

Worth reading 6.22.18: Newcomers

If you read only one thing about the Vols today . . .

. . . make it this, from Patrick Brown at 247Sports:

Expectations for each Tennessee newcomer in 2018, Part II

Other Vols stuff worth reading today

  1. Jeremy Pruitt remains optimistic regarding Vols’ Trey Smith. via 247Sports
  2. Vols’ Jeremy Pruitt: Individual recruiting prowess ‘overrated’, via 247Sports
  3. Tennessee 2018 FPI – Volunteers, via ESPN. ESPN’s FPI projects every Tennessee game this season. Only five are over 50%, although two more are right around 40%.
  4. Jeremy Pruitt shares toughest part working for Nick Saban, thoughts on Mack Wilson, via 247Sports
  5. Tennessee Vols football’s 2018 opponents at a glance: Georgia Bulldogs, via 247Sports
  6. Everyone has a John Ward story because John Ward reached everyone, via Gridiron Now
  7. For generations of Tennessee fans, John Ward brought Vols sports to life, via Saturday Down South
  8. Paul Finebaum recalls fond story about John Ward, via 247Sports
  9. John Ward photo gallery, via UTSports

Behind the paywalls

  • Four-star LB Kane Patterson visits Vols again, approaching decision, via 247Sports
  • Offer, visit put Tennessee among favorites for Florida QB Brian Maurer, via 247Sports

Worth watching 6.21.18: John Ward’s best

“The national champion is clad . . . in Big Orange.”


10 greatest games:

Another compilation:

A tribute from the SEC:

100 Yards with John Ward

Also this: John Ward’s most iconic calls as the Voice of Tennessee Vols football, via 247Sports. A collection of YouTube videos compiling some of Ward’s best calls.