Ryan Johnson recalls Florida rivalry since he was a young child: It 'means everything'

[dduncan4163]

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/t...since-he-was-3-years-old-it-means-everything/

As a Brentwood, Tennessee native, OL Ryan Johnson grew up with a clear understanding of the Florida rivalry from the perspective of Vols Nation.


Even as a 3-year-old.


“When I was a kid, this is where I wanted to be,” he told reporters on Monday. “I wanted to be a Tennessee football player playing Florida at home. This means everything to me.”


I'm starting to think that Pruitt is the exact coach we needed to break the mental hold Florida has on us. I'm willing to bet for the first time in a long time we come out loose and aggressive. Pruitt will have us playing to win instead of playing not to loose.

I just have a gut feeling that Pruitt wants to make a statement to the fans Saturday

 

[supersmo18]

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/t...since-he-was-3-years-old-it-means-everything/

As a Brentwood, Tennessee native, OL Ryan Johnson grew up with a clear understanding of the Florida rivalry from the perspective of Vols Nation.


Even as a 3-year-old.


“When I was a kid, this is where I wanted to be,” he told reporters on Monday. “I wanted to be a Tennessee football player playing Florida at home. This means everything to me.”


I'm starting to think that Pruitt is the exact coach we needed to break the mental hold Florida has on us. I'm willing to bet for the first time in a long time we come out loose and aggressive. Pruitt will have us playing to win instead of playing not to loose.

I just have a gut feeling that Pruitt wants to make a statement to the fans Saturday

I hope your gut is right!

 

[dan4vols]

Playing not to lose rather than playing to win is one of if not the root cause for most of the losses. Going in afraid of losing rather than going in expecting to chew their tail.

 

[livefaith]

Whatever he does here, I hope CJP can somehow reverse our horrific performances against this team. I have never seen a team so snake bitten by another. This goes back 25 years!

Since 93, we are 5-20 against this team. 5 & 20!!! Outside of the 5 years from 08-12, we were equal or close in roster quality. So, we are still 5-15 against them when rosters are close in quality. That's horrible!

Think @ the on field horrors of 95', 96', 97', 99', 00', 02', 06', 07', 11', 13', 14', 15', 17'!!!!! I'm not saying we were better every one of these years. But what happened on the field is like a horror movie in football terms. Many of these years we absolutely should have won the games, but didn't. It's unbelievable.

Now, don't get me wrong. UF deserves the credit for getting it done when it actually matters. But, my Lord, 96, 97, 99, 00, 02, 06, 13, 14, 15, 17 ... how on Earth did we lose those? Many times in the latter years UF had actually out-sucked us.

We were clearly overmatched in 94, 05, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, & even 12, and lost em all. 13, 14, 15, 17 should have all been won vs terrible UF teams. We still lost.

Our only years of on field good fortune were 98', 03' & 16. Even in 01 we earned the win and dominated in some ways on both sides, yet had almost enough word blunders to blow it. Remember Jason Written? 03 and 16 we're our only two solid clear cut wins in the period.

We have never blown them out. Looked possible in 03 and 16, but UF kept even those respectable. They have humiliated us in 94, 95, 02, 07, 08,10,11, &12.

IMO, outside of no injuries, there is NO moral victory this Saturday other than WINNING. Coach Pruitt, if you can reverse our fortunes in this train wreck of a series, then I'll look past failure in a lot of other things.

 

[Matt2496]

Playing not to lose rather than playing to win is one of if not the root cause for most of the losses. Going in afraid of losing rather than going in expecting to chew their tail.

Pruitt seems more like the "chew your tail" type.

 

[RollerVol]

I member too...want to start some new memories...starting with this game...

GO VOLS!

 

[livefaith]

Playing not to lose rather than playing to win is one of if not the root cause for most of the losses. Going in afraid of losing rather than going in expecting to chew their tail.

It's one thing that I can't fault Jones for during his tenure, at least in 15,16, & 17. He went in to the game and threw in some wrinkles. Unfortunately, our game coaching & execution everywhere else were spotty. In 13' I place the Peterman disaster squarely on him. Worley came in relief and played like Montana, but it was too little too late. Had he started and played decent, we shoulda won. In 14' Jones definitely played not to lose, and we somehow found a way too anyway.

 

[photovol]

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/t...since-he-was-3-years-old-it-means-everything/

As a Brentwood, Tennessee native, OL Ryan Johnson grew up with a clear understanding of the Florida rivalry from the perspective of Vols Nation.


Even as a 3-year-old.


“When I was a kid, this is where I wanted to be,” he told reporters on Monday. “I wanted to be a Tennessee football player playing Florida at home. This means everything to me.”


I'm starting to think that Pruitt is the exact coach we needed to break the mental hold Florida has on us. I'm willing to bet for the first time in a long time we come out loose and aggressive. Pruitt will have us playing to win instead of playing not to loose.

I just have a gut feeling that Pruitt wants to make a statement to the fans


I hope what Pruitt wants and what he gets are one in the same, just sayin