VOL FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY 2015

MEDIA DAY LIGHTENS THE MOOD IN CAMP

By Brian Rice
UTSports.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee football players spent the first 10 days of training camp clad in practice jerseys going through drills and against each other on the practice field.

Friday, the attire was the team’s new Nike game jerseys and the activities were as far from tackling dummies and blocking sleds as possible.

Neyland Stadium played host to Tennessee’s annual Media Day, which went far beyond the usual question-and-answer sessions. Players posed for photos, ran through the haze of a smoke machine and met local and national media for a preview of the 2015 season.

Before players began to make their way into the stadium, Butch Jones hinted that there would be a damper on the excitement.

“Just wanted to give you an update – we are going to take the team picture in our new sweat suits,” Jones said to open his press conference. “So those of you who came out to see the new Nike uniforms, you are going to have to wait.”

A bit of stunned silence encased the room.

“I’m just joking,” he continued, cracking a smile. “I know a lot of you came out to see the new Nike uniforms. I know our players are looking forward to it.”

Indeed, at that moment players were posing for group photos out on Shields-Watkins Field, most of them getting their first up-close look at the uniforms they will wear when Tennessee kicks off the season in Nashville.

After the team photo and various group photos by home state, or, in the case of sophomore tight end Jakob Johnson, country, the Vols broke out into groups to meet with print and television media. They also got to have a little fun.

A video shoot turned the Peyton Manning Locker Room into a disco, with strobe lights and music to take players out of their element.

“What else do you need?” linebacker Kenny Bynum said. “That’s a party.”

Members of the media weren’t the only ones with questions, the players turned the mic on each other. Sophomore Jalen Hurd wanted to know how many selfies Bynum took a week.

“I’m not much of a selfie taker,” Bynum said to a clearly disbelieving Hurd. “I might take half a selfie a week.”

Grabbing fellow sophomore Elliott Berry as he walked by, Hurd wanted to know theb answer to the same question.

“None,” he said. “I’m a linebacker. We’re tough, we don’t take selfies.”

Quarterback Joshua Dobbs put freshman Kahlil McKenzie on the hot seat about a touchdown celebration if he picked up a fumble and returned it 80 yards. The response was the best of the day.

“My celebration is to get to the oxygen tank as soon as possible,” McKenzie said. “Because me running 80 yards, I know I’m going to need it.”