ForumsFor the Tennessee football program, Saturdays in Knoxville mean more than just a football game.
It means lining up and shaking hands with countless orange-clad fans on the Vol Walk into Neyland Stadium. It means reading General Neyland’s Maxims aloud in the locker room and tapping the wooden sign inscribed with the phrase, “I’ll give my all for Tennessee today.” It means the Pride of the Southland Marching Band lining up on the field in the time-honored T formation, and the Vols running out to the deafening roar of 100,000 Tennessee faithful.
Entering his first game as head coach of the Vols, Derek Dooley understands the importance of the gameday traditions. In fact, the entire team walked through all the traditions in a simulation last week.
When it comes to tradition, there is little margin for error.
“The first, biggest aspect of gameday is experiencing the Vol Walk,” Dooley said. “You’ve heard so much about it. You’ve seen it on TV, but I know that can never do it justice until you’re actually walking down that hill. I’m excited about that and of course, the first time running through the T. Those first two things, when you talk about traditions, there’s probably nothing better than those two.”
The traditions have become institutions at Neyland Stadium, though each had a starting point. Doug Dickey brought the checkerboard end zones and running through the T to Knoxville during his tenure as head coach. The Vol Walk will celebrate its 20th anniversary in October. Johnny Majors started the march into the stadium prior to the Alabama game in 1990.
Even before practicing the traditions with the team, Dooley has already jokingly voiced his primary concern of moving down a crowded Peyton Manning Pass during the Vol Walk and running through the T before kickoff with thousands watching.
Dooley’s game day advice for himself?
“Don’t trip.”
Some aspects of game day will seem familiar for Dooley.
As the son of legendary Georgia head coach Vince Dooley, he grew up knowing the words of “Rocky Top” by heart. At the time, however, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
“I’d heard it so much, going against Tennessee,” Derek Dooley said. “Every time they scored, we had to listen to it. That wasn’t fun, but I never knew that all the while, it was preparing me for this job at Tennessee.”
Ultimately, Dooley wants to contribute to one of the greatest Tennessee football traditions of all: winning.
If the Vols are reaching the end zone on Saturdays, the band will be playing ‘Rocky Top’ early and often. And the Vols hope to keep those trumpets and tubas busy in 2010.
“I hope they’re playing ‘Rocky Top’ a lot, because that means it’s good news for Tennessee,” Dooley said. “That’s always what makes that song special.”
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