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Butch Jones met with the media for a 17-minute session Sept. 2, 2015
(Opening Statement)
“Good to see everyone. They have asked me to make a couple of announcements. First of all, #CheckerNeyland will return next Saturday, so everyone can visit CHECKERNEYLAND.COM to see whether they will wear orange or white. That will be next Saturday. We had a question the other day about the Vol Walk. We will have a Vol Walk in Nashville. That will begin at12:45 CT between Lots D & J. We will walk through to greet all of Vol Nation, so we look forward to seeing everyone in Nashville.
“Pretty much, status quo. We had two very productive days of practice. Obviously, today is another big day. We have been challenged with the heat, which I think is very good. Some toughness can come of that. Obviously, taking care of our bodies is at a premium right now as game time starts to loom and get closer. I am a big numbers person, and I would be remiss if I did not talk about building our identity, and that is why it is Team 119. It is not Team 118. Every team is responsible for creating their own identity, and we are going through that right now. When you are a young football team, that is a challenge in and of itself, so you rely on your older players and really rely on the culture of your program. We just concluded doing our travel roster, and we are actually younger this year than we were last year. It’s exciting, but it’s also a challenge in and of itself.
“We anticipate, like I spoke about the other day, playing upwards of 22 to 23 true freshmen Saturday night. On the travel roster, we have 27 freshmen, and to me, there is a difference between first-year freshman and redshirt freshman. It is completely different from a maturity standpoint and everything we talk about. You can say that we have 27 freshmen making the trip, but only five are redshirt freshmen. 22 are true freshmen. 34 individuals have never represented Tennessee nor have taken a snap at the University of Tennessee. 56 individuals on the travel roster have one year or less of SEC football experience, and only 16 individuals played for Tennessee in 2013 that compromise the travel roster. Again, it’s exciting, and I think our younger players have done a good job of getting the culture, standard and expectations. They have done a great job. Our young players have done a very good job of embracing that.
“As we all know, when we start playing games for real, we will know a little bit of where we are at Saturday evening and into the next couple weeks as we continue to build the identity of Team 119.”
(On what to watch in final practices before Bowling Green)
“Well, the first thing you look for is their approach–the mental effort, mental intensity, investing in victory, preparing to win. [That is] not just on the practice field, but in the classrooms, the way they take care of their bodies, obviously, with our sleep coaches, doing the extra, being in the weight room. I like what I have seen so far. We have had two very productive practices. Today, we will be in helmets and vests. This really exposes the maturity of your football team because they aren’t walkthroughs. Still, it’s full speed and learning how to practice in helmets and vests, but I have been pleased so far with what I have seen.”
(On the defense’s preparation for Bowling Green’s tempo)
“We’ve been preparing against that with our offense for all of training camp. But again when you get to live game repetitions in a game with live blocking and tackling for four quarters of football, it’s a little bit of a difference. Where the challenges arise is you’re not going to be able to substitute personnel. So our players have to have a mindset of being able to play for an extended period of time with our style of play that we’ve come to expect and know the way we’re going to play football here. So there’s a lot that goes in to it, but we’ve practiced a lot against each other. We’ve done some different tempo periods in practice, but when you get in to the live games, the speed of the game takes a whole another speed upon itself. That’s where when you have a mature football team, you’re able to be able to be in the moment, so to speak, right away. [Bowling Green] scored 46% of the time starting a game, so they’re a fast starting football team, not only in the first half but the second half as well. Those are all things that we need to be ready to go right from the get-go.”
(On if backup QB Quinten Dormady will see game action during Saturday’sgame)
“I expect that could happen. Again, the nuances of a game are different. A lot of times they go according to plan. A lot of times they don’t go according to play. Quinten has had a very very good week of preparation. He understands the game plan. Obviously, he has a little bit of a different game plan that will play to his strengths. I’ve been very proud of his approach. He’s been very, very consistent. He’s continued to get better and better and better. So I do anticipate him playing, and I anticipate him playing throughout the course of the year.”
(On who will replace injured safety LaDarrell McNeil in the lineup on Saturday)
“We started off with that position being a strength in terms of depth, and what we found out in football terms is that depth can be diminished at any moment in time. We hope [Todd Kelly] can pick up some of the reps, Evan Berry can pick up some of the reps as well. So there’s some individuals that are going to need to step up. Max Arnold will get some quality repetitions as well. Again, it’s everyone understanding their role and embracing their role and being ready to go from the get-go.”
(On having 34 players who have never taken a snap for Tennessee making the trip to Nashville)
“The great thing is it’s in Nashville and it should be a great home-field advantage for us, a great crowd for us. That’s why selling the game out is critical and creating that home-field advantage. They’re going to learn right off the get-go of what it is to go on a road trip and a business trip. How you conduct yourself at the hotel, how do you get your mindset ready to play the best football game that you could possibly play? So there’s a lot that goes in to it. We probably spent more attention to our rooming list and which individuals are rooming with whom, just because that’s important that they learn how to take care of your mind and your body when you’re in a hotel room, and the things that you can do to play the game over in your mind but also escape it a little bit as well. So, it helps that we’re in Nashville, but we are treating it like a road game in terms of the way we travel.”
(On the consistency between coaches Willie Martinez and John Jancek)
“That’s invaluable. Coach Martinez and Coach Jancek have worked together for a very long time. They know each other, they know what each other’s thinking, so that’s been invaluable any time you’re having to move people around, and that’s all part of the game. We’ve done it before, they’ve done it before, and that’s really helped us.”
(On Quart’e Sapp working with the secondary)
“Just from a depth standpoint, we’ll continue to move him around, and that’s a tribute to his athleticism and his ability to learn. He’s doing a very good job at linebacker, but also we have to be prepared for anything. As we always know, you’re one snap away. It’s just adding to the preparation at that position.”
(On Malik Foreman at the nickel position)
“[It’s an] ongoing work-in-progress. There’s a little bit of a transition there, of playing in the slot and playing the nickel position. I’ve liked his approach. I like what he’s brought to the table in terms of practice etiquette and teach-ability. He’s dibbled and dabbled in that spot a little bit in the past. He has done a good job, but that will be ongoing. That will be a work-in-progress.”
(On Justin Martin’s last couple of practices)
“Justin’s continued to improve each and every day from a health standpoint. Justin’s very, very competitive, very, very eager. It’s just any time you miss the inordinate amount of practice or the amount of practice repetitions that Justin has missed, it sets you back. It sets you back from a conditioning standpoint. It sets you back obviously from a knowledge [standpoint], but [also] from a technique standpoint. Justin’s a very hard worker. It’s very, very important to him, and the strides that he’s made the last few days, you can really see them.”
(On Preston Williams’ joining the team)
“Pretty much the same as Justin Martin. Very, very eager. Very, very competitive. [They are] very prideful in their performance. [They] want to do well, want to compete. We have to be careful that we don’t give them everything. We have to make sure that they understand the gameplan. They have to understand their role, and you continue to bring them along. I’ve been very, very pleased with Preston. I like the way he’s attacked practice, just like Justin, as well.”
(On the ideal number of snaps for Preston Williams)
“The game dictates that. We don’t go in and say, `Hey, he’s going to have 15 snaps, 20 snaps.’ It’s basically a feel thing, how he’s doing. Basically, the situation of the game and also the health of your football team as well.”
(On the plan for the offensive line)
“I think you have to play multiple individuals. With the world that we live in, in college football and the physicality of playing in the SEC, everything is about depth, and competitive depth. It’s every individual understanding that you’re one snap away. You may not like where you’re at right now, but that’s why you keep your head down, and that’s why you keep grinding each and every day. That’s really where your mental toughness is born, is really doing the things that the teams needs to win, the team that needs you to win. You may not like it, but that’s mental toughness of doing those things. These players up front have worked very, very hard. I’m excited because we are creating that competitive depth, and we are one snap away.
“It’s not just the offensive line, it’s all nine positions. You never know. We just spoke about the safety position. Who would’ve thought, going into Game One, we would be in this situation? That’s why football is life, just sped up a lot faster. It’s all made up of sudden change and how you react to sudden change. All of our players have done a very good job of really working exceptionally hard in getting themselves ready to play.”
(On Matt Johnson, Bowling Green’s quarterback)
“Winner. He’s a winner. He has the intangibles. [He] brings very, very good leadership to their football program, has won a lot of games for them. [He] can win on the road in a one minute drill and lead his team from behind. [He] gets them in the right place. And then, the attributes. He has a strong arm. He has a great pocket presence about himself, and he can make all the throws.”
(On Emmanuel Moseley)
“Emmanuel’s been one of those individuals that’s very, very steady. Just consistency in performance each and every day. You know what you’re getting with Emmanuel. He’s going to bring it every day. His approach, not only to the game of football but the game of life, he’s very positive. He’s very upbeat. Not only is he one of our starting corners, but he starts on some of our special teams. You can see the confidence that he has. He has benefited from the weight gain, and he’s held it very, very well. As we all know, he’s a long corner, which that’s what you want. He’s improved his speed, he’s improved his size, and he’s improved his strength.”
(On the starting punter position)
“I will tell you right now that Trevor Daniel will have the first punt of the year and, so Trevor Daniel will go into the game being our starting punter. But again that’s a position where Nate Renfro has done a very good job, Tommy Townsend has done a very good job and both those other two individuals will travel. This will be an ongoing competition just like it is at every single position for us and it is all performance based, but all three individuals have done a very good job. We just thought at this point and time Trevor has been a little more consistent in terms of his hang time, his ball placement, the length of his punts, but just overall consistency. Also, the specialty kicks with the pooch kicking, and everything that goes into that. I think he really benefitted from a full spring as well.”
(On being surprise at the possibility of play this many freshmen)
“It’s still where we’re at in our football program. I mean, I’m not surprised, we’ve come a long way. We’ve rehauled (overhauled) the roster. We’ve changed our culture. We’ve changed the standard. We’ve changed the expectations, not only on the field but in the classroom. But it takes time, I spoke about it at SEC media days–we’re not just building a team we’re building a program. And those are two totally different things, and you see a lot of the growing pains good, bad or indifferent that goes into building a football program. And then you compile that in the great challenge of playing in the greatest football conference in the country. And now, where all of a sudden you start to develop your talent, and you may have an individual after their junior year leave early, that’s the nuances of building a football program in the SEC. That’s why it’s extremely challenging. You know, we were ill and we’re getting healthier each and every day. This is all part of the process.
“I’ve been very proud of our players. They’ve done a very good job. I’ve been proud of every football team. You look at Matt Darr, gosh I tell you what, what a great story. Matt and in spoke yesterday and where he came from, to where he finished his career at Tennessee, to now be the starting punter for the Miami Dolphins; that speaks volumes for our program, that speaks volumes for our culture. I’m exceptionally proud of him. You know Ja’Wuan James, Ja’Wuan and I probably talk via text three or four times a week. You know all those things are very very important and a credit to everyone who are helping us build it brick by brick. It’s still part of the process we’re not a finished product nor will we be. Success is always under construction to having that competitive depth across the board and you see which individuals want to compete on a daily basis at a high level. You look at all the great programs, they have one thing in common, they have great competition at all nine positions.”
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