Sanders pointed out incoming Volunteers will not be handed a helmet with the traditional orange stripe. One of Jones' philosophies is to put freshmen coming into the program in helmets with a black stripe.
Players will earn the orange stripe on their helmets. It is something not to be handed out arbitrarily, but something to worked for and envied. The stripe turns to orange only when the "big brother" assigned to the freshman by the coach feels the newby is ready to be a real Volunteer.
"Freshmen, we wear black instead of orange stripes because you have to earn your stripes in his program. That's what we've got to do. We've got to earn our stripes. You've got to want to play at Tennessee," Sanders said emphatically. "When you are a recruit you can't be like, Oh, I don't know if I want to go to Tennessee. You have got to want to play for Tennessee or you are not going to do well."
