I have mixed feelings leading into this season. On one hand, Vols football is returning. Normally today would be my "Christmas Eve". However, my dad, 3rdDownPunt, the man who introduced me to the love of the Vols, passed away in January. We always filled the house with snacks, put the couch right in front of the TV, wore our orange shirts/jerseys, and turned the TV down so we could listen to John Ward.
When I moved away 10 years ago, we still stayed in touch. Calling each other during the games, and talking about what is happening. He was 100% on the Butch Jones bandwagon, and I'm pretty sure Jalen Hurd was Dad's all-time favorite Vol without ever playing a down.
I'm sure it's going to be difficult to watch the games this year. I'm sure it will bring back the emotions I've felt from time to time since January 29th when I got that unexpected call that my own personal Superman had a heart attack and passed away.
There are some things that I learned from my dad that I wish the current Vols will pick up in his passing. No matter what sickness or pain dad was feeling, he got his butt up and took himself to work. 33 years he worked in that factory. I hope the current Vols will BRING IT every day like Dad did. I hope that, when they face adversity, the take their butts to work anyways. I learned from Dad that there is definitely another level that you can push your body to when your mind is telling you otherwise. It was how he was able at 45 years old to hold me, a 21 year old college caliber athlete at the time, to a hard fought 36-34 game of hoops (the first time in my life I had ever beat him) He hated to lose, and he would pull out this magical next gear. I hope the current Vols are able to look within and find a supernatural extra level of performance. I hope they know that there was a guy who looked to the Vols as a weekend escape from the stress of blue-collar life.
I hope they know that all of us are behind them. It will be a difficult season for me, but not watching is not an option. Dad just wouldn't allow it. He only ever missed the Vols to watch my jr pro games.
I started typing this, and I felt down. I was sad thinking about watching the Vols run through the T and not being on the phone with my Dad. Now, after all these memories come flooding back to me...as I think about the excitement....as I look at my 3 year old son, who is named after my dad and looks just like my dad's childhood photos.....he'll be, for the first time, really able to watch the game with me and somewhat understand.....I'm not down...and the rest of the SEC better watch out, because the Vols aren't down anymore either!!!! I'm buying my snacks, getting ready to move the couch tomorrow night, already laid out our Orange....Go knock some heads off and surprise some folks, Vols! There is a guy up in Heaven wearing a Reggie White jersey who will be cheering like crazy!!!
