How many of you are Vol fans for a reason other than…

#52
#52
Never lived in Tn, no family played sports at UT. Watched the 98’ championship at 7 years old, my first real game. Always told Myself I would attend one day. My uncle Joe loved the vols and I looked up to him as a dad when I didn’t have one and have been a VFL since then. About the best decision I’ve ever made to become a Vol fan. Ups and downs , and the most passionate fans I’ve ever witnessed .
 
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#53
#53
My wife and I are both UT graduates, and both of our fathers graduated from Tennessee. I am old enough to remember sitting around the radio on Saturdays listening to George Mooney and Bob Fox call the football games. So, we along with our son and grandsons have deep orange blood! Both my wife and me are 7th generation Tennessean's. Our families moved here before Tennessee became a state in 1796.
 
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#54
#54
I grew up in mid-TN but was an FSU fan. Mostly because I thought the colors were cool, Charlie Ward was a baller and, most importantly, it pissed off my family. Even in ‘98 I was rooting for the ‘Noles. Looking back, that was pretty lame.

However, in 2002, I was officially baptized into the Big Orange family after attending my first game at Neyland - we lost to Miami - at the ripe age of 21. My uncle was a season ticket holder and I went with my cousin. I wore all black to the game in defiance. After the game, I bought a few Vols T-shirts… and hit the Strip. My conversion was solidified.

Needless to say, enduring the Big Orange wilderness wanderings the last 20+ years has tested but deepened my fandom.

Go VOLS!
 
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#55
#55
I grew up a die hard UVA fan. I had no family connection to them either. They were just the closest big school and I was obsessed with Herman Moore and Cory Alexander. I lived and died with every UVA basketball game in the 90s. As a senior in high school, I began to realize I didn’t really fit in with most UVA fans, something my dad had been saying for years. I wanted to go away to a big school, and pointed somewhere towards the south. I hated Va Tech, so I started looking at UT and then I was hooked. I applied early and got in. 1 week after getting my acceptance letter we won the natty.
 
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#56
#56
The first photograph of myself I was wearing a Tennessee Vols baby elf/Santa hybrid suit. I have never been able to comprehend NOT being a Volunteer. I have been since before my first memories. I know in my childhood, THE day of my calendar was a 3rd Saturday in October. I remember the heartbreaking losses we suffered to that dadgum Bama. I was 14 before I was able to enjoy a Volunteer victory. I was on an outing in a juvenile mental health facility and I was able to coax the staff to allow me to listen to the game. Hearing Manning to Kent out of John Ward's immortal voice.....what did he do? He scored! Touchdown Big Orange! 67 yards! I may be incorrect on the wording,Nazis. But I knew that wgtwtfa! I got to watch most of game on tvs at the bowling alley we went to. Make no mistake. I had many,many happy memories of Vol victories prior to that day,but that was just another level of elation. The last time we beat Bama, I was in the Madison County,AL Jail because a woman hit me and I refused to press charges. I was in suicide watch in turtre suit. I didnt have any idea we had won until 2 weeks later I got to watch the Gameday show and we were #1 or #3 and 8-0. I was happy about the other 7 but I literally jumped and screamed we kicked yalls f in arse to a bunch of biggo Bama dudes. They were cool about it because I looked so old they called me old school or pops. Ill hang up and listen off air. GO BIG ORANGE!!!
 
#57
#57
JRich said:
I grew up in west Texas, and in that area college football isn’t that popular. I watched the Cowboys on Sundays and went to high school games on Fridays, they were huge in that area (Odessa Permian, Cooper, Abilene High, Midland Lee, etc,). My dad retired and we moved to middle Tennessee, where he is originally from. HS football in this area in the late 80’s was a bit of a culture shock comparatively speaking from where I came from and there wasn’t a pro team in the area. Everyone was into college ball, and it was either UT or VU. VU sucked and UT was pretty good at that time so I chose them.

Still a die hard Cowboys fan, don’t hate.
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Having lived in TX for twenty years, I find it hard to believe there is such a place. :cool:
 
#58
#58
LittleVol said:
Buddy that is a great story, and you have a lot of pride!

But sir, Freak is asking for anybody NOT affiliated with the University 😄 and why THEY are Tennessee fans.

Just wanted to point that out.
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The post wasn't about how you became a dyck head either. He was just pointing out why he is a Vol fan. And you wonder why no one can't stand you.

Just wanted to point that out.
 
#59
#59
I grew up in Ohio. In 6th grade (1966) I lived in Knoxville for 6 months then returned. While I was there I sold Cokes trudging up and down the steps of Neyland. I was hooked and have been a fan ever since. Later, my daughter graduated from UT.
 
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#60
#60
Born and raised in GA. Dad was UGA employee at the Experiment Station in Griffin. Got to go to a couple Dawg games when younger. Mostly GA fan then I suppose, but not a die hard cause of age. Do repsect the University though cause he spent his entire scientist career with them and they provided our living. Mom's parents lived in Knoxville. (Dad was originally from outside Cookeville and did the TTU B.S.; UT M.S.; and UGA PhD tour).

When I was in 8th grade, UT discovered Griffin High Football and recruited Willie Gault. Vic Vandergriff and one other player went with him. Willie went mostly for track, but played football for the full ride. My grandpa would cut out any and every article in the local papers about Gault and save them for me for when we visited. I was in awe of him as a wannabe sprinter myself. That started my conversion to a full on Vol fan. UT hit Griffin several other times over the years. Fred White being the most prominent post-Gault. Been a Vol fan ever since.

Griffin was an incredibly talent rich football town of 50,000 that has put in the vicinity of 24 players in the NFL. And countless commits to college programs of all levels. Most of the ones that didn't make the big schools was due to grades and just not getting the look. We had quite a few that were SEC caliber that didn't get the call. Jesse Tuggle being one. Didn't even get drafted out of Valdosta State. Coach had to beg the Falcons for a tryout and they signed him on the spot. The one player in HS no one wanted to get hit by. The Hammer.

My son doesn't have a declared team. But, my two favorite games of all time was the Carolina Game I think in '21 and the GA game in '23. Those tickets were both birthday presents from him. In kind return I introduced him to Gus' Deli pre-game and 17th Street Market post-game for wings. He's hooked on both. He wanted Gus' again after the game but the line was down the stret so I told him I had a good idea for a substitute. He will still dust wings with Curry Powder when he fixes them. THe Carolina game was a big recruiting weekend and we were on the front row on that end where they park the recruits. Witten was there in front of us till he went to his box. I'm wanting to say we finally got a chance to get a hat signed.
 
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#61
#61
Growing up in SW Virginia during the 70s/80s it was either the Vols or ND playing on TV (only had 2 channels) and VT sucked. I forget the station but I could always get the UT game on my little am/fm radio when they weren't on TV.
 
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#62
#62
GVF said:
Born and raised in GA. Dad was UGA employee at the Experiment Station in Griffin. Got to go to a couple Dawg games when younger. Mostly GA fan then I suppose, but not a die hard cause of age. Do repsect the University though cause he spent his entire scientist career with them and they provided our living. Mom's parents lived in Knoxville. (Dad was originally from outside Cookeville and did the TTU B.S.; UT M.S.; and UGA PhD tour).

When I was in 8th grade, UT discovered Griffin High Football and recruited Willie Gault. Vic Vandergriff and one other player went with him. Willie went mostly for track, but played football for the full ride. My grandpa would cut out any and every article in the local papers about Gault and save them for me for when we visited. I was in awe of him as a wannabe sprinter myself. That started my conversion to a full on Vol fan. UT hit Griffin several other times over the years. Fred White being the most prominent post-Gault. Been a Vol fan ever since.

Griffin was an incredibly talent rich football town of 50,000 that has put in the vicinity of 24 players in the NFL. And countless commits to college programs of all levels. Most of the ones that didn't make the big schools was due to grades and just not getting the look. We had quite a few that were SEC caliber that didn't get the call. Jesse Tuggle being one. Didn't even get drafted out of Valdosta State. Coach had to beg the Falcons for a tryout and they signed him on the spot. The one player in HS no one wanted to get hit by. The Hammer.

My son doesn't have a declared team. But, my two favorite games of all time was the Carolina Game I think in '21 and the GA game in '23. Those tickets were both birthday presents from him. In kind return I introduced him to Gus' Deli pre-game and 17th Street Market post-game for wings. He's hooked on both. He wanted Gus' again after the game but the line was down the stret so I told him I had a good idea for a substitute. He will still dust wings with Curry Powder when he fixes them. THe Carolina game was a big recruiting weekend and we were on the front row on that end where they park the recruits. Witten was there in front of us till he went to his box. I'm wanting to say we finally got a chance to get a hat signed.
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I think an ESPN type 30 for 30 about Griffin would be very interesting.

It's got to be up near the top, if not on the top, of towns with highest number of NFL players per capita.
 
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#63
#63
Freak said:
How many of you are fans of Tennessee NOT because of: living in Tennessee, attending the university, or having family that are Vol fans?

I bet there are some interesting stories out there on how some became Vol fans.
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dang I am all three.... i wish some one wanted to hear my story
 
#65
#65
Grew up in eastern NC and went to a very small school that will never flirt with a college football championship.

Always enjoyed watching college football but never really had a team per se.

Joined the Army out of college. Second duty station was Ft Campbell late 80s. Ran into quite a few UT grands and fans. Started hanging out with some and watching the games…wa-la…became a VOL and never turned back!

Retired in foreign territory (aka Alabama). 2 kids actually went to UA 😬. Still won’t say those 2 words together.

Take a bit of grief from folks around here and my kids, but I don my orange frequently and every Saturday of course.

GO VOLS!
 
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#66
#66
I grew up in Florida a massive FSU fan and likewise a fan of anyone who played UF. Moved to NE TN to go to college met my wife who was in the pride of the Southland. After college and marriage she would drag me to TN games where I would cheer for whoever was playing UT until that fateful day they played UF and I was in a dilemna..... Been a UT fan since.
 
#67
#67
McDad said:
I think an ESPN type 30 for 30 about Griffin would be very interesting.

It's got to be up near the top, if not on the top, of towns with highest number of NFL players per capita.
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40th in the the country and only HS in GA to make the list. THe official list is GHS alumni that have played NFL. If you include players that passed thru GHS and played there, but graduated somewhere else the list gets up into the 40's.

Now, if you rank it per capita, we'd be miles ahead of anyone. Even now, the county population is still under 70,000. When I was there it was around 50-55K. So yeah, if they ranked it per capita, no doubt we'd top the list.
 
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#68
#68
GVF said:
40th in the the country and only HS in GA to make the list. THe official list is GHS alumni that have played NFL. If you include players that passed thru GHS and played there, but graduated somewhere else the list gets up into the 40's.

Now, if you rank it per capita, we'd be miles ahead of anyone. Even now, the county population is still under 70,000. When I was there it was around 50-55K. So yeah, if they ranked it per capita, no doubt we'd top the list.
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I tried to do a search for NFL players per capita. Resutls were tough to find. Rock Hill, SC is another area which produces a disproportionate number of NFL players.
 
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#69
#69
I grew up in Eastern Nawf Ca'Lina and went to NC State. I've lived in Murvul for right at 27 years. Both of my children graduated from UT and my wife is from Kentucky. I'm still a State fan when they play Dook, Ca'Lina or ClemPson....otherwise, I pull for UT against all others. When UT plays the Wolfpack, it is hard to cheer for one over the other. I'm just a huge college sports fan and it's a blessing to live in an area that has such dedicated fans. I lived in Houston back in the Phi Slamma Jamma days when State whooped them in round ball. There were hardly any Cougar fans to interact with...rather boring, so I am glad i am here at least to taunt Georgia, Floriduh, Bama and especially Mildcat fans..including my sweet wife. I may not bleed orange but I will be a Vol Fan for Life. Also, John Ward was a big influence...his passion for UT led me to take interest in the life of the Big Orange.
 
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#70
#70
JC61 said:
Grew up in eastern NC and went to a very small school that will never flirt with a college football championship.

Always enjoyed watching college football but never really had a team per se.

Joined the Army out of college. Second duty station was Ft Campbell late 80s. Ran into quite a few UT grands and fans. Started hanging out with some and watching the games…wa-la…became a VOL and never turned back!

Retired in foreign territory (aka Alabama). 2 kids actually went to UA 😬. Still won’t say those 2 words together.

Take a bit of grief from folks around here and my kids, but I don my orange frequently and every Saturday of course.

GO VOLS!
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where in Eastern NC? I'm from Wilson, Fike '68
 
#71
#71
I was born in Knoxville, but almost immediately moved away to Texas, and eventually NC. Even though I had never lived in the state as someone old enough to remember anything, I still worshipped the Vols as a kid in eastern NC. Our doorbell was Rocky Top!
I then moved back to TN in 11th grade and went to UT...but still, there were plenty of years as a kid where friends asked why I liked Tennessee instead of Duke or UNC.
 
#74
#74
overseasorange2 said:
Having lived in TX for twenty years, I find it hard to believe there is such a place. :cool:
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I observed it as being in pockets if that makes sense. Here in TN, there are UT fans likely in all counties. In TX it seemed like they were centered around the schools, like Texas fans were around Austin, SMU fans in Dallas, Baylor around Waco, Texas Tech around Lubbock, etc. There wasn't statewide support for one team, and where I lived there wasn't any major D1 schools. It was the 80's, too, things might have changed.
 
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