I don’t understand the criticism of this young man releasing a statement. That first sentence and last paragraph should give you chills as a fan.
Very few of us were ever good enough to play at the collegiate level. Lampley is clearly living his dream on the football field, as per his own words, This young man DID NOT come across like an arrogant, self-absorbed jack-wagon in his statement. Quite the opposite.
Lampley’s words radiate a love for Tennessee that we all have, especially us native Tennesseans. He has the added motivation from having played in the trenches with Vol teammates during a roller-coaster of a career. Not very many of us fans can say anything like that.
My guess is that the athletic dept. and/or football program wanted him to do this. It’s a great testimonial to the culture of the program that might resonate with recruits in the future who are taking that into account. Not to mention, it’s just fantastic that a lifelong fan gets to live out his dream on the field one more time.
This statement seemed to be more about gratitude rather than self-importance. I’m grateful for players like him - and I’m glad he’s back!!
I’m a Gen X, by the way. Born in 1975! I would have given anything to have been talented enough to play football at Tennessee. I played collegiate basketball at West Point (I spent 1-year at UT as I had to apply to the Academy twice to get in). Playing basketball in college was a thrill even though I was a bench warmer and got very limited playing time, But my experience pales in comparison to what Lampley and his teammates get to do. I am envious!