Old, But Good Article on Jalen Hurd and Butch Jones Conflict

[Tombo7]

A good reminder that Jalen Hurd's body was beginning to suffer even before he left for Baylor. In retrospect he never had a chance in the NFL.

Jalen Hurd Tells All About Why He Left Tennessee Mid-Season | RTI

Jalen Hurd opened up about why he decided to leave Tennessee mid-season in 2016 and why he chose to transfer from the program to Baylor.

www.rockytopinsider.com

 

[Proud Army Wife]

A good reminder that Jalen Hurd's body was beginning to suffer even before he left for Baylor. In retrospect he never had a chance in the NFL.

Jalen Hurd Tells All About Why He Left Tennessee Mid-Season | RTI

Jalen Hurd opened up about why he decided to leave Tennessee mid-season in 2016 and why he chose to transfer from the program to Baylor.

www.rockytopinsider.com

He wasn’t built to be a rb (although he was good at it) and Butch used his as a workhorse.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Butch is a snake and always was. I’m good friends with Vic Wharton to this day and good lord I’m glad Vic realized how big of a snake Butch was and left fast.

 

[BigOrangeFanatic]

I remembered talking to family member of his in the middle Tennessee area shortly after he left the program and he pretty much told me almost word for word what Hurd said in that interview. Made perfect sense too at the time remembering that bowl game where Hurd ran out of the I and just pulverized Northwestern, and then the following year it was back to the same crap of running a 235 lb battering ram RB left and right at the LOS. I wished he would have stayed til the end of that season, but I never once felt anger towards the kid for his choice after I heard from the family member. We as fans just don't know all the details most of the time of what's going on behind the scenes. Nothing surprised me with Botch though.

 

[volplaya8]

He caused the concussion on his own by nonchalantly coasting and getting blown up near the end zone and damn near fumbling the game and season away…there were no issues before that, then Kamara took the reigns and never looked back

think what you want about Jones, but I am never taking one disgraced and bitter players words for gold on the matter…if 235 lbs is not built to play rb or football, then go play tennis…good grief…could have set all time ut rushing record and chose to walk away…call a spade a spade…either go down as a beloved vol or move along and quit talking about it

 

[Rocky Top T]

Hurd was a very good player here, Butch was just plain stupid!!!!!

 

[Swiftybaby]

He wasn’t built to be a rb (although he was good at it) and Butch used his as a workhorse.

He was my fav rb since Travis Stephens. Damn shame butch screwed it up with him

 

[DiderotsGhost]

This is why I get a bit annoyed when people rant on and on about how terrible NIL and the portal is.

These kids bring millions into the university. The old reality was that administrators and coaches basically "stole" the value they created and some of them were exploited and treated like crap. And this still happens to some extent, but the players have more power now, thankfully.

The NCAA is a corrupt institution that's primary goal has been to enrich a small class of people at the expense of more deserving college athletes. Don't begrudge Hurd one bit. Just sucks his name got dragged through the mud.

The crazy thing to me is that Kamara was obviously the better back and it made so much sense to shift Hurd to WR. Dooley and Pruitt weren't good coaches, but I don't think they were bad human beings. Butch Jones was a lying p.o.s.

 

[barknoxbrawler]

He caused the concussion on his own by nonchalantly coasting and getting blown up near the end zone and damn near fumbling the game and season away…there were no issues before that, then Kamara took the reigns and never looked back

think what you want about Jones, but I am never taking one disgraced and bitter players words for gold on the matter…if 235 lbs is not built to play rb or football, then go play tennis…good grief…could have set all time ut rushing record and chose to walk away…call a spade a spade…either go down as a beloved vol or move along and quit talking about it

Bingo

 

[utchs81]

Hindsight being always 20/20 we should all have known that there was more to what was going on behind the scenes. It amazes me that Butch ever got another coaching job.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

Remember, this is one side of the story. The other is that he quit on the team DURING the SC game because of his usage.

Truth be known, probably aspects of Truth from both sides...

 

[sami]

It's so easy to just assume and come to conclusions without knowing all the circumstances and all sides of the story, so I'm not going there. The one thing I know for sure and said often at the time was that Jones butchered (pun intended) the RB situation in 2015 and '16. Why he did it, what promises were made, I don't know and won't speculate on.

But having two backs as talented and complimentary as Hurd and Kamara is a rare dream come true for an offense, and why he never utilized the pair properly - rotating them to keep defenses off balance or playing them together with one split wide or in the slot to stress a defense - was to me coaching malpractice. There may be more to it than I know, but at the time it seemed like a major waste of resources.

 

[wmcovol]

Sounds like Hurd wanted to run the offense, kinda like Judkins does at Ole Miss…….

 

[bpalmer28]

He caused the concussion on his own by nonchalantly coasting and getting blown up near the end zone and damn near fumbling the game and season away…there were no issues before that, then Kamara took the reigns and never looked back

think what you want about Jones, but I am never taking one disgraced and bitter players words for gold on the matter…if 235 lbs is not built to play rb or football, then go play tennis…good grief…could have set all time ut rushing record and chose to walk away…call a spade a spade…either go down as a beloved vol or move along and quit talking about it

Are we sure he didn’t get concussed when he trucked a DB at the 5 on a different play? Or was that the previous season?

I don’t care what anyone says about Hurd, he was a beast.

 

[GetYouSomeofThat]

He caused the concussion on his own by nonchalantly coasting and getting blown up near the end zone and damn near fumbling the game and season away…there were no issues before that, then Kamara took the reigns and never looked back

think what you want about Jones, but I am never taking one disgraced and bitter players words for gold on the matter…if 235 lbs is not built to play rb or football, then go play tennis…good grief…could have set all time ut rushing record and chose to walk away…call a spade a spade…either go down as a beloved vol or move along and quit talking about it

^^^ This and nothing more needs to be said.

I didnt love the way fans tore into him but he made his own bed after the hated Butch Jones had him on a path to make history as a Vol.

 

[ButchPlz]

Sounds like Hurd wanted to run the offense, kinda like Judkins does at Ole Miss…….

I was about to say that that article is definitely not a positive for Hurd. If he didn't fit, fine, but he's bitching about being a power back and wanting to run out of the I-formation in one thought then in the next complaining that his body couldn't handle hard running. How does that all add up?

 

[rickyyrs]

Butch is a snake and always was. I’m good friends with Vic Wharton to this day and good lord I’m glad Vic realized how big of a snake Butch was and left fast.

I never liked Butch Jones very much as Tennessee coach. Wasn't Butch the one who told Trever Lawerence he did not fit Tennessee offense. So Lawerence went to Clemson and won a couple Nattys.

 

[GAVol]

He caused the concussion on his own by nonchalantly coasting and getting blown up near the end zone and damn near fumbling the game and season away…there were no issues before that, then Kamara took the reigns and never looked back

think what you want about Jones, but I am never taking one disgraced and bitter players words for gold on the matter…if 235 lbs is not built to play rb or football, then go play tennis…good grief…could have set all time ut rushing record and chose to walk away…call a spade a spade…either go down as a beloved vol or move along and quit talking about it

235 is definitely built for RB. What it's not built for is to be a scatback in a spread option with Butch running all his flag football sideways crap. Hurd needed to run downhill or spend some being a weapon at H-back. Meanwhile, the quick guy was standing on the sideline next to Butch hoping to get his 8 carries and 2 or 3 catches a game. It made no sense.

 

[rocytop2624]

Hurd should have been like the Hback GA had the last few years Bowers.

 

[OrangeTsar]

He wasn’t built to be a rb (although he was good at it) and Butch used his as a workhorse.

While probable future NFL Hall of Famer Kamara sat collecting splinters on the bench

 

[OrangeTsar]

I never liked Butch Jones very much as Tennessee coach. Wasn't Butch the one who told Trever Lawerence he did not fit Tennessee offense. So Lawerence went to Clemson and won a couple Nattys.

Sort of like how Pruitt sent QB Michael Penix packing to the Washington Huskies? Trying to remember what game it is that he is playin Monday Night?

 

[BigALWiLson]

Sounds like Hurd wanted to run the offense, kinda like Judkins does at Ole Miss…….

Sounds like he proved what he was talking about running out of the I- formation was a better use of his skill and talent. When you line a guy up and constantly use him as a battering ram over and over it gets old and takes a toll. 456 carries in two years is a lot. You can be hate filled toward Hurd. We are in a better place today. Let it go, see it for what it is. He made a decision that he felt was right for him.

 

[OrangeTsar]

I was about to say that that article is definitely not a positive for Hurd. If he didn't fit, fine, but he's bitching about being a power back and wanting to run out of the I-formation in one thought then in the next complaining that his body couldn't handle hard running. How does that all add up?

Hurd was a confused young man getting bad advice from “adults” outside the program. Hurd had his bad decisions but his Coach should have been there for him. Hurd needed one adult looking out for his best interest and that should have been Butch.
I think that is one reason Heupel will be successful at Tennessee. The players appreciate his honesty and how he always has their backs

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

Who cares about crappy times with weak coaches and soft players. I will leave now and remain in the present. GBO

 

[DaddyChad]

This is why I get a bit annoyed when people rant on and on about how terrible NIL and the portal is.

These kids bring millions into the university. The old reality was that administrators and coaches basically "stole" the value they created and some of them were exploited and treated like crap. And this still happens to some extent, but the players have more power now, thankfully.

The NCAA is a corrupt institution that's primary goal has been to enrich a small class of people at the expense of more deserving college athletes. Don't begrudge Hurd one bit. Just sucks his name got dragged through the mud.

The crazy thing to me is that Kamara was obviously the better back and it made so much sense to shift Hurd to WR. Dooley and Pruitt weren't good coaches, but I don't think they were bad human beings. Butch Jones was a lying p.o.s.

Butch was so pissed when he was fired that he did everything he could to keep drawing from Tennessee the max amount while still sticking it to Tennessee. The pic of him smoking a cigar with Bama after they beat his player at Tennessee pretty much sums up him as a human being. Pruitt I thought was a great person coming in but I know a lot now that has changed my opinion or at least made it more nuanced. Dooley and Pruitt wanted to build Tennessee the program, Butch always wanted to build Butch.