What Are Your Earliest Memories as a Tennessee Fan?

How long have you been a Tennessee fan?

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#26
#26
First memories were the 1967 schedule and keeping up with Tennessee's run through the regular season after losing the opening game. First game I remember watchin on TV was the 68 Orange Bowl.
 
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#27
#27
I'm not sure exactly when i became a fan,Dad would watch every game on TV of the Vols,if we weren't gone fishing,which happened a lot,but Dad was the one that got me interested in them,when i was just a little kid

It was funny to hear him carry on about them,he would cuss em out and say he would never watch them again,after a bad game,of course every Saturday,he would have the game on,I would get sent outside to tune the antennae in for the game lol he didn't need a motor controlled one,he had me :)

I do miss him greatly,I'm sure that he is looking down every Saturday watching the game,chewing his baccer,spitting and giving em hell
 
#29
#29
Backwards K said:
First memories were the 1967 schedule and keeping up with Tennessee's run through the regular season after losing the opening game. First game I remember watchin on TV was the 68 Orange Bowl.
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My first memories of a Tennessee radio broadcast was the '67 opener against UCLA, which was led by Gary "Beebann," as the Swamp Rat used to pronounce his name. It was a night game, left coast broadcast, so, despite our best efforts, we fell asleep before the game was over. 'twas a VERY good year to be baptized in to the ranks of the Big Orange Nation.
 
#31
#31
Growing up in Alabama, i was forced to watch Alabama and Auburn as a kid. When i was about 9, i saw a Tennessee game on tv, i saw Heath Shuler and i thought it was cool/different to have a QB that was #21 and he was exciting to watch. I started to become a fan then.
 
#32
#32
I grew up in eastern NC, but loved the Vols even as a little kid. I convinced my dad to drive me 8 hours to the 1994 game vs Arkansas. It was a blast. I was almost 14.
 
#33
#33
I'm 57 and have been a Vol fan for as long as I can remember. My first game was Candy in 1966 and second the Gator Bowl that year against Syracuse. My best memories as a kid were going to Neyland from Chattanooga with my dad 2 or 3 times a year for games.
 
#34
#34
1986 I was 9 yrs old my parents got me a shirt that had all the SEC mascots with smokey atop of them and seems like it said sugar bowl champs on it. But I really started following when Andy Kelly was QB
 
#35
#35
I'm almost 27 . My first real memory of UT football was the Alabama game in 1995.
 
#36
#36
My timing couldn't have been better. Manning came to UT right when I was old enough to start following football. Thank god I was raised a Vol fan. And never flinched and I grew up in Alabama. Good ole Rocky Top will always be home sweet home!
 
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#37
#37
Im 29 and my first memory was watching Heath Shuler throw the ball down the sideline about 2000 yards hitting a receiver in stride for a TD. (This really happened..... from an 8 year old's perspective)
 
#38
#38
My earliest memory of the Vols was the 1971 team (I was 8 years old then), which I only got to see on the Bill Battle show sunday mornings since I had yet to attend a game in Neyland Stadium (that didn't happen until the '74 Bama game).

All these years later, the names that still stand out to me from that team are Conrad Graham, Jackie Walker, Jamie Rotella, Curt Watson, Bobby Majors, Emmon Love, Bill Rudder, Haskel Stanback, George Hunt, Eddie Brown, and Art Reynolds. Quite literally, 'a host of Volunteers'!
 
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#39
#39
People talking about the New Coach Johnny Majors.....at this point I hadn't declared a favorite team so to speak, and was so young I didn't fully even understand the rules...my father was a Jacket alumni....but my neighbors were all TN fans, and I was from TN, so I went Orange....and the first game I really tried to pay attention to was when we played my dad's team and demolished them in 79....I felt sorta bad for dad......but not enough not to not start saying "Go Vols".... Remember going to get haircuts at the local old school barber shop here in Chattanooga "Mike and Weldens". Men would get there and sit around for hours talking football and multiple SEC schools were represented among the barbers, custoemrs, and decorations on the walls. In between good natured but HEATED football debates they'd often have a couple of guys playing bluegrass, and telling jokes. Also a old glass bottle coke machine, I'd beg to get one 8oz bottle from. I learned everything about SEC history in that barber shop.
 
#40
#40
I was really little, but I vaguely recall at least being in front of the TV when Willie Gault was playing (1979-82), since everyone in the room wanted him to get the ball.

The first season I really followed was the 1985 season. I think the 1986 Sugar Bowl was the first game I watched from start to finish.
 
#41
#41
The first one I can recall is being 8 years old or so, and camping at Cades Cove in a cold torrential downpour. My late father had a little handheld transistor radio. We listened to a UT / Auburn game where it rained so hard that we punted on 1st down to make AU deal with the rain. How he got a radio station up there is a miracle. Seems like I remember the AU coach being pissed off about it. We won, and I got my VFL card stamped that day.

Gosh, I'm old! :ermm:
 
#43
#43
Volosaurus rex said:
As we prepare for another season of Tennessee football, this is a tribute to those who have stood by the program, through thick and thin, for decades on end. It is also a bit of a competition to determine who, among us, has stood watch longest as a member of the Big Orange Nation.

My personal allegiance is now approaching, hard as it is to believe, half a century. I first began to follow Tennessee football in 1967, Doug Dickey's first SEC championship season and the year before John Ward became the beloved "Voice of the Vols." I vaguely remember the 1965 Bluebonnet Bowl vs. Tulsa and clearly remember the 1966 Gator Bowl in which we defeated Syracuse 18-12, despite Larry Csonka and Floyd Little amassing nearly 300 yards rushing.

So, I presently stand at 46 years and counting as a proud member of the Big Orange Nation. How long have you been one and what are your earliest memories of Tennessee football?
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My first memory was when I was 14 years old. I was living in Seymour. I used to listen to the Vol games on the radio each Saturday.
Coincidently, my oldest brother was a law student at Vandy. (My family is originally from Nashville) He was able to get student tickets to the U.T. vs. Vandy game.

He drove from Nashville to Seymour and we attended the game. That was 1977....

I had good seats and U.T. won by a large margin.....
 
#44
#44
1981 My first game, my Dad and his friend Eddie and Goob plus my teammate and friend David. I knew at that moment when the Vols were waiting to rush out thru the T! The stadium was shaking and it was so loud i could barely hear myself yelling! I knew that i was a Vol4Life! 1
 
#45
#45
I remember in 1970 I had a 1966 Chevy 2 , 2 door post with a 327/350HP that I built and bluprinted the engine. The Nova had a bench seat, Muncie 4 speed and 456 rear end for 1/4 mile drag racing. That spring I loaned/swaped cars for 1 day with Johnny Crook and Chip Kell (2 time All American @ UT). Johnny had a 1969 GTO and I had a date that night and ended up having to make a quick getaway out of Chickamauga National Military Park with Blue lights somewhere way behind me. Not to bore anyone, Johnny and Chip did indeed ruturn my car the next day intact and I did likewise. I wouldn't have loaned that Nova to anyone else other than Johnny and Chip Kell....that's my story, hope you enjoy it.
 
#46
#46
My first Vol football game was in ’56 or ’57..(didn’t look it up) you can . Was the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL. We won 3-0. Betcha don’t know who we beat? Texas A&M.
 
#47
#47
I remember watching UT football games at age 4 and started going to them when I was age 7. Papaw had season tickets in Section Q(can't remember the exact seats). Had many great times and remembering listening to the pre-game stuff on the radio.
 
#48
#48
My oldest specific memory is Tennessee v. UCLA in 1965 in Memphis. During that game, I got it -- why my father and grandfather were so excited for and addicted to Tennessee football!
 
#49
#49
Sitting on the hill before the game started with my dad behind the old wooden bleachers and playing on the concrete UT emblem imbedded in the hill in 1977.That was a great day.
 
#50
#50
Heath Shuler is my earliest (most fondest) memory that instantly made a UT fan. I kept thinking why is a QB wearing #21? I've been wanting a UT QB to wear #21 ever since.
 
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