Nov 24, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey IX during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium. Smokey IX is retiring after this game. Tennessee won by a score of 37 to 17. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
A simple gesture, the removing of a black stripe, signifies something much bigger for true freshman Cameron Sutton.
This fall Butch Jones has instituted a new tradition at Tennessee — all freshmen start camp with a black stripe on their helmet, instead of the typical Tennessee orange.
Jones calls it the “Big Brother” program. Each player is assigned a mentor, who decides when the black stripe will be removed.
On Thursday Sutton’s mentor, redshirt sophomore Brian Randolph, decided Sutton had earned his orange stripe.
Sutton, a native of Jonesboro, GA, becomes the first freshman to earn his orange stripe.
The freshman has already been performing well in camp and this will give him some recognition for his strong performance thus far.
The “Big Brother” program is just another example of Butch Jones building team chemistry. So far he’s put together a close-knit team that will have each other’s back on the field.
That’s a pretty impressive feat for a program that was in shambles just eight months ago.
For more on the Vols make sure to follow along on Twitter @AllforTennessee and @ZachAFT