NFL GM Praises Vols Practice As Best In SEC

Sep 7, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones on the sideline against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 52-20. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not unusual for NFL scouts and front office personnel to observe college practices.

There’s always talent to evaluate and in terms of scouting, you can never have too much information when making a decision on a player. Especially when you’re going to be investing millions of dollars in a player.

So suffice it to say, these front office guys are pretty familiar with SEC football and their practice habits. That’s why what one NFL GM said should be a huge compliment (and sign of good things to come) to Butch Jones and his staff at Tennessee.

I’m not sure which NFL GM gave the Vols this compliment, but it really doesn’t matter.

I can tell you from personal experience, there’s nothing quite like attending a Butch Jones led practice. Jones likes to use the phrase “controlled-chaos” to describe Tennessee practice. That’s a very accurate way to describe it.

Those chaotic practices have been instrumental in preparing the Vols for the hostile environments in the SEC. The Volunteers faced a lot of adversity during their loss to Florida last Saturday. Even though the Vols didn’t come away with a win, they never lost their composure.

That’s a direct result of the practice habits that Butch Jones has instilled on Haslam Field on a daily basis.