Vols WR Josh Malone Fighting Through Adversity With Some Late Nights

It’s no secret that Vols wide receiver Josh Malone has struggled during fall camp.

The highly touted true freshman has received a lot of negative press over the past couple of weeks. But on Wednesday evening, after a scrimmage that was closed to the media, Butch Jones threw Vol fans a bone by pointing out that Malone had a great night and took big steps forward.

Some folks — including us — postulated that maybe Malone just doesn’t show up in practice, but delivers on game day. After-all, he absolutely blew up in the spring game, accounting for 181 yards and three touchdowns on six receptions.

But Vols wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni quickly dismissed that notion on Thursday, saying “I believe in how you practice is how you play. If you wait for the lights to come on you’re going to get embarrassed”.

Azzanni then shared a story about Malone’s work ethic that will make anyone questioning his effort look like a fool.

"Azzanni: The other night, 11:44 at night, I shut the door to my office, pull my sleeping bag out. I’m getting ready to go to bed in my office. Underneath my door slides a piece of paper and he [Malone] didn’t know I was in there. It was notes from practice. Every single rep, what he didn’t do right, what he did right. I didn’t know anyone was in the building. That tells me he’s buying in. He wants to be good, he’s going to be good. He keeps improving, he keeps doing things like that, the sky’s the limit."

That doesn’t sound like a player that isn’t giving it his all in practice. That sounds like a player that’s hit the freshman wall and is having to fight through it.

Azzanni said that Malone has struggled at times, but so have “15 other guys”. He added that Malone has received a little more flack, simply because he was such a high profile player coming out of high school.