Vols Football: Injury Updates for First Week of Bowl Preparation

Nov 29, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Vols players celebrate after a win against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Volunteers won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers will be making their first bowl game appearance since 2010 when they play Iowa in the Taxslayer Bowl in Jacksonville, FL on January 2nd, 2015. And Butch Jones says one of the main priorities before then will be to “regain our health.”

Several Vols were banged up to end the regular season, and a good portion of those will still be out. Marquez North and Josh Smith will not be available for the bowl game, but several other Vols will.

Jones said he fully expects Mack Crowder, Josh Malone, Daniel Helm, and Jason Croom to be ready to play come January 2nd. Jones says Malone has been banged up for a few games now but that Malone “doesn’t say anything” and continued to play through them. Jones also stated that Helm has been fighting injuries since week 2 but is expected to be healthy for the bowl game.

Jalen Hurd left the Vanderbilt game with an unspecified upper body injury, but Butch Jones says the Vols’ stellar freshman will be “a full-go” for the bowl game and has been cleared to play.