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Tennessee Vols morning report: Practice updates, Lane Kiffin on leaving UT

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 09: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the first half of the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Neyland Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Vols practicing in pads and an article by Lane Kiffin on his departure from UT lead our Volunteers news for Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018.

We are now two weeks away from the first SEC game of the 2018 season. Even though it’s the Texas A&M Aggies against Northwestern State, you can’t help but get excited. The Tennessee Vols are just that much closer to beginning their new era under Jeremy Pruitt.

Preparations for the beginning that era continue this week, and they lead our morning report on Rocky Top. But as that new era continues to arrive, we look back on a previous era that is a sour point for UT.

There’s also a bit of basketball news to get to with one former Vol talking about an incoming player. So things are heating up in Knoxville. Let’s begin with a practice update.

Vols practice in pads indoors Wednesday – WVLT-TV

Tennessee football practiced in full pads for the first time Wednesday. The Vols went indoors because of the rain outside. This practice comes just two weeks and two days before their opener against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

"Coach Pruitt will practice his guys all the way thru Sunday when the team will scrimmage for the first time during Fall Camp. Their next break from the practice field will be Monday."

Lane Kiffin on leaving UT – Athletes for God

Former Tennessee Vols football head coach Lane Kiffin became very unpopular on Rocky Top when he left after one year there at the end of the 2009 season to take the USC Trojans job. After being fired by USC and then resurrecting his career as offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide, he clearly got humbled. The Florida Atlantic Owls head coach reflected on how he got to where he is and everything that happened in a new, long-form article entitled “It’s Not About Me.” Here’s a bit of what he wrote about leaving Tennessee.

"What I didn’t expect was a full riot to ensue on campus. I think sometimes we embellish our memories, but that night there was literally a riot in Knoxville, with people running in the streets and lighting things on fire."

Bobby Maze comments on Drew Pember – Grant Ramey, GoVols247

Former Tennessee Vols basketball point guard Bobby Maze, who helped lead the program to the Elite Eight in 2010, had high praise for 2019 UT commit Drew Pember. The three-star power forward from Knoxville is now a member of Maze’s B.Maze Elite AAU basketball program in East Tennessee. He brought Pember on after seeing him play.

"“Drew Pember, to me, is the best stretch four man in the country,” Maze said. “He was the fastest learner of anybody I’ve had. When he came to me I think he had one low Division I offer.”"

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