Tennessee football: Late Vols DL Matt McGlothlin was a great overachiever

Tennessee football lost one of its own in Matt McGlothlin this week. The Volunteers defensive lineman was a great overachiever for UT.

In 2005, Tennessee football was trailing on the road 21-0 to the LSU Tigers. LSU was in the top 5 at the time, and this was Les Miles’s first home game. The Vols had switched quarterbacks from Erik Ainge to Rick Clausen late in the second quarter, but after a Gerald Riggs Jr. fumble for UT’s third turnover, all hope seemed lost.

The Tigers had scored touchdowns off the first two turnovers. And they were poised to put this game out of reach. But a Vol who walked onto the program was the one to step up and rejuvenate the defense. That Vol was Matt McGlothlin.

The Tennessee football program confirmed on Twitter Friday that McGlothlin passed away recently. He was 36 years old. It is very tragic news. McGlothlin was the type of player Vols fans should love, as he resembled an overachiever with heart. That LSU game was one example.

On the very next play, after the Riggs fumble, McGlothlin stepped up and tackled Joseph Addai for a two-yard loss. His play fired up the team a bit too much, resulting in a personal foul penalty on Kevin Simon. But that was the spark the Vols needed. After the penalty, McGlothlin got another tackle, this time stopping Jacob Hester. Addai fumbled on the very next play, so LSU didn’t score.

McGlothlin was key to stopping the LSU momentum. Had he not played hard on that drive, the defense may have rolled over. And had that happen, the Tigers could have put the game out of reach. Instead, the Vols got a stop, and it was just what they needed to keep the game in reach. They would come back in the second half to win 30-27 in overtime.

Assisting in two tackles to rejuvenate a team is the work of an unsung hero. And as a walk-on who just played out of his love for Tennessee football, that’s exactly what McGlothlin was. He epitomized an overachiever.

He walked onto the program in 2002 and took a redshirt. Then came 2003, and McGlothlin was able to work his way into the rotation. He played all 12 regular season games and even managed to start in two of them.

After not playing in 2004, he came back in 2005, behind a line loaded with NFL talent, and managed to still work his way into the rotation. He played in 10 games again. Then came the improbably 2006 season.

The loss of three of four defensive linemen and then the season-ending injury to Justin Harrell thrust McGlothlin into the rotation, and he became a regular starter. Despite being undersized for a defensive tackle, he massively overachieved playing next to Turk McBride.

McGlothlin finished that year with 15 tackles and was a key part of the defensive win over the Alabama Crimson Tide with two tackles, helping the Vols to what has been their last win in the series. He also had two tackles a week later in a close win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

To make matters more tragic, McGlothlin is the second defensive lineman from the 2005 Tennessee football team to pass away. Former All-American Jesse Mahelona was killed in a car crash back in 2009.

Both were hard workers and great ambassadors for the university. McGlothlin was one of the great overachievers that Vol fans come to know and love over time. Quietly turning things around in a big game like the LSU win in 2005 is just one big example of that. He definitely will be missed as a result.