University of Tennessee Athletics
Local Bowl Prep Begins In Tampa
December 26, 2007 | Football
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TAMPA, Fla. ??? After five days away from the football field, the Tennessee Volunteers began bowl-site preparations in earnest here Wednesday at the local UT headquarters. No, not Tampa Bay???s hotspot for Big Orange alumni, but the campus of the University of Tampa just a few blocks from downtown.
The Vols conducted a two-hour workout in full pads at Art & Polly Pepin Stadium. Normally home to the Spartans??? perennially strong soccer programs, Pepin Stadium is serving as Tennessee???s local practice site leading up to the New Year???s Day Outback Bowl matchup with Wisconsin. Wednesday???s practice concluded with some spirited contact work during the popular ???Tennessee Drill.???
Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer reported that all team personnel reached Tampa as scheduled, and also provided an updated depth chart at linebacker.
???If we started today, it would be Jerod Mayo on the outside because he???s familiar with it, Ellix Wilson in the middle since he???s most familiar with that and has played there, and we expect Ryan Karl to be ready and able to go,??????Fulmer said. ???After that, Dorian (Davis), Adam Myers-White and Nevin (McKenzie) are all kind of in that mix at Sam (strongside) linebacker.
???We have enough guys who have played in enough places that depth is not really that big of a concern. When you take a really good player like Rico (McCoy) out of the mix, that???s the concern. I don???t know that we can fully 100 percent replace what he???s been able to accomplish, but I think those guys are very capable and gives us our best group at that position.???
Fulmer also updated the team???s injury report.
Despite not practicing since the Dec. 1 SEC Championship Game, offensive tackle Ramon Foster (thumb), Karl (elbow) and McKenzie (ankle) all returned to action Wednesday. True freshman tailback Josh Hawkins, a Loudon native who is redshirting the 2007 season, will not be practicing this week after suffering a foot injury shortly before the team broke for the holidays.
Fulmer said Karl needs to show he???s game ready this week.
???He???s got to practice or we will go another direction with Nevin. I don???t know that Ryan???s going to be able to play, but we will see. I???m eager to see how he responds and if he responds well. If he doesn???t, we???ve got other options as well.???
The Tampa Spartans do not compete in football, though their soccer programs have claimed multiple NCAA Division II national championships, including a women???s title earlier this month. Pepin Stadium, therefore, does not feature football goalposts year-round, so a single goalpost is installed on the stadium???s south end each bowl season.
Wisconsin???s local bowl-practice site is Jefferson High School.
The Vols and Badgers attended an Outback Steakhouse team welcome dinner Wednesday night at the Tampa Convention Center. UT returns to practice again Thursday afternoon.
???This is a very important week for us because of the guys who are not here,??????Fulmer said. ???We???ve had guys miss games with injuries and those other guys stepped up really well and all those linebackers have played some. And when they???ve played, they???ve played pretty well. We???re hopeful they will do a great job.???
