University of Tennessee Athletics
Inside The T - Can't Give Up
November 08, 2014 | General
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
I'm not a quitter, never have been.
I admitted earlier this year in this space that I had yelled at people in the aisles at Neyland Stadium for leaving early during the 2004 Florida game. I can admit further now that game was not the only time that happened.
But on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, I had conceded a loss when I made my way down the elevator from the press box to the field after the 70-yard TD run that put USC up by 14. And when I say "made my way" I should actually say "stormed off like a petulant child."
I'm still a fan, probably way more than I should be considering the job I have to do, win or lose. The press box and its quiet, neutral atmosphere is not a great place for me because of this fandom. But the last five minutes of every game are spent on the field so we can be down there for postgame interviews. And when I stepped on the field Saturday night, I was thinking those interviews would be the same as they had been at other recent games: Close, but not quite there.
But then the fun started to happen. Play by play, Joshua Dobbs led the offense down the field. And I wasn't the only one to notice. A female fan on the front row became aware of my presence thanks to the orange sweater I was wearing under my suit. She taunted me from the moment I came on the field, statements that became louder with every completed Dobbs pass.
Play after play, my faith in my team was restored and the volume went up. The onside kick failed, and she started in on me again. But as Tennessee drove for the tying touchdown, the intensity turned back to the play on the field and off of those stand on the sidelines.
We all know what happened the rest of the game, touchdowns, a field goal, sacks, winning, happiness. Then, there I was in the middle of the celebration snapping pictures for our social media accounts. And seeing the faces on the players and coaches, I almost felt bad for thinking about myself and what the game meant to me.
Sure, I've seen plenty of emotion on the field, but everything about this one was different. Last year, players were happy, but perhaps a little surprised to win against the Gamecocks. This year, they expected to win. They walked in with a confidence that started on the practice field and carried on through the overtime period.
The emotion of being rewarded for that work is something that cannot be understated. Smiles all around, tears of joy and happiness, excitement on the part of everyone. And they shared it with the fans that had come to Columbia by gathering in the corner where the fans had been seated.
As the celebration began to disperse and the team made its way across the field to the locker room, one other scene gave me pause. Dobbs shared a hug with Justin Worley, the man who would have been standing there if not for his shoulder injury suffered against Ole Miss. The smile on Worley's face as he celebrated with his teammate was just as wide as it would have been if he had been the one to lead the late drives and thrown the tying TD.
Worley is the consummate teammate, always has been. He took the field when called upon as a true freshman. He led his team as a junior and senior in the face of numerous obstacles. And now, knowing that his on-field career was likely over and surgery on the injured shoulder was pending, the only emotion Worley could display was happiness.
I was happy too, I'm willing to guess my heckler was not. All I know is, I had a much happier trip up to the press box than I did the trip down.
I read that ESPN's mathematical formula gave UT a .09 percent chance of winning when down 14 late in the 4th quarter. My expectation wasn't far behind. But once again we learned that you never doubt the Vols. You can never give up, because this team never will.
