University of Tennessee Athletics
Vol Report: Resiliency & Leadership
November 22, 2016 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs, redshirt junior Brett Kendrick and sophomore Micah Abernathy spoke to reporters at Tuesday's press conference in the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio.
The players discussed Tennessee's (8-3, 4-3 SEC) rivalry with in-state SEC opponent Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-5 SEC) and some of the things they are thankful for as Thanksgiving approaches. Kendrick shared that his grandmother's Hamburger Helper is "life changing."
The Vols enter Week 13 with a No. 24 ranking in the AP & Coaches polls. Tennessee play Vanderbilt on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Vanderbilt Stadium. The game will feature a live broadcast on SEC Network, featuring the crew of Tom Hart, Andre Ware and Cole Cubelic.
#63 Brett Kendrick | RS Junior Offensive Lineman
Kendrick has started every game this season with four starts at right tackle, including the last two games, and seven at left tackle. He, Dylan Wiesman, Jack Jones and Coleman Thomas have played multiple positions along the offensive line this year. Kendrick says offensive line coach Don Mahoney coached the Vols' big guys to be versatile.
"Coach Mo does a great job at cross-training us at different positions. If I said I got comfortable I'd probably be lying. I haven't really gotten comfortable at a spot, but I am technically comfortable playing at any position. If they need me at right or if they need me at left or at center, I feel like I can play it all at a high level. I'm impressed with Drew Richmond coming back into the starting lineup and playing well. I'm really proud of him. He watches extra film, always stays out on the practice field after practice. He's been huge for us."
#22 Micah Abernathy | Sophomore Defensive Back
Abernathy, who made the first interception of his career against Missouri, spoke about how the secondary has battled through injuries. Communication and leadership have been key with so many different defensive lineups the Vols have put on the field. Junior defensive end Derek Barnett shouldered a lot of the leadership responsibilities when injuries cost the Vols several defensive starters.
"Derek is a vocal leader. He leads by his actions. He's a hard worker on and off the field. He takes time out of his day to watch film. That's the type of person you want to follow, and he's definitely been a very good leader for the defense this year."
#11 Joshua Dobbs | Senior Quarterback
Drew Richmond began the year as the starter at left tackle and played in the first three games, but did not play in four of the next five games. He has stepped up his play of late and earned the starts against Kentucky and Missouri, helping pave the way for 609 offensive yards against the Tigers, including 386 rushing yards. Dobbs credited Richmond for his resiliency and willingness to work hard to improve his game.
"He handled it well, he was still in the film room, doing extra sets after practice and getting in extra work, watching film as if he was the starter. It's shown the last couple games, that he's been able to come in and play very productively and hold down the left side for us. It was really good to see that, see how mature he was to handle that -- going from starter to not playing to back being a starter and still preparing as if he was the starter, staying humble and being ready to go week in and week out."
