come on now - this is a forum for gambling , why would you lie when it could hurt other peoples wallet?
Creer was to be 4th on the depth chart behind Hardesty,Brown,Poole and possibly Oku. his lack of focus and intensity in spring drills has been an issue for weeks , his jersey number was taken away from him. he saw the writing on the wall. RB will be the Vols strength this year - whoever told you otherwise is clueless
make jokes about UT all you like , i actually enjoy them, i like to laugh - some people have caught on to that and some havent - but a blatant lie that could cost people money is not cool
You're a dumbass. Care for me to pull up the post where you hailed Lennon Creer as "the man" and the guy who was going to start?
You are the biggest liar on these boards. And FYI Brown and Oku aren't even on campus yet. But they are already past Creer on the depth chart? You're so full of shit and it shines through on every post.
Sorry you lost what was supposed a guy competing for the starting RB postion.
Last edited:
As of now you would be right, but this wasn't close to the case going into spring as it was Creer's to lose and he obviously did.
Last year I read an article that said Creer and Jones were the best gamebreakers on the team(brent hubbs rivals site) and had that "make you miss" type running style.
Chris can say what he wants but he'll disappear when things go south again much like he did last year. He stopped posting after the UCLA defeat, just vanished like a ghost. Give it time, he'll be gone soon.
i figure ill beat you to it
BJ Coleman says he will transfer - he was fighting for the starting QB spot. and he looked like he deserved it in the Orange and White game
hes local and a fan fav (over Crompton) - it hurts a lot more than Creer leaving .
also D-Mo (Demitrice Morley) was finally kicked off last week after 3-4 years of chaos including suspensions and a stint at a nerby juco. he was a top 20 player (5 star) coming out of high school in Miami , has NFL talent- but he couldnt commit to the team - just had his 2nd child
and an OL quit today- which is way more of a concern than Creer. like someone else in this thread said - the OL is the major concern right now for UT .he plans to stay in school, just had too many injuries to stick with it...Darris Sawtelle is his name, former 4 star from Michigan
on a side note - the Vol defense will be scary good this year. think 92 Alabama - that good.
its all in Cromptons hands, if he can be even an average QB the Vols will win 10+ games. if not - Jake Heaps will be here next year (reason Coleman left i think)
BJ Coleman says he will transfer - he was fighting for the starting QB spot. and he looked like he deserved it in the Orange and White game
hes local and a fan fav (over Crompton) - it hurts a lot more than Creer leaving .
also D-Mo (Demitrice Morley) was finally kicked off last week after 3-4 years of chaos including suspensions and a stint at a nerby juco. he was a top 20 player (5 star) coming out of high school in Miami , has NFL talent- but he couldnt commit to the team - just had his 2nd child
and an OL quit today- which is way more of a concern than Creer. like someone else in this thread said - the OL is the major concern right now for UT .he plans to stay in school, just had too many injuries to stick with it...Darris Sawtelle is his name, former 4 star from Michigan
on a side note - the Vol defense will be scary good this year. think 92 Alabama - that good.
its all in Cromptons hands, if he can be even an average QB the Vols will win 10+ games. if not - Jake Heaps will be here next year (reason Coleman left i think)
Another Vol leaves:
Darris Sawtelle has left Tennessee's football team.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive lineman made the decision following a meeting with UT first-year coach Lane Kiffin this week.
"It was very polite and very helpful," Sawtelle said Thursday. "It took about three minutes. That changed my life."
Sawtelle said Kiffin told him that he lacked the explosiveness to play in UT's new offensive system. Kiffin suggested that could be a byproduct of surgery to each of his shoulders last summer.
"I feel strong as an ox," said Sawtelle. "It took me a whole season to get them functional again."
Sawtelle, who bench pressed 315 pounds for seven repetitions before spring practice, said he didn't believe the joints affected his play in spring drills.
"For me, none," the sophomore said. "For the coaches, a great deal."
Sawtelle, however, did say he was a bit hesitant at times as he became more comfortable with his shoulders. Sawtelle had his left shoulder worked on in June and his right in July.
Sawtelle joins offensive guard Donald Langley, safety Demetrice Morley, tailback Lennon Creer, receiver E.J. Abrams-Ward and offensive linemen Preston Bailey, Ramone Johnson and Darius Myers as players from last season who either left the program or were dismissed.
Sawtelle was one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the nation when he signed with UT out of Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, Mich.
Sawtelle started spring practice as UT's second-team right guard then fell to third team and was essentially "off the depth chart" when he became concerned.
Sawtelle said Kiffin promised him a release to any school not in the SEC. That would allow Sawtelle to be placed on scholarship immediately. Sawtelle said he is unsure if he will pursue a playing career elsewhere (possibly in the Ivy League) or remain in Knoxville to pursue his law degree.
"I'm optimistic looking towards opportunities that benefit me directly," he said. "I would like a school that's the equivalent of the University of Tennessee or better. I don't want to sacrifice the integrity of my degree (to play football elsewhere)."
Sawtelle has three years of eligibility remaining but would have to sit out the 2009 season if he transferred to another Bowl Subdivision school.
"The only thing keeping me here right now is I love the university, the city and the people," Sawtelle said. "They have been the greatest joy of my experience here."
Sawtelle's grandfather, Darris McCord, played at UT from 1952-54 before playing 13 years for the Detroit Lions. Sawtelle's parents have retired to East Tennessee.
Darris Sawtelle has left Tennessee's football team.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive lineman made the decision following a meeting with UT first-year coach Lane Kiffin this week.
"It was very polite and very helpful," Sawtelle said Thursday. "It took about three minutes. That changed my life."
Sawtelle said Kiffin told him that he lacked the explosiveness to play in UT's new offensive system. Kiffin suggested that could be a byproduct of surgery to each of his shoulders last summer.
"I feel strong as an ox," said Sawtelle. "It took me a whole season to get them functional again."
Sawtelle, who bench pressed 315 pounds for seven repetitions before spring practice, said he didn't believe the joints affected his play in spring drills.
"For me, none," the sophomore said. "For the coaches, a great deal."
Sawtelle, however, did say he was a bit hesitant at times as he became more comfortable with his shoulders. Sawtelle had his left shoulder worked on in June and his right in July.
Sawtelle joins offensive guard Donald Langley, safety Demetrice Morley, tailback Lennon Creer, receiver E.J. Abrams-Ward and offensive linemen Preston Bailey, Ramone Johnson and Darius Myers as players from last season who either left the program or were dismissed.
Sawtelle was one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the nation when he signed with UT out of Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, Mich.
Sawtelle started spring practice as UT's second-team right guard then fell to third team and was essentially "off the depth chart" when he became concerned.
Sawtelle said Kiffin promised him a release to any school not in the SEC. That would allow Sawtelle to be placed on scholarship immediately. Sawtelle said he is unsure if he will pursue a playing career elsewhere (possibly in the Ivy League) or remain in Knoxville to pursue his law degree.
"I'm optimistic looking towards opportunities that benefit me directly," he said. "I would like a school that's the equivalent of the University of Tennessee or better. I don't want to sacrifice the integrity of my degree (to play football elsewhere)."
Sawtelle has three years of eligibility remaining but would have to sit out the 2009 season if he transferred to another Bowl Subdivision school.
"The only thing keeping me here right now is I love the university, the city and the people," Sawtelle said. "They have been the greatest joy of my experience here."
Sawtelle's grandfather, Darris McCord, played at UT from 1952-54 before playing 13 years for the Detroit Lions. Sawtelle's parents have retired to East Tennessee.
Coleman’s departure may signal end
By: Mark Wiedmer
(Contact)
Included in this article
6 Comments
<!-- --><!-- AUDIO CLIP GET INFO --> <!-- --> His brief tenure as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator undone by his head coach’s firing, Dave Clawson made the following statement on his way out the door last November:
“The first thing the next head coach here needs to do is name B.J. Coleman his starting quarterback.”
(And to think some of us spent much of the 2008 season believing Clawson was the president of the Jonathan Crompton Fan Club.)
Now fast forward a few months to last Saturday’s Orange and White game. At the close of his first spring, new UT football coach Lane Kiffin strongly hinted that Coleman was proving to be far better in games than practice, a supposed explanation for why the redshirt sophomore remained behind Crompton on the depth chart despite superior statistics in public scrimmages.
Asked at Tuesday night’s Big Orange Caravan event if he’d ever coached another quarterback with that trait, Kiffin replied, “Matt Leinart,” who just happened to win the 2004 Heisman Trophy while at Southern Cal.
This is not to say that Kiffin should have named Coleman his starting quarterback before Santa Claus came to town. Nor is it to suggest that given a chance, B.J. could have accomplished what Peyton Manning didn’t by winning the Heisman.
But with Thursday’s stunning news that Coleman is leaving the UT program over lack of playing time and some rather immature behavior by Kiffin, a troubling question is no doubt vexing Volniacs throughout the Big Orange Nation:
If Coleman’s former offensive coordinator believes he should have started 12 games this past season instead of none, if Kiffin sees at least glimpes of Leinart in the McCallie School graduate, then why, oh, why will Rocky Top no longer be home, sweet home to No. 18?
To be fair, it is never easy working with other folks’ kids. Not for babysitters. Not for kindergarten teachers. Not for big-time college football coaches forced to deal with a former coach’s recruits.
Coleman did not sign with Kiffin; nor did Kiffin recruit Coleman. They were forced upon each other when the Vols fired Phillip Fulmer.
It is also worth noting that whether or not this judgment is fair, both the previous staff — or at least the former head coach — and the new regime kept Crompton above Coleman on the depth chart. To characterize this slight as nothing more than blind prejudice is to strain credibility.
Whatever coaches like in their quarterbacks during practice, Crompton apparently showed more of it to two different staffs.
But to watch Coleman in last year’s celebrated junior varsity performance against Hargrave Military Academy or in the 20-10 win at Vanderbilt — his only meaningful SEC action — was to understand that his biggest strength may be that intangible gift of inspiration.
With Coleman on the field at Vanderbilt, the Vols had more pep in their step, much as they did during the 2009 Orange and White game.
Yes, he throws a beautiful ball. Yes, he’s strong and tough and bright. But when Coleman gushed, “We get to play SEC football for the Tennessee Vols. What could be better than that?” you got the feeling that he had his teammates feeling the same thing.
Now he’ll tranfer that enthusiasm elsewhere — to UT-Chattanooga perhaps? — and Kiffin will be left to deal with the fallout of a two-time Tennessee Mr. Football walking away from Home State U., at least partly because Lane was twice too lame to keep scheduled appointments with Coleman to discuss the frustrated quarterback’s future.
For Coleman those slights were the last straw in filing for divorce. For Kiffin they may signal the end of his honeymoon with the Big Orange Nation.
By: Mark Wiedmer
(Contact)
Included in this article
<!-- --><!-- AUDIO CLIP GET INFO --> <!-- --> His brief tenure as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator undone by his head coach’s firing, Dave Clawson made the following statement on his way out the door last November:
“The first thing the next head coach here needs to do is name B.J. Coleman his starting quarterback.”
(And to think some of us spent much of the 2008 season believing Clawson was the president of the Jonathan Crompton Fan Club.)
Now fast forward a few months to last Saturday’s Orange and White game. At the close of his first spring, new UT football coach Lane Kiffin strongly hinted that Coleman was proving to be far better in games than practice, a supposed explanation for why the redshirt sophomore remained behind Crompton on the depth chart despite superior statistics in public scrimmages.
Asked at Tuesday night’s Big Orange Caravan event if he’d ever coached another quarterback with that trait, Kiffin replied, “Matt Leinart,” who just happened to win the 2004 Heisman Trophy while at Southern Cal.
This is not to say that Kiffin should have named Coleman his starting quarterback before Santa Claus came to town. Nor is it to suggest that given a chance, B.J. could have accomplished what Peyton Manning didn’t by winning the Heisman.
But with Thursday’s stunning news that Coleman is leaving the UT program over lack of playing time and some rather immature behavior by Kiffin, a troubling question is no doubt vexing Volniacs throughout the Big Orange Nation:
If Coleman’s former offensive coordinator believes he should have started 12 games this past season instead of none, if Kiffin sees at least glimpes of Leinart in the McCallie School graduate, then why, oh, why will Rocky Top no longer be home, sweet home to No. 18?
To be fair, it is never easy working with other folks’ kids. Not for babysitters. Not for kindergarten teachers. Not for big-time college football coaches forced to deal with a former coach’s recruits.
Coleman did not sign with Kiffin; nor did Kiffin recruit Coleman. They were forced upon each other when the Vols fired Phillip Fulmer.
It is also worth noting that whether or not this judgment is fair, both the previous staff — or at least the former head coach — and the new regime kept Crompton above Coleman on the depth chart. To characterize this slight as nothing more than blind prejudice is to strain credibility.
Whatever coaches like in their quarterbacks during practice, Crompton apparently showed more of it to two different staffs.
But to watch Coleman in last year’s celebrated junior varsity performance against Hargrave Military Academy or in the 20-10 win at Vanderbilt — his only meaningful SEC action — was to understand that his biggest strength may be that intangible gift of inspiration.
With Coleman on the field at Vanderbilt, the Vols had more pep in their step, much as they did during the 2009 Orange and White game.
Yes, he throws a beautiful ball. Yes, he’s strong and tough and bright. But when Coleman gushed, “We get to play SEC football for the Tennessee Vols. What could be better than that?” you got the feeling that he had his teammates feeling the same thing.
Now he’ll tranfer that enthusiasm elsewhere — to UT-Chattanooga perhaps? — and Kiffin will be left to deal with the fallout of a two-time Tennessee Mr. Football walking away from Home State U., at least partly because Lane was twice too lame to keep scheduled appointments with Coleman to discuss the frustrated quarterback’s future.
For Coleman those slights were the last straw in filing for divorce. For Kiffin they may signal the end of his honeymoon with the Big Orange Nation.
Quarterback put his ego before Vols
Commentary by David Climer • THE TENNESSEAN • April 24, 2009
</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--function trackLink4Accounts(linkAccountString, prop41String) { var s=s_gi(linkAccountString); s.linkTrackVars='prop41,events'; s.linkTrackEvents='event1'; s.prop41=prop41String; s.events='event1'; s.tl(this,'o','Link Name'); }//--></SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript1.1 src="http://gannett.gcion.com/addyn/3.0/5111.1/133600/0/0/ADTECH;alias=tn-nashville.tennessean.com/sports/columnist/article.htm_ArticleFlex_1;cookie=info;loc=100;target=_blank;grp=947967;misc=1240687782982"></SCRIPT><IFRAME marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://www.adfusion.com/adfusion.partnersite/categoryhtml.aspx?userfeedguid=c4912e92-af0a-42a9-9e69-a3decde1accd" frameBorder=0 width=160 scrolling=no height=600></IFRAME>
On Thursday, B.J. Coleman quit in a snit and attempted to throw new UT Coach Lane Kiffin under the bus. Speaking to his hometown newspaper, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Coleman called his decision to transfer from UT "the best move for me."
"What changed my mind is, after this spring, I don't see myself getting a fair shake. Based on conversations with coaches and things that happened this spring, I feel the staff has goals that do not include me. …
"I couldn't have had a better spring or made it more obvious to them that I was their guy. I proved it on the field and off."
This qualifies as one of the better parting shots ever by a Vol. Quarterbacks come and quarterbacks go (Remember Branndon Stewart, Joey Mathews, A.J. Suggs, et al?), but seldom are bridges burned so quickly or so completely. Hey, if you're going to cut ties anyway, why not suggest your coach can't chew gum and grade his quarterbacks at the same time?
Now, I'm all for self-confidence, especially out of a quarterback. But there's also such a thing as an inflated view of yourself, your abilities and your importance.
Many things have changed at UT in the transition from Phillip Fulmer's tenure to the Kiffin era, but one thing hasn't: The coaches' assessments of Coleman.
The Vols were 3-7 in '08 before Coleman, then a redshirt freshman, finally hit the field. If he was really so good, why didn't he emerge sooner in an offense that was desperate for any hope?
And everybody started with a clean slate under Kiffin but Coleman never made any real headway this spring.
Coleman looks the part … until the ball is snapped. He has a confident air. He commands the huddle. And after the spring game, Coleman won the press conference.
Asked if he thought of himself as a starting quarterback at UT, Coleman said:
"Absolutely — 100 percent. My goal is to be a leader. … The quarterback has to handle adversity. You've got to walk the walk and talk the talk."
But it doesn't help to talk like Peyton Manning if you play like C.J. Leak. SEC games are not won with sound bytes. Neither the deposed coaching staff nor the one that replaced it thought Coleman was up to the task.
And that's the bottom line.
Coleman's exit assures senior Jonathan Crompton of the starting quarterback position. The only other options are junior Nick Stephens, who missed much of spring with a broken wrist, and former minor league pitcher Mike Rozier, who is eschewing the Red Sox organization for Vols football.
But to the surprise of no one, except perhaps Coleman and his family, Crompton already was penciled in as the Vols' No. 1 quarterback. He held that spot through spring practice and nothing happened in the Orange & White Game on Saturday to change things.
While Kiffin never made it official, the sense within the UT program is that Crompton is by far the best fit for this offensive system. Despite what they may think in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa, Kiffin is no fool. He is going to use the players who he thinks can help him win. For better or worse, Crompton is his guy.
B.J. Coleman just never got the memo.
Commentary by David Climer • THE TENNESSEAN • April 24, 2009
</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--function trackLink4Accounts(linkAccountString, prop41String) { var s=s_gi(linkAccountString); s.linkTrackVars='prop41,events'; s.linkTrackEvents='event1'; s.prop41=prop41String; s.events='event1'; s.tl(this,'o','Link Name'); }//--></SCRIPT>
- Read Comments(67)
- <SCRIPT language=JavaScript type=text/javascript> gsl.recommendCountHrefEnabled='true'; </SCRIPT>Recommend (4)
- Print this page
- E-mail this article
- Share
-
Del.icio.us -
Facebook -
Digg -
Reddit -
Newsvine - <SCRIPT src="http://d.yimg.com/ds/badge2.js" type=text/javascript ____yb="1" badgetype="text"> http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090424/COLUMNIST0202/904240384 </SCRIPT>Buzz up!
-
Twitter
-
-
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript>OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1');</SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=javascript1.1 src="http://gannett.gcion.com/addyn/3.0/5111.1/133600/0/0/ADTECH;alias=tn-nashville.tennessean.com/sports/columnist/article.htm_ArticleFlex_1;cookie=info;loc=100;target=_blank;grp=947967;misc=1240687782982"></SCRIPT><IFRAME marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="http://www.adfusion.com/adfusion.partnersite/categoryhtml.aspx?userfeedguid=c4912e92-af0a-42a9-9e69-a3decde1accd" frameBorder=0 width=160 scrolling=no height=600></IFRAME>
On Thursday, B.J. Coleman quit in a snit and attempted to throw new UT Coach Lane Kiffin under the bus. Speaking to his hometown newspaper, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Coleman called his decision to transfer from UT "the best move for me."
"What changed my mind is, after this spring, I don't see myself getting a fair shake. Based on conversations with coaches and things that happened this spring, I feel the staff has goals that do not include me. …
"I couldn't have had a better spring or made it more obvious to them that I was their guy. I proved it on the field and off."
This qualifies as one of the better parting shots ever by a Vol. Quarterbacks come and quarterbacks go (Remember Branndon Stewart, Joey Mathews, A.J. Suggs, et al?), but seldom are bridges burned so quickly or so completely. Hey, if you're going to cut ties anyway, why not suggest your coach can't chew gum and grade his quarterbacks at the same time?
Now, I'm all for self-confidence, especially out of a quarterback. But there's also such a thing as an inflated view of yourself, your abilities and your importance.
Many things have changed at UT in the transition from Phillip Fulmer's tenure to the Kiffin era, but one thing hasn't: The coaches' assessments of Coleman.
The Vols were 3-7 in '08 before Coleman, then a redshirt freshman, finally hit the field. If he was really so good, why didn't he emerge sooner in an offense that was desperate for any hope?
And everybody started with a clean slate under Kiffin but Coleman never made any real headway this spring.
Coleman looks the part … until the ball is snapped. He has a confident air. He commands the huddle. And after the spring game, Coleman won the press conference.
Asked if he thought of himself as a starting quarterback at UT, Coleman said:
"Absolutely — 100 percent. My goal is to be a leader. … The quarterback has to handle adversity. You've got to walk the walk and talk the talk."
But it doesn't help to talk like Peyton Manning if you play like C.J. Leak. SEC games are not won with sound bytes. Neither the deposed coaching staff nor the one that replaced it thought Coleman was up to the task.
And that's the bottom line.
Coleman's exit assures senior Jonathan Crompton of the starting quarterback position. The only other options are junior Nick Stephens, who missed much of spring with a broken wrist, and former minor league pitcher Mike Rozier, who is eschewing the Red Sox organization for Vols football.
But to the surprise of no one, except perhaps Coleman and his family, Crompton already was penciled in as the Vols' No. 1 quarterback. He held that spot through spring practice and nothing happened in the Orange & White Game on Saturday to change things.
While Kiffin never made it official, the sense within the UT program is that Crompton is by far the best fit for this offensive system. Despite what they may think in Gainesville and Tuscaloosa, Kiffin is no fool. He is going to use the players who he thinks can help him win. For better or worse, Crompton is his guy.
B.J. Coleman just never got the memo.
Crompton has a good arm and makes decent decisions. I'm not a big fan of Stephens, he looked lost last year and won't really see the field unless Crompton gets hurt or struggles mightily. Crompton has ability but it certainly didn't help his growth with the pop gun offense that former OC Dave Clawson installed. They would switch the left tackle and left guard to the right side and vice versa during the game! I knew it was gonna be disaster when I read about it the previous offseason. A lot of the Tenn problems appeared to be self inflicted early on in games and it would snowball after that. I was in Knoxville for the UF/UT game and before you could blink UF jumped out 20-0. Tenn self destructed the entire game and really didn't play all that bad with the exception of their numerous turnovers that killed drives. Crompton must work on his handoffs, remember UCLA game where Tenn was going in and Foster fumbled? That was Cromptons fault. That same scenario reoccurred about 10 more times throughout the year. Truly shocking if you ask me from a team who has ALWAYS took good care of the ball.
As far as where they rank in the rest of SEC, well that will be hard to determine bc a new influx of coaches will be coming in. Based on pure ability and potential(i hate that word!) They are middle of the pack.
The O-line is veteran but average at best and this will be their 3rd OC in 4 years. The starting 5 is not too bad but there is little to no depth behind them. The center Mcneil is a stud and Tackle Chris Scott is ok, the rest have kind of dissapointed after being proclaimed as one of the SEC's best going into last year. Like I mentioned though, when you are the right tackle one play and left tackle the next, how can there be any cohesion? They didn't mesh all year, another shocking deal considering UT's line is always stout. All and all they will be improved but by Vols standards not so much. There will be a lot of shouting from the stands if you know what I mean.
I hope this helps... I kind of ramble on
