Vols Put Injured Player Back Into The Line Up
The Vols coach was greeted on the practice grounds by both players --Inquoris Johnson and Justin Harrell -- injured in last weekend's win over Air Force. And as uplifting as it was to see Johnson released from the hospital, even more amazing was the picture of Harrell in full practice uniform.
Preparing for Saturday's visit from Florida.
We had one of the most unique things happen Tuesday in that Justin Harrell came to us and said, Coach, I feel like I can play, Fulmer said of his senior defensive tackle. We conferred with the doctors and there is no chance for further injury to his arm if he's padded up well. He practiced today and did just about everything there was to do.
I don't know whether he'll get five snaps or 50 snaps, but he's going to be able to play in this football game. And this is a one-game deal. He has to have the surgery because if it goes longer than a couple of weeks, the muscle starts to atrophy, or shrivel and shrink from disuse.
Head athletic trainer Jason McVeigh said late Wednesday that Harrell, who ruptured his biceps tendon in the third quarter against Air Force, is scheduled for surgery early next week.
McVeigh also reported that Johnson was released from UT Medical Center on Wednesday and is doing well.
The junior defensive back sustained a severe injury to his right upper extremity in Saturday's game. Johnson underwent surgery to repair blood vessels and McVeigh said the UT Sports Medicine Staff continues to monitor his progress.
Inky came out to practice and that was a very emotional moment for all of us, Fulmer said. He got them excited about the game. His spirits are really good. I told him we were all praying for him and he said, Coach, I'm blessed. He just had a lot of energy about himself.
He's tired, he's been through a lot, but he's got a tremendous attitude. He's a tremendous young man.
Whatever he does in life, he will be very successful.
And Fulmer said he's never seen anything in his coaching career like Harrell's return to practice.
What a great statement to want to be out there with his teammates, Fulmer said. The love and passion he has for his team is just unbelievable.
Add an early-practice appearance from the Pride of the Southland Marching Band -- a little extra hoopla surrounding this weekend's SEC opener -- and Tennessee's head coach had a pretty good afternoon.
It's Florida week. Whatever it takes.
Meantime: The UT-Florida game Saturday night promises to be a highlight of the football season and fans are being reminded to be good sports at Neyland Stadium.
"Rivalries add to the excitement of the season and the enthusiasm of the fans," UT Senior Associate Vice Chancellor Jeff Maples said. "We just want to make sure that the excitement and enthusiasm remain positive Saturday night."
The game will be televised on CBS, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m., and visitors are encouraged to enter the stadium early.
Fans are allowed to bring the following items inside the stadium:
-Cushions and seats without arms;
-Diaper bags that accompany infants;
-Small cameras, pagers, cell phones and binoculars.
No items or parcels can be stored at any stadium gate.
All items, including purses, are subject to search.
The list of items that spectators cannot bring to the game includes the following:
-Alcoholic beverages, cans, bottles or coolers;
-Radios without headphones;
-Video cameras;
-Open umbrellas;
-Stadium seats with arms;
-Large bags or parcels, including backpacks and large purses;
-Weapons of any kind.
Maples said standard security measures will be in place in and around Neyland Stadium.
Smoking is no longer allowed in the stadium except in ramp areas and the Gate 21 plaza.
Peyton Manning Pass, Middle and Lower drives, Estabrook Drive and Phillip Fulmer Way from Middle Drive to Tee Martin Drive will be closed 30 minutes before kickoff. Directional parking will be used in Area 9 and Lots 4, 5A and 5B.
Starting three hours prior to kickoff Saturday, traffic on Andy Holt Avenue will flow both eastbound and westbound. During and immediately after the game, Andy Holt Avenue will revert back to its permanent designation of one-way westbound.
Due to construction, sidewalks on the north side of Andy Holt Avenue and the east side of Volunteer Boulevard at Glocker have been closed, along with the sidewalk on the east side of Lake Loudoun Boulevard at the corner of Neyland Drive.
Solicitation near stadium gates and along Phillip Fulmer Way will be prohibited.
The traditional Vol Walk from Gibbs Hall to the stadium starts at 5:45 p.m., and the Pride of the Southland marching band leaves the music building at 6:20 p.m.
The Volunteer Village commercial exhibition area will be open on the Humanities building lawn from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The annual Tim Kerin-Second Harvest Food Drive will take place on campus during the afternoon.
The College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Pre-Game Showcase features physics professor Ward Plummer who will discuss the impact of the nanotechnology revolution in East Tennessee. The presentation begins at 6:00 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom.
With a seating capacity of 102,039, Neyland Stadium is the largest football stadium in the South and the third-largest in the country.
He's only going to play this Florida game! He wouldn't miss it for the world!!!
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