Crossville Chronicle, Crossville, TN

Area Sports

July 2, 2009

ROCKY TOP BEAT: Football news is trickling out of UT at a snail's pace

By Frank Gale / Chronicle columnist

Football news keeps trickling out of UT at a snail's pace. I guess that explains the erroneous reports about Eric Berry’s 13-year-old brother, Evan, “committing" to the Vols. The youth said he was committed to Tennessee (as a fan) at this point in his life which was turned into an “early commitment” to play for the Vols. I am sure that Eric and the coaches at UT had a grin over that one when it found its way onto ESPN.

Coach Kiffin gave us an insight as to why they have not yet signed a quarterback for the 2010 class. He is looking for a quarterback that has the intelligence to run the system, not just be a strong armed quarterback.

That could be a plan caused out of necessity after many on UT’s short list have signed to play elsewhere. Jesse Scroggins is mulling over his latest scholarship offer from USC (Southern California, not South Carolina), but the Vols have another obstacle in his recruitment.

Scroggins reportedly wants his cousin, wide receiver Jerry Anderson, from Germantown, TN to be offered a scholarship to join him at UT.

So far, Coach Kiffin has not relented to this request but with fewer options left for the 2010 class and only one scholarship quarterback returning, that could change.

With the news being scarce, last year’s UT graduate assistant football coach and former bench warming Vol QB Jim Bob Cooter picked the wrong time to mess up. The story is still evolving, but it appears Jim Bob has found himself afoul of the law after entering a female’s apartment via a window and ending up in her bed, according to the News Sentinel.

Let’s hope that it is just another misadventure with alcohol for Cooter and not anything more sinister.

I’m sure when Jim Butler finds out that the Vols are looking for a quarterback that has more intelligence than arm strength, he will suggest UT coaches follow the Vandy recruiters around the countryside and take their leftovers.

Speaking of ol’ Jim, my sources tell me they see him out on Peavine Rd these days. When I first heard this my first thought was he must be trying to recruit displaced Michigan Fans to follow Vandy from the Wolverine faithful that have moved to Fairfield Glade. You know misery loves company.

What Jim doesn’t realize is that Michigan will get better and return to prominence again, while Vandy is Vandy and they had their bowl game for the decade(s). Besides Jim, those people having been exposed to a real fight song in the past would definitely prefer "Rocky Top" to "Dynamite."

While Jim continues to recruit fans for his Commodores, and Kiffin and staff look for that elusive quarterback of the future, I plan on enjoying the summer and continuing the countdown to Vol football. That is at 63 days and a wake up in case anyone was wondering. I think I’ll start counting in weeks. The days seem so far off. Anyhow, enjoy the summer and have faith that sooner — not later — we will have a quarterback in the 2010 class. Go Vols!!

Frank Gale is a Chronicle correspondent, and his column appears regularly.

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