Tennessee Health Care Josh Heupel delivers a message that each and every Vols player should hear
After the Tennessee Titans’ first spring football practice on Monday, head coach Josh Heupel said something that all of his players ought to hear.
A reporter questioned Heupel about whether or not the players Tennessee added to the roster through the NCAA transfer portal could settle into their new positions without much difficulty or if they would need to feel pressure to fill them.
The fourth-year head coach of Tennessee made it apparent that all of the team’s players—not just the transfer additions—need to have a feeling of urgency.
“You see urgency from everybody that’s putting a helmet on and going out to practice,” Heupel stated. “No matter how long you’ve been playing, the top players in the game are constantly honing their art. At this level, guys, it’s Hall of Famers, 15-year veterans.
“There’s always growth. All of our players have areas that they need to improve upon, as determined by our coaches and strength staff. therefore carrying on with daily competition. The guys who put in the most effort and persevere the longest usually emerge victorious. This is valid not only during a positional conflict but also on a Saturday afternoon when you are in the field.
Whether it’s during a January lift, an impromptu spring practice, or an in-season drill, if a player doesn’t exhibit a feeling of urgency, they’ll almost definitely get passed by a guy who does on the depth chart.
Thankfully for Tennessee, it seems the 2024 Vols have that mentality; it began following the Citrus Bowl when Dylan Sampson, the running back, pushed his teammates to begin working on 2024 season preparations immediately
their great roster. But the only way that can occur is if every player on the team approaches every practice as though it’s their final one on the field.
