VOL REPORT: Spring Practice Underway

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University of Tennessee Athletics: Football

Tennessee Breaks In Haslam Field For First Time In 2012

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Spring football is officially underway for Tennessee as the Vols took Haslam Field for the first time in 2012 Monday morning. Although the performance wasn't perfect, the Vols are looking forward to progressing throughout spring practice.

"It was a typical first day," Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley said. "The effort was really good. I expected it to be that way. We have, of course, a long way to go from a discipline standpoint knowing what to do, knowing how to do it, knowing why it's important to do it that way and going out there and doing it the right way. It was sloppy from that standpoint, but the key is how we learn from it and how we don't go out the next day and make the same mistakes. That's what I told the players."

With seven new coaches and multiple position swaps, change was evident on the field as much as it was with its surroundings. The development of Tennessee's new overshadowing football training center looks vastly different from what it did when the Vols last took Haslam Field in November.

"They seem great," converted linebacker Channing Fugate said of Tennessee's new leadership. "They know what they are talking about and they come from good programs that win. I'm just going to listen to them and let them teach me all they know."

Although Tennessee has worked hard off the field leading up to spring practice, the greatest lessons will come on it.


"No matter how hard you train in practice, without real practice you can't prepare for football without playing football," Dooley said. "That's just how it is. The key is not how you look the first day. It's how you take the first day, watch the film, apply it to the second day and you grow from there. That's what's more important than anything."

 

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It will be interesting to see the new 3-4 defense, but I'm expecting growin pains early on. The season can't get here soon enough.