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Jeremy Pruitt selected two skill players along with a defensive lineman with him to Atlanta for SEC Media Days on Wednesday. In addition to Pruitt, Eli Wolf, Marquez Callaway and Kyle Phillips served as the ambassadors for Tennessee from the event this week.
Here are some highlights of the quotes provided by the players on the Tennessee roster:
Senior defensive lineman Kyle Phillips
On how the team reacts to criticism…
“Coach Pruitt is definitely a coach that has his players’ backs. Since he got on campus, he is always been in my face with what we did wrong. I definitely have so much respect for him for taking up for my teammates.”
On one or two things that is going to be different under Coach Pruitt…
“When Coach Pruitt came in, it was definitely exciting. Just knowing the track record he has and putting multiple players on to the next level, and all the championships he won as a defensive coordinator or assistant coach. It has definitely given me and my teammates a lot of confidence. We are very excited about him as our head coach, and we are ready for this upcoming season.”
On how much Coach Pruitt’s transition from Alabama added a spark to the rivalry…
“I do not think it added a spark at all. I just believe that each and every day, we should be ready to work no matter who we play. He definitely gave us that mindset that it does not matter who we play. We all have the same things. We are all players, and it does not matter who we play against.”
On the one thing that restored his belief when Coach Pruitt first addressed the team…
“I say that when Coach Pruitt came in and talked to us in December, he definitely told us to just think about the little things, like the details, discipline, playing the full quarter. It is really not as much about the team as it is about the details that really separate you from being great. Because in this conference, everybody is talented, but it is the details that could separate the good teams, the bad teams, the great teams, and the teams that win national championships and the teams that do not. That is what we have been focusing on this offseason, and that is what we are going to keep on doing.”
Junior receiver Marquez Callaway
On how comfortable he is going into this season compared to last season…
“I am a lot more comfortable. I have a lot more experience under my belt now, and a lot of other receivers do too. We have a lot of receivers that don’t have any experience. I am taking on more of a leadership role this year with receivers. We will do our best to have the younger receivers ready.”
On what his reaction was to represent Tennessee at SEC Media Days…
“My reaction was very overwhelming. I am honored to be representing the University as a junior. Normally, it is seniors and upperclassmen that get chosen, so that’s the honor right there.”
On first meeting with Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt last December…
“Coach Pruitt told us that he remembered Tennessee being the top team in the SEC and in the country. He kept telling us he planned on bringing the University back to where it belongs.”
On what he looks for in the quarterbacks …
“The quarterback position is a difficult position, and everybody wants that starting position. As receivers, all we are supposed to do is catch the football from whatever quarterback that is throwing to us. The coach is going to make the right decision to pick the best one.”
On offensive coordinator Tyson Helton’s offense…
“Coach Helton’s offense is different since he came from the West Coast. He introduced us to that style. It is pretty different, but overall, it is the same. Same routes, probably different concepts here and there, but it’s just another tool we can add to the tool belt.”
Junior tight end Eli Wolf
On Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt’s first words to the team…
“He said ‘We will win.’ Coming from a place that has won championships, we all just have to buy into what he does say, and I believe we will win.”
On transitioning to the new offense and his role…
“The weight room in the offseason is huge. Going into the spring, I was saying I will do anything you need me to do. So I think my blocking has developed, and I am excited for this fall to see how much the weight room and just gaining weight has helped.”
On how supportive the players are of Coach Pruitt…
“He is a motivator, and he demands the most out of his players. So I know if we buy into what he is saying, we can really achieve a lot together.”
On the biggest challenge having a new coach …
“There are a few. Terminology, getting on the same page and establishing culture. Establishing culture is never easy, but I think we’ve taken big strides to establishing the culture that Coach Pruitt wants, but there’s always going to be room for improvement.”
On the quarterback competition and the impact on the receivers…
“All of our quarterbacks are talented, and it’s exciting to have so many talented quarterbacks. Just throwing with them, I know whoever is out there, we’re going to have a good one. I just want to do everything I can on Saturdays to make their job easier, and I know they will do the same for me.”
On transferring from Coach Jones to Coach Pruitt’s coaching style…
“I don’t have a preference. I did have a good relationship with Coach Jones and I wish him the best, but I’m excited moving forward with Coach Pruitt.”
On the involvement of Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer…
“It’s awesome having Coach Fulmer as our AD. He has done a lot for the program, and he’ll continue to do anything that we need. It is great to have him.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
