by design | May 5, 2025 | Columnist, Mattingly
The center of attention wearing jersey No. 57 By Tom Mattingly When the news arrived the morning of April 25 that former Tennessee linebacker and College Football Hall of Fame member Steve Kiner (June 12, 1947-April 25, 2025) now belonged to the ages, the memory banks...
by design | Apr 28, 2025 | Columnist, Mattingly
‘The most difficult decision I’ve had to make in my life’ By Tom Mattingly Sometimes, the best coaching search is no search at all. Consider Dec. 4, 1976, a day all of Big Orange Country had breathlessly awaited. A Tennessee legend was coming home, nearly...
by design | Apr 21, 2025 | Columnist, Mattingly
‘Do something about the terrible series standing’ By Tom Mattingly Despite what you might have thought or heard, the early years of the Tennessee football program were not without their share of controversy. The Vol football program was lucky to have...
by design | Apr 14, 2025 | Columnist, Mattingly
Always a masterful storyteller By Tom Mattingly John Ward, the legendary “Voice of the Vols,” was a masterful storyteller over the course of his lifetime (1929-2017) and his tenure on the Vol Network. Ward had seen it all over the years and was not hesitant in the...
by design | Apr 7, 2025 | Columnist, Mattingly
The Vols were ‘back’ and in a big way By Tom Mattingly Has there ever been a better fourth quarter rally than in the 1964 Georgia Tech game, played Nov. 7 at Grant Field in Atlanta? It was the seventh game in Doug Dickey’s first year as Tennessee head...
by design | Mar 31, 2025 | Columnist, Mattingly
No. 2 quarterback always the ‘most popular guy in town’ By Tom Mattingly Here’s a guide to several scenarios that have emerged over the years when there has been extensive debate among Vol fans about who should lead the team under center. It happened as...