‘You can pay me later’

By Tom Mattingly It was early on the second Monday in November 2006. That was more than 15 years ago, but it really seems more recent than that. That’s when a cursory examination of the day’s News Sentinel obits revealed this significant piece of information:...

‘Do something about the series with Vanderbilt’

By Tom Mattingly The “Robert R. Neyland Era” at Tennessee, one that began in 1926 and continued through 1952, with two interruptions for military service, almost didn’t happen, based on events occurring shortly after he took the job. It was in the spring that year, as...

Long Days on Southern Gridirons

  By Tom Mattingly Despite the best of preparation and intentions, there are days and nights in various stadia that seem longer than most, when everything that can go wrong does. On Oct. 11, 1980, Tennessee was in the final stages of defeating Georgia Tech at...

Talk about your humble beginnings

  By Tom Mattingly It was Monday, Nov. 21, 1891, when Tennessee played its first football game in Chattanooga against the University of the South, also known as Sewanee. For perspective, Robert Reese Neyland had not yet been born, making his earthly debut on Feb....