Vols Wearing Unique Smokey Grey Uniforms For Home Opener to Honor Condredge Holloway
(utsports.com) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After a solid all-around performance in a 49-13 season-opening victory over Virginia last Saturday, Tennessee will look to build off that success and look to be even sharper this weekend for its home opener against in-state foe Austin Peay.“Looking forward to seeing 102,000 of our closest friends here on Saturday evening,” head coach Josh Heupel said during his Monday press conference. “For our program, it has been a long time since we have been inside that stadium with our fans, and we look forward to that. For a lot of our guys, it’s the first opportunity that they will have to drive by Vol Navy, walk in front of 40,000 fans in the Vol Walk before the game, and run out to 102,000, so looking forward to that.
“This week, good opponent in Austin Peay, and excited about us going into week two just continuing our football journey, continuing to get better here as we go through the season. Opportunity for us, as we looked back at the tape this morning, ways that all of us can improve in all three phases of the game.” One area that the Vols will look to clean up offensively are the small details from play-to-play by the skill positions.“All in all, I thought they performed well,” Heupel said. “There were some things early in the football game that everybody saw. We were not quite in sync. We’re not far off, either. I anticipate us continuing to grow and shore those things up.” Redshirt senior wide receiver Bru McCoy also talked about the room for improvement within the wide receiver room from game one to game two.“You almost have to make those mistakes to be able to correct them,” McCoy said. “As we made mistakes, we would go to the sideline to communicate, talk, learn and kind of digest what is not clicking and why it’s not clicking. Throughout the game, we saw it start to come together. At the skill position for us, it’s just making the right reads and not being anxious. [You] have to have some poise, especially when you come out and you have nerves first game. You kind of settle in, and things start to click later.”
“Artful Dodger” Smokey Grey Unis to Make Debut
It was announced on Monday morning that Tennessee will wear its new Smokey Grey alternate uniforms for Saturday’s contest against Austin Peay. The “Artful Dodger” Smokey Grey uniforms pay homage to Condredge Holloway, who played for the Vols from 1971-74.Holloway, nicknamed “The Artful Dodger,” made history, becoming the first Black player to start at quarterback for an SEC program. Saturday’s game will mark the 51st anniversary of Holloway’s first start as a Vol.“Saturday is a unique opportunity, celebrating the 51-year anniversary of Condredge Holloway, the first Black quarterback in this league,” Heupel said. “Pretty special opportunity to honor a great legacy, somebody that meant so much through who he is, his character, how he handled himself here, [his] post-playing career, and the legacy that he has left behind. Like all the guys who have statues and are honored outside of our stadium, it is an awesome way to honor their legacy.”“I really like them,” McCoy said when asked about the uniforms. “I think it’s like a combination of the Smokey Grey with a throwback twist to it. Something new, something different. I’m glad we get to bring them out, honor Condredge Holloway and everything.”
