What it means to me to be a VOL

          Recently I had someone ask me a question that I would have never thought that I couldn't answer.  That question was, "Why are you a Tennessee fan?".  My response was the same that I had always given, "born and raised man, born and raised".  Later on I really started to think about what really brought me to have a passion and love for Tennessee football.  My first Tennessee football game was in 1985 when I was three years old.  While I do not remember it at that age, I do have memories of games not too long after that.  I was very, very close with my grandfather who had season tickets for many, many years.  I can remember going to the games at a young age with my grandfather, uncle, and cousin.  It seemed as if we always did the same things back then, but little did I know those little things would come to mean so much to me now.  I remember stopping to eat at a gas station on the way to Knoxville and listening to my uncle and grandfather discuss over coaches, players, and teams that we would play.  Once on campus I remember walking past the "game day rock" that students paint every saturday for the game.  Then we always walked through the Stokley Athletic Center to visit the gift shop and use the restroom.  After Stokley, it was off to the Stadium where I always got a Dr. Pepper and a game day newspaper so that I could look at the starting lineup and read the game day comic strip.  We would stand right outside gate 10 ("the ramp") up in the grass where my uncle and grandfather would meet up with the "regulars".  Once inside the stadium we would make it to our seats and to this day still I remember some of the faces that surrounded our seats.  A few rows above us was a lady about my grandfathers age that I would come to know as "Coach".  Right next to us was an older man who never really cheered or got excited but I can remember watching him pour small bottles of alcohol into his cup.  Down below us was a guy who always stood and would wave his hands up and down trying to get everyone to stand up and get louder.  The sounds of my uncle, cousin, grandfather yelling at the officials, hearing Rocky Top all day long, hearing the announcer say things like "Big Bad John", "Smokey's on the prowl", and "It's football time in Tennesseeeeeee!" will never leave my memories.  The last game I remember going to with my grandfather was an Orange and White game.  I remember sitting next to him and eating peanuts listening to him talk about the team and what we had to look forward to.  I've seen amazing win's and I've seen heartbreaking losses but one thing always happens is the fact that the very next week we always had our orange on and our hearts were in it.  So I guess after really thinking about it, I would have to answer the question, "Why am I a Tennessee fan?", with the answer that it's more than just football, its family.  I guess going to the games still today keeps me close to the memories that I have with my family and the most amazing man I've ever had in my life.  Even by myself, I still take that walk past the game day rock, walk through Stokley Center and stand outside gate 10 and never do it without "Papaw" on my mind.  As long as I'm able, I will always go to as many games as I can win or lose, wear my orange, and be proud to call myself a VOL.  I will forever love my Papaw and will forever be a VOL!