Tennessee HC Josh Heupel deserves a lot of respect for what he did after Vols' win against Virginia
It probably went unnoticed by most folks, but Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel expertly protected one of his players from scrutiny on Saturday after UT's win against the Virginia Cavaliers. Australian punter Jackson Ross, a 24 year old redshirt freshman, made his debut in the Vols' 49-13 win against the Cavaliers. And he had […]
It probably went unnoticed by most folks, but Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel expertly protected one of his players from scrutiny on Saturday after UT's win against the Virginia Cavaliers.
Australian punter Jackson Ross, a 24 year old redshirt freshman, made his debut in the Vols' 49-13 win against the Cavaliers.
And he had a couple of punts that he'd probably like back.
Ross' first punt netted just 17 yards. His third punt went for only 27 yards. The former Australian Rules Football player eventually settled in — his final punt went for 50 yards — but his rough start was enough for a reporter to ask Heupel about Ross after the game.
And Heupel was quick to take up for Ross.
“Man, imagine going over to a foreign country and playing a game for the first time that you’ve never played," said Heupel after Tennessee's win. "Did I anticipate it? No, but do I understand it? Yeah. He’s gonna be a really good player, though. Some of what you saw late from him is what we’ve seen all training camp, so, we believe he’ll continue to get better."
Ross went with a rugby style of punting, which gives Tennessee's punt coverage team more time to get downfield when executed properly.
As for Heupel's comment about Ross, that's one of the big reasons why players love playing for Heupel. The third-year Tennessee head coach isn't a coach that's going to throw a player under the bus while speaking with the media. Heupel and his staff hold everyone accountable, but they also have their players' backs. In that moment, Heupel understood that Ross was experiencing a new situation for the first time in his career. And it was a unique situation for a guy who hasn't played a lot of American football.
The culture that's been built at Tennessee over the last couple of years is genuine. And the way Heupel handled the question about Ross is an example of that genuineness.
Vols QB Joe Milton shows leadership skills by subtly sending a strong message to his teammates
Tennessee Vols QB Joe Milton showed his elite leadership skills by subtly sending a strong message to his teammates
Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
