Vols true freshman makes statement about Tennessee's culture that fans should love
The Tennessee Vols kicked off spring practice this week. On Tuesday, several of Tennessee's newcomers met with the media. One of those newcomers was defensive back John Slaughter, a former three-star recruit from Mississippi. Slaughter was asked by a reporter if he understands the culture of Tennessee's football program. The true freshman made it clear […]
The Tennessee Vols kicked off spring practice this week.
On Tuesday, several of Tennessee's newcomers met with the media.
One of those newcomers was defensive back John Slaughter, a former three-star recruit from Mississippi.
Slaughter was asked by a reporter if he understands the culture of Tennessee's football program.
The true freshman made it clear that it's all about competition at Tennessee.
"I understood the assignment when I first got here," said Slaughter. "Even as a recruit, everything is going to be faster, bigger, stronger, and more competitive…but here, stars don't matter, rankings don't matter, everybody's a dog."
Stars don't matter, rankings don't matter, everybody's a dog.
That's what you like to hear if you're a Vols fan. There are no promises made to recruits because of how highly toured they were coming out of high school — that's something that was a problem under Butch Jones at UT — roles and starting jobs are earned on the practice field at Tennessee.
The fact that recruits understand that culture before they even arrive at Tennessee shows that UT's coaches are being transparent and honest on the recruiting trail. That might mean that Tennessee misses on some recruits they want — some players want promises made to them — but it guarantees that no one will be arriving on Rocky Top with the idea that they're already a star.
One of the big reasons why the Vols found so much success last season is because of their strong culture. Building that culture starts in the recruiting process and it's clear that Josh Heupel and his staff are building it the right way.
