Did Tee Martin inadvertently throw shade at former Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt?
Tennessee Vols legend Tee Martin, the quarterback who led UT to a national championship just over 23 years ago, was back in East Tennessee this weekend. Martin, who was the Vols' wide receivers coach from 2019 to 2020, hosted the "Tee Off with Tee Martin golf tournament" at Avalon Country Club on Friday. The former […]
Tennessee Vols legend Tee Martin, the quarterback who led UT to a national championship just over 23 years ago, was back in East Tennessee this weekend.
Martin, who was the Vols' wide receivers coach from 2019 to 2020, hosted the "Tee Off with Tee Martin golf tournament" at Avalon Country Club on Friday.
The former Vol caught up with WATE and he briefly touched on how Tennessee football is playing under new head coach Josh Heupel.
Heupel replaced Jeremy Pruitt, whom Martin worked under at UT, as the Vols' head coach in early 2021.
Martin, now the wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens, pointed out that it's nice to see Tennessee football players "play and have fun again".
I'm not sure if Martin meant to or not, but that feels like a direct shot at Pruitt.
Some of the players who played under Pruitt haven't been shy about discussing the "militaristic vibe" that existed prior to Heupel's arrival on Rocky Top.
“With the previous staff, it was more of a military-style of practices,” said linebacker Bryson Eason last spring. “It was very strict. This practice is more catered to us, the team, and the players. It’s just a whole different kind of energy level.”
When Martin talks about Tennessee players having fun again, it certainly feels like he's directly referencing how miserable the environment was under Pruitt.
And if anyone knows, it's Martin — a man who bleeds orange, has seen the program at the top of the college football world, and worked under Pruitt for two years. Martin knows what a healthy Vols program looks like.
There's no doubt that Tennessee football is in a much place with Heupel leading the charge.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
