Vols legend Carl Pickens makes it very clear how he feels about Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel
Former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Carl Pickens is one of the best players in UT football history. Pickens, who spent nearly a decade in the NFL, was a two-time First Team All-SEC member during his time on Rocky Top.
Wide receiver Carl Pickens is one of the best players in Tennessee Vols football history.
Pickens, a native of Murphy, NC, played at Tennessee from 1989 to 1991. He caught 109 passes for 1,875 yards and 13 touchdowns during his time on Rocky Top.
Pickens, who was First-Team All-SEC twice while at Tennessee, was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He went to two Pro Bowls during his 10 seasons in the NFL.
Carl Pickens makes it clear how he feels about current Vols head coach Josh Heupel
Pickens joined WNML’s SportsTalk this week and shared some thoughts on current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel.
The North Carolina native pointed out that he appreciates the way Heupel wants former Vols around the program.
“I met Coach Heupel a couple of years ago at the spring game,” said Pickens. “The first thing he said was, ‘We need to get you back down here.’ He wants the old guys around, and I enjoyed that. I think he’s doing a hell of a job. I think they bought into his his style of play. They bought into his work ethic. They have a good group this year. Again, if we can stay healthy, if we can play some good defense, [then] I think we’ll have a really good chance to win some games.
“But right now we just have to tighten it up on defense, and we’re going to have to score a lot of points this year. But I like Coach Heupel. He demands respect, and guys want to play for him. That’s a good thing when you have that combination. When you’re a good coach and guys want to play for you, and they buy into your system, good things can happen.”
It’s certainly great for Vols fans to hear that from Pickens. Last season didn’t go the way that Tennessee fans were hoping it would, but a Vols legend like Pickens strongly endorsing Heupel should give UT fans some additional confidence in the direction of the program.