University of Tennessee Athletics
FULMER WANTS VOLS TO 'ENJOY THIS MOMENT'
October 05, 2006 | Football
Oct. 5, 2006
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Tennessee wrapped up an important practice Thursday, finalizing preparations for Saturday's SEC clash at Georgia with a 90-minute workout. Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer stressed the big-game atmosphere his team will face at Sanford Stadium.
"I really want our guys to understand how big of an opportunity this is and how much they should enjoy this moment," Fulmer said. "Getting to play at a place like Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference, and going to a place like Georgia in a big SEC game -- it will be an exciting arena. Just like when folks come here to Knoxville, I don't know how it gets any better than this."
Fulmer gave the thumbs-up to injured offensive linemen Arron Sears and Anthony Parker, saying both are expected to play.
"They worked out a little bit today and didn.t do too much,. Fulmer said. "Quite likely they won.t be 100 percent, but they will give 100 percent effort. And we've worked those young ones to try and get them ready. We'll throw them in the fire and see what happens.
"We don't have anybody that's not ready to go."
Tennessee's success on third down could prove decisive against the Bulldogs. The Vols enter Saturday as the SEC leader and No. 2 team nationally in third-down conversions. UT made good on 11-of-16 chances last Saturday at Memphis to improve to 59.7 percent for the season (37-of-62), a figure that trails only Air Force (63.8 percent) in Division I-A.
Tennessee's 11 conversions were the most since going 11-of-18 against Marshall on Sept. 6, 2003.
Those lofty numbers certainly will be tested Saturday at Georgia, where the Bulldogs are holding opponents to a 24.2 percent conversion rate that leads the SEC and ranks sixth nationally. Georgia has allowed only 16 first downs in 66 third-down situations.
INJURY UPDATE (Georgia Week): No injuries that will prevent game participation.
VOLS LEAD SEC WITH 40 FORMER PLAYERS ON 2006 NFL OPENING DAY ROSTERS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday that 266 of its former football student-athletes were on 2006 National Football League opening weekend rosters, most of any other conference in the nation.
Tennessee led the way in the SEC with 40 former players on opening-day rosters. Last season, the Vols tied Florida atop the SEC list with 37.
Georgia was next in 2006 with 39, followed by Florida with 35, LSU 31, Auburn 27 and South Carolina 20. Alabama had 19 of its former student-athletes on NFL opening weekend rosters, with Mississippi State at 17, Mississippi 15, Arkansas 11, Vanderbilt eight and Kentucky four. Miami (Fla.) led the nation with 42 of its former student-athletes on NFL opening rosters.
The Atlantic Coast Conference was second among league totals with 247, while the Big Ten was third with 236, Pac-10 fourth with 184 and the Big 12 fifth with 174 of its former student-athletes on NFL rosters.
The NFL Kickoff Weekend numbers were furnished by the National Football League and do not include any former SEC players that may have been activated after the opening weekend. A total of 1,695 players were on opening-day rosters.
Below is a look at how the SEC fared on 2005 NFL Kickoff Weekend rosters
Top 10 Schools -- Miami (Fla.) 42, Florida State 41, TENNESSEE 40, Georgia 39, Ohio State 39, Michigan 36, Florida 35, Nebraska 32, LSU 31, Penn State 29. Other SEC schools -- Auburn 27, South Carolina 20, Alabama 19, Mississippi State 17, Mississippi 15, Arkansas 11, Vanderbilt 8, Kentucky 4.
Top Conferences -- SEC 266, ACC 247, Big Ten 236, Pac-10 184, Big 12 174.
Tennessee representatives -- Jason Allen (Miami), Rashad Baker (Minnesota), Shawn Bryson (Detroit), Kevin Burnett (Dallas), Chad Clifton (Green Bay), Cosey Coleman (Cleveland), Dustin Colquitt (Kansas City), Shaun Ellis (New York Jets), Aubrayo Franklin (Baltimore), Omar Gaither (Philadelphia), Deon Grant (Jacksonville), Jabari Greer (Buffalo), Chris Hannon (Kansas City), Parys Haralson (San Francisco), Albert Haynesworth (Tennessee), John Henderson (Jacksonville), Travis Henry (Tennessee), Anthony Herrera (Minnesota), Cedric Houston (New York Jets), Mark Jones (Tampa Bay), Jamal Lewis (Baltimore), Leonard Little (St. Louis), Jesse Mahelona (Tennessee), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis), David Martin (Green Bay), Tony McDaniel (Jacksonville), Rashad Moore (New York Jets), Eric Parker (San Diego), Peerless Price (Buffalo), Donte. Stallworth (Philadelphia), Trey Teague (New York Jets), Demetrin Veal (Denver), Darwin Walker (Philadelphia), Kelley Washington (Cincinnati), Fred Weary (Houston), Scott Wells (Green Bay), Al Wilson (Denver), Cedrick Wilson (Pittsburgh), Gibril Wilson (New York Giants), Jason Witten (Dallas).
