University of Tennessee Athletics
VOLS HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH MOVEMENT
March 09, 2006 | Football
March 9, 2006
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Tennessee took advantage of Thursday's practice session at Haslam Field to sandwich an afternoon of correction between a pair of key scrimmage dates. The Vols had 60 plays of live action Tuesday and plan their first full scrimmage of the spring season Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
"Today was about correcting mistakes," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "Now that we have seen ourselves on tape and come back to the field, we should be a lot better in the next scrimmage."
Fulmer said the Vols did not suffer many fundamental mistakes, such as center-quarterback exchanges and turnovers, but left a lot to be desired in other important areas.
"From a physical standpoint, we could be much better on the defensive front and the offensive front. The defense has a real challenge replacing six of their seven starters (from last year), but there are some real opportunities for the young guys to get lots of good reps and honestly see if they can play at this level."
SEARS AMONG EARLY LOMBARDI AWARD CANDIDATES
Tennessee senior offensive tackle Arron Sears has been named one of 44 players making up the preliminary Watch List for the 37th Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia Bank.
The Lombardi Award will be presented on Dec. 6 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston. A.J. Hawk of Ohio State was named the 36th winner of the award last year.
Sears clearly established himself as the Vols most versatile lineman in 2005, playing all but the center position as needed throughout the season. He was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference both by the league coaches and writers and was an SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week selection for his play against Mississippi.
The Russellville, Ala., native played four different positions in UT's overtime win at LSU and had nine starts last season at left tackle, one at right guard and one at left guard. For his career, Sears has 13 starts at left tackle, six at right tackle, four at right guard and one at left guard. His appearances at guard were the first of his prep or collegiate career.
The 44 preliminary candidates earned a place on the initial Watch List by earning All-American honors at the end of the 2005 or previous seasons, or by being named to their respective All Conference team as selected by the conference's head coaches. The Watch List will be updated prior to the start of the 2006 season, in order to identify those players who have been selected as pre-season honors candidates.
Eligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football. While the Watch Lists highlights players who have already received national recognition, any Div. I player who meets the position requirements is eligible for consideration by the Rotary Lombardi Selection Committee. This committee is comprised of over 500 members, including all past finalists, all Division I head coaches and a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Rotary Lombardi Watch List, intended as a reference tool for the Selection Committee, will be periodically updated and revised through the conclusion of the voting to determine the 12 Semifinalists for 2006.
