University of Tennessee Athletics
HARRELL UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL SURGERY; VOLS LOOK AHEAD TO MARSHALL
September 18, 2006 | Football
Sept. 18, 2006
Tennessee senior defensive tackle Justin Harrell underwent surgery Monday at UT Medical Center and has been released, head athletic trainer Jason McVeigh reported. Drs. Greg Mathien and Robert Ivy performed the operation.
Harrell had surgery to repair a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm, an injury he suffered in Tennessee's Sept. 9 win over Air Force. Despite the mishap, Harrell played one final game in a Big Orange uniform Saturday against Florida and finished with three tackles.
The Martin native concludes his Tennessee career with 82 tackles in 35 games played, 25 of which were starts. He had 14 tackles for loss and four sacks in addition to pulling down a pair of interceptions last season -- one of which resulted in his only career touchdown at Kentucky.
"I understand Justin's surgery went well and he's on his way to a full recovery," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "I certainly can't say enough about what Justin has meant and still means to this team. We wish him the best."
Fulmer made his comments prior to Tennessee's 90-minute workout Monday at Haslam Field. The Vols coach said his squad needs stay focused on the task ahead.
"I'm eager to get back to work," Fulmer said. "The effort was there (Saturday). If we can improve on certain areas and play that hard, we're looking at having a really fine season.
"We've got to get ready for Marshall. They're not going to feel one bit sorry for us and I'm expecting to see a whole lot of improvement."
INTERVIEW OF COACH FULMER BEFORE MARSHALL GAME SATURDAY
1. How will you cope with the loss of defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who last Saturday played his final game as a Vol before surgery?
A - "That was a difficult loss for us. Justin was an excellent football player and an outstanding leader. We will miss him. We'll have Turk McBride inside, along with Matt McGlothlin, J.T. Mapu and Demonte' Bolden in there. Outside, Xavier Mitchell will move up in the rotation."
2. What steps will be taken to improve the running game before Saturday's clash with the Thundering Herd of Marshall?
A - "Not nearly what we wanted Saturday. Florida deserves credit. Truth of the matter, we played much too high and fundamentally weren't as good as we need to be. We'll have to go back to work and back to the fundamentals."
3. Following numerous changes caused by Inky Johnson's injury, how did the secondary stack up against Florida Saturday?
A - "Losing a quality player like Inky is tough. He was playing exceptionally well. Antwan Stewart at corner did a fine job. Some of the others played like the second-teamers they were going into the game. We'll have to play much better Saturday."
4. Assess the Vols' overall special teams' work through the first three games.
A - "Overall it's not good. We were off to a good start against California. Air Force was kind of a wash for the kicking game. Against Florida we had problems. But not because of lack of effort. Our punt coverage team was disappointing. Guys were out of their lanes and trying to do things they shouldn't be trying."
5. What can fans expect from Marshall, which comes to Neyland Stadium on Saturday for UT's Homecoming?
A - "Their quarterback runs the option well. They have good receivers and running backs. Defensively, they put on a lot pressure. It's what we keep seeing. They are determined to stop the run. That seems to be the rage. If we execute, we have a chance to be successful."
WILHOIT SELECTED VOLS `CAREacter STAR ATHLETE OF THE WEEK'
Tennessee placekicker James Wilhoit was selected the team's "CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week" for his outstanding off-field success.
The Hendersonville native is a communications graduate headed toward earning his master's degree in sports psychology this December. The three-time Academic All-SEC selection compiled a 3.6 grade-point average as an undergraduate and has a 3.8 GPA in graduate school.
On the field, Wilhoit continues to excel. The senior is the SEC's active career scoring leader with 249 points, a figure that ranks sixth on UT's all-time scoring list. Wilhoit has converted on his last 11 field goal attempts dating to 2005 and 14 of his last 15.
Every week the UT football coaching staff selects one student athlete as UT's "CAREacter Star Athlete of the Week" based on five criteria. As a reward for their accomplishments, these student-athletes will be recognized each week by their local media and presented with a T-shirt and a letter acknowledging them as UT's "Star Athlete of the Week."
UT-MEMPHIS SCHEDULED FOR MORNING KICKOFF
The Southeastern Conference announced Monday that Tennessee's Sept. 30 contest at Memphis is being televised by ESPN and kicks off at 11 a.m. Central time. The game marks Tennessee's first visit to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium since 2000.
The Vols lead the series against Memphis 19-1, including an 8-1 mark in Memphis. UT defeated the Tigers a year ago in Knoxville, 20-16, and won the 2000 meeting by a 19-17 count. Memphis' only victory in the series was a 21-17 home triumph in 1996.
Other SEC teams involved in Sept. 30 televised games feature Mississippi State at LSU on Lincoln Financial Sports (11:30 a.m. Central), Alabama at Florida on CBS (3:30 p.m. Eastern) and Georgia at Mississippi on ESPN2 (8 p.m. Central).
