University of Tennessee Athletics
Berry Named Freshman A-A; Lincoln 2nd Team
November 27, 2007 | Football
Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry has been selected for the Rivals.com All-Freshman first team, with placekicker Daniel Lincoln earning second-team accolades. Tuesday???s release continues a banner season for the pair of first-year sensations who helped drive the Vols to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
Berry leads all SEC freshmen in total hits with 76 after his 14-tackle effort at Kentucky. He twice earned SEC Freshman of the Week for his play over the regular season???s final three games, including the effort against Arkansas that led to his breaking a 37-year-old school record for interception return yards. A Fairburn, Ga., product, Berry owns the adjusted UT mark of 207 return yards on just four interceptions. The true freshman sensation stands fourth among league interception leaders and third nationally among freshmen.
Lincoln, meanwhile, has blistered UT???s field goal charts all season. The Ocala, Fla., product is 21-of-26 this year on field goal tries, 47-of-48 on PATs and has scored more points (110) in a season than all but two Vols in program storied. Game-winning kicks against South Carolina and Vanderbilt highlight Lincoln???s perfect 10-of-10 performance on second-half field goals. Lincoln has been the league???s best combination of production and accuracy, ranking 12th nationally in FGs per game and second in the league in field-goal percentage.
HEAD COACH PHILLIP FULMER???S TUESDAY MEDIA DAY COMMENTS
???Needless to say, we are very excited about the opportunity to represent the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division in the championship game. I believe that it is one of the greatest settings in all of college football. I???ve been fortunate to go a lot of places and play in a lot of stadiums in a lot of big games and, to me, the Southeastern Conference has created an environment there that is almost second to none.
???It has been an interesting year from our standpoint. Our team has continued to fight all year long to get to this point. The team and the staff deserve great credit for the character and the blue-collar attitude they have had to get it done. Our team is talented enough to be in the championship game, but also I think the characteristic of being great workers and great fighters has been the best trait we???ve had as a football team.
???When we play solid, good, fundamental football, we are a good football team. Certainly, against LSU we will have to do that. We do have our shortcomings on occasions???one of those being lapses of a play???and we do understand that against LSU we cannot afford any of that along the way.
???We have improved as we???ve gone along, and we???ll have to really show that improvement to the fullest against a really talented LSU team. I want to make this point to our team today so that there will be no misunderstanding about how we will have to play in this football game. I told them on Sunday night that we were the dog chasing the car. Now that you have caught it, what are you going to do with it? It???s that kind of attitude that we will have to take. We know the challenges that we have. We must realize our strengths and our weaknesses. If we play to our strengths and minimize our weaknesses, we will have a chance to win this football game.
???We???re a young football team. I don???t think that it will happen, but I in no way want them to be intimidated by the setting. It is one of the greatest opportunities that they will have. I have two notes that I made to myself that I kept on my desk all year long. One of them is ???have fun,??? and we have had fun with this team. It has been frustrating at times for them and for us as a staff and the people that follow our program. The players have been responsive, and that???s the fun part about it. The second one says ???I believe,??? and I have not lost any faith in this football team all year long when we understand how we have to play as a team. It has been challenging; it has been very fun, and the fun has overridden any frustration that we had with our group because it is a wonderful group of young men to work with and to coach.
???When you look at LSU???and we have seen them all year long on film because of common opponents???they are a very talented football team. Offensively, the balance they can present you with makes it really difficult. The quarterback is a heck of a player. He???s done an outstanding job of leading their offense. They are so multiple and do so many things that they are hard to defend. They have a big, physical offensive front, outstanding receivers, an outstanding running back, really just the whole package as an offense.
???Defensively, I don???t know if anybody in the country has a better front than what they can put on the field. It???s not just the starters. They have backup guys that come in and you say, ???he???s going to be a pro??? because of the way they play. The linebackers are really good, and (Ali) Highsmith is one of the best football players we???ve seen all year long. Their secondary is outstanding.
???It???s also interesting to note that they have the number one kicker, the number one punter and the number three kick return guy in the conference, so the kicking game will be a big-time match up as well.
???From our standpoint, I thought we bounced back well on Sunday night. We didn???t do a lot because of the time we spent on the field versus Kentucky. The energy and the enthusiasm were there, though, which is what I was looking for. We???re excited about starting today, and I want to make it clear that our team understands the challenges and the opportunity it has. They have played the role of the underdog during the season pretty well, so we???ll see what happens.???
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| Phillip Fulmer?? |
1. What was the key motivating force in bringing the Vols around to the point they made it to the SEC championship game?
A - "There are so many things it's hard to name them all. Certainly the leadership of the staff and upper classmen. Knowing what we had to do after Georgia. Bouncing back from Alabama. Our team's recognizing that fundamentals were the most important thing. Also, the players buying into the proposition we had 35 days to win five games."
2. Who are some of the players whose leadership helped keep the Vols on track throughout the 12-game season?
A - "Some are obvious: Erik Ainge, Jerod Mayo, Ryan Karl, Chris Brown, Xavier Mitchell. The whole senior class should be credited. Really, though, it's been an attitude of the entire squad. Some led vocally, and others by example."
3. After a four-overtime win at Kentucky, will the Vols be ready physically and mentally to take on a strong LSU team?
A - "Physically, we're in pretty good shape. Even tailback Montario Hardesty might be available. Mentally, I saw an enthusiastic group Sunday night at our first practice for the championship game. They are very resilient and well-conditioned young men."
4. What are the difficulties presented by LSU's balanced offense when the teams meet Saturday (4 p.m. Eastern) in the SEC Championship Game?
A - "Their offense is very balanced and very skilled. You can't load up on one area. It is a very talented squad."
5. Defensively, what are the concerns about facing the Tigers' defense in Saturday's championship game?
A - "It's a unit with no weakness. Their guys up front are a tough challenge for our offense. Their linebackers are very good, and so is the secondary."
