University of Tennessee Athletics
Seven Questions with the '07 Newcomers ??? Brent Vinson
August 24, 2007 | Football
You are friends with UT basketball player Duke Crews. How did you guys get to know each other?
???I actually met Duke through AAU basketball when I was about 13 years old. We played together for a while and just stayed friends from then on.???
You are a cousin of Atlanta Falcon???s cornerback Jimmy Williams. Do you guys get to talk football a lot?
???We talk all the time. He doesn???t answer his phone much during this time of year because he is in camp, but he is usually there to answer questions for me. He has been helpful to me. He didn???t even try to get me to go to Virginia Tech.???
Can you talk about your difficulties learning a new offensive system?
???For me, it is difficult. I came from a situation where I was an option to get the ball on every play. I had a very good relationship with the quarterback, so I just had to get open. Here I have to be a true receiver, learn routes and coverages.???
What is the best thing about UT or Knoxville so far?
???It is the people. I feel like I am at home, but I am away from home. I don???t have any distractions and I can focus. This is SEC football, and that???s what I wanted to be a part of. This is the best football atmosphere there is.???
Who are your role models?
???My mom is my biggest role model. She has accomplished things no professional athlete could accomplish. She raised me and my two brothers by herself. I know a lot of people have been in that situation, but she is my role model.???
Why didn???t you start playing football until you were a junior in high school?
???I was busy playing basketball, and I was pretty good at it. I had no interest in going to football practice every day. I had played in rec league, but it didn???t seem like the same thing when I got to high school.???
So what made you finally decide to play again?
???I had a close friend, Ronnie Hendrix. He was leaving to play college football the next day, and he was killed in a car accident. He was always telling me that I needed to be playing football and that I was the type of guy that could be successful at it. I went out for the team the next year in his memory. I guess that???s why I still play.???
By Tony Williams, UT Sports Information
