University of Tennessee Athletics
#TailgateTuesday - Homage To A Quarterback
October 14, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
"Cooter's Acre" is the tailgate of George Hill, Allen Vaughn and friends. The name still stands as a tribute to the former Vol walk-on QB who is now the quarterbacks coach for the NFL's Detroit Lions.
"We had to come up with a name for our little area," Vaughn said. "We couldn't call it `God's Little Acre' because that had already been taken, so we called this `Cooter's Acre,' because at the time he was a player here."
They set up at 6:00 a.m. for every game, no matter if it is a Noon kickoff or 7:00 p.m. And from the time the first chip is served, they welcome everyone in, even those in opponent colors.
"We play nice with whoever comes on to Cooter's Acre and have a good time with them," said Vaughn, who drives up from Acworth, Georgia for every game.
It has allowed them to make lasting friendships with rival fans that have made tailgating plans on the road even easier. The friends travel to every road game and their hospitality outside of Neyland Stadium has led to large spreads put on by opposing fans at Oregon, Georgia, California and many more.
"Next week at Ole Miss, we know where we're tailgating," Hill said. "When Oklahoma comes here next year, their fans know where they're tailgating."
Hill lives in Knoxville and helped pull the group together 12 years ago. In addition to the Vaughns driving up from outside of Atlanta, attendees come in each week from Nashville and Charlotte to be a part of the camaraderie.
And after all this time, the tailgate's name still makes Hill beam with pride.
"Jim Bob would be proud of us for naming this after him," he said.
