University of Tennessee Athletics
Faculty Day Gives Insight Into Team 119
March 28, 2015 | Football
March 28, 2015
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
-- Tennessee welcomed over 170 faculty members to the Anderson Training Center on Saturday morning for the annual Faculty Appreciation Day.The event allows the football program and the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to show their appreciation to faculty members for their work with student-athletes and to give them a glimpse into the daily life of those they have in class.
Faculty members and their guests checked in and walked through the Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio before enjoying the same pre-practice breakfast at Smokey's Sports Grill as the football student-athletes.
From there, the group met with Dr. Joe Scogin, the director of the Thornton Center, along with head coach Butch Jones and student-athletes Mack Crowder and Joshua Dobbs in the team meeting room. Crowder, a graduate student, thanked the faculty for giving him the support he needed in his career.
"I came here in 2010 and redshirted," Crowder said, outlining his athletic history. "Because of the amount of support that you have given me, I was able to graduate last semester and begin my graduate program this semester. Getting a master's degree is something that very few people get to do, but because of your support, I have been able to do that."
Dobbs, an Aerospace Engineering major, went through his academic schedule and noted professors that have helped him pursue a rigorous major while also the starting quarterback for a Southeastern Conference football program.
"In the season, it's important for us to have relationships with our professors, particularly when we have to miss classes on Fridays for away games," Dobbs told the group. "It has been great to build relationships with you guys and you do an amazing job of helping us get ahead and staying in top of things."
Jones thanked the group for helping promote the culture that he and his staff are building within the program.
"We want to be the best in everything that we do," said Jones. "We spend a lot of time on learning and no two individuals are the same in how they learn. I talked to our staff about the difference between teachers and presenters. Anyone can stand up and present off of a PowerPoint. Teachers teach. They find a way to motivate and help their students learn.
"I want to thank you for all you do, not just for Tennessee football, but for the University of Tennessee and all of our students."
The message from Jones rang true with Dr. David Golden, a professor in Food Science and Technology who has seen a shift in the attitude and commitment of football student-athletes since Jones' arrival.
"It is refreshing to see that Butch Jones and his staff have such a dedication to academics and that they make that the front end of the athletic experience," Golden said. "There is a seriousness now that the student-athletes have that has not always been there. Attendance is not a problem and if there ever is a problem, it is corrected right away. There is a greater commitment in every way."
It was a message echoed by several of the guests that spoke up during the question-and-answer session with Jones, who sees football as a part of the University's academic mission.
"We have a great platform in terms of football because every time we play, we're on national television and it is a four-hour commercial for the University of Tennessee," Jones said. "It's a great opportunity to sell our story, not just our football program."
Golden and his colleagues gained an appreciation for their students outside of the classroom by walking in their footsteps through the session, which concluded with a tour of the Peyton Manning Room and the opportunity to observe the first spring practice in full pads for the Volunteers.
"I think it's a great opportunity for faculty and staff to come in here and see the level of commitment that these student-athletes have outside if the classroom that they bring into the classroom and the dedication that the coaching staff has to making sure they do focus on their academics," Golden said.
But more than just the day spent in the complex, Golden appreciates the commitment that the athletes bring to the classroom and the campus as a whole. He believes that the commitment of the student-athletes has a positive effect on every student on campus.
"It serves as an inspiration to all students to see these student-athletes taking academics so seriously and that they are working hard in the classroom," Golden said. "I think that makes other students want to step up and play the game as well."
