University of Tennessee Athletics
Berry's Progress A Model For Spring
April 07, 2015 | Football
April 7, 2015
By Brian Rice
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
There was the consensus 4-star ranking by every major recruiting service. There was the litany of honors and awards that he earned at one of the highest levels of high school football in Georgia. There was the recognition that comes with being a second-generation Volunteer.
And then there is the small matter of older brother Eric being the best defensive back to come out of Tennessee in recent history, a position the younger Berry just so happens to play.
It was a lot to take in, even for a player with a maturity and confidence that was referenced repeatedly by teammates and coaches during his freshman season. His outward appearance may have been calm and stoic, but on the inside Evan Berry's freshman season was a blur.
"When I came in during the summer, things were going fast and I was nervous," Berry said. "I knew it, but I didn't know it how I was supposed to. Now that I do, it's time to make plays. I've had time to get a good grasp on the defense and the playbook and I'm just taking that and running with it."
The time in the offseason to watch film and learn the defense is paying dividends that are obvious to every observer, particularly to the head coach.
"I see Evan playing with a lot of confidence right now," Butch Jones said. "I see him getting into a rhythm, I see him getting momentum as a football player. Momentum is very big and he's been able to maintain that. I see Evan taking a step forward every time we step on the practice field."
With his position, safety, being one of the few filled with upperclassmen in 2014, Berry had the chance to watch and learn, while earning playing time on special teams. He made just five tackles on the year, but played in all 13 games and took over as the Vols' primary kick returner near midseason.
Even with the limited time, Berry excelled in the return game, ranking second in the Southeastern Conference in kickoff return average with 29.5 yards per return. His first kickoff return of the season went for 68 yards against Chattanooga, the longest by a Vol since Cordarrelle Patterson's 98-yard kickoff return at Mississippi State in 2012.
Berry was strong in the return game relying on instinct. But instinct alone is not nearly enough to be a safety in the SEC. Those upperclassmen are still above him on the depth chart, but a spring where the team leaders are bringing the younger players along has Berry motivated to improve. He is ready to contribute and has shown off that hard work in the practices so far.
"I've always been motivated, but it's time to do something," Berry said. "They need me to step up. I have to earn the coaches' trust and this is the time to do it."
It is the attitude that Jones wants to see from every player on the field.
"Spring is an opportunity to transform yourself, to transform your game, transform yourself as a player and as a person," Jones said. "During the season, you are working toward you team, towards your opponent. During the spring, you have more of an opportunity to work on your game. It's every player's responsibility to be a better version of them self."
His improved play caught the eye of many in the first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, when he picked off a pair of passes during the open portion of practice. Senior Brian Randolph, one of those upperclassmen, was one of the people most impressed with the sophomore and evoked a bit of the Berry legacy in his praise.
"He's a little wide eyed sometimes too but once he gets going he looks just like his brother," Randolph said. "He's getting it down."
For the younger Berry, the compliment was just another piece in the Tennessee defensive back legacy, not just the family legacy.
"It's a good compliment," Berry said. "It feels good getting that compliment from him because I look up to him the same way he looked up to my brother."
