University of Tennessee Athletics
Newcomers Earning Their Stripes
September 01, 2015 | Football
2015 Black Stripes
As of Tuesday, nine Tennessee newcomers have had their black stripes removed by teammates.
- Aug. 9:
Alvin Kamara -
- Aug. 10:
Kyle Phillips - Aug. 15:
Shy Tuttle - Aug. 17:
Jauan Jennings, Quinten Dormady - Aug. 26:
Micah Abernathy - Aug. 31:
Darrin Kirkland Jr., Paul Bain -
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- When new members of the Tennessee football team first pick up their equipment for training camp, there is an element of their uniform that makes them stand out from their teammates.
The black helmet stripe is a staple of Butch Jones' program at Tennessee. Newcomers wear the stripe on their practice helmets in an "Earn your stripes" model where the student-athletes prove to their teammates that they are ready to earn the orange stripe that will adorn their helmets on game day.
"Everything is about our personal growth and development," Jones said. "Our freshman class has done a tremendous job and our older players have really taken on the responsibility of mentoring the younger players, not just on the field but off the field and in the classroom. It's something that everyone goes through and it's been very positive and very rewarding."
In most seasons, the newcomers are assigned a "big brother" on the team that determines when a player has earned the right to have his stripe removed. This season, following the "Power of the Position" theme of Team 119, the entire position group comes together to determine when a player has earned the right.
"When they feel they've earned it, they bring the player up in front of the team and welcome him, take the back stripe off and then he gets to address the team," Jones said. "It's very rewarding to see the look on their faces."
The rush to get there provides additional motivation for what is already a competitive freshman class.
"It turns into another competition," wide receiver Jauan Jennings said. "Everyone out here is competitive. You come in here with your buddies and ask `How quick can I get mine taken off?' It makes you push each other, going hard every day and making sure everyone else is going hard every day."
The stripe is not all about what a player does on the field. Performance in the classroom, the film room and in workouts all factor in. A player has to prove to his teammates that he can be counted on the same as anyone else in the locker room.
"Coming in as a freshman, you're here to learn from the older guys and get guidance from them to work hard and play hard," defensive lineman Kyle Phillips said. "The black stripe was something that, when you get it taken off, the older guys have realized how hard you've worked and they think you're doing well."
Earning the right to have the stripe removed was not just motivation, it was validation for Jennings.
"Every day I thought about it," he said. "Every day I came out here knowing I had to bust my tail on and off the field with academics as well, making sure my teammates could trust me."
Phillips was the second player, the first true freshman, to have his stripe removed.
"The older guys made me work harder," Phillips said. "I knew there was a lot of competition in the d-line room, so I had to give effort and study hard in the film room with the older guys and get a feel for the game. When I got it taken off, it was an honor knowing that all of the guys see potential in me and that I can help them win games."
Jennings had to earn his stripe while also working through a position change to wide receiver after spending spring practice at quarterback. The feeling he had when his fellow receivers called him up to have the stripe removed is something he will never forget.
"I couldn't keep the smile off my face if I wanted to," he said. "It was something I've had on my mind since I got here and saw that stripe on my helmet. There was a lot of respect for my teammates for allowing it to be taken off. It was a grateful moment."
