Bumphus Leaving Rocky Top Better Than He Found It
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Persevering through six seasons, playing for three different head coaches and sustaining multiple season-ending injuries, LaTrell Bumphus has battled adversity throughout his entire career on Rocky Top with resilience and composure.
One of four members left from the 2017 signing class, Bumphus made himself a promise to stick it out when times were hard. After two coaching changes and dozens of teammates entering the transfer portal, the Savannah, Tennessee, native opted to stay at his dream school and help build Tennessee back into a championship contender.
The biggest thing is, I’m from Tennessee. Even through all the ups and downs, Tennessee has always been a place I want to call home. It’s definitely been hard at times, but it’s great now to finally see those hard days pay off. It’s been very rewarding, and looking back on it makes you very thankful that you stuck around. I’m just very blessed with all the opportunities that I’ve been provided with. Just being able to stick it out, I think it’s really paid off. You’re starting to see that on the field now.LaTrell Bumphus
One of the oldest and most experienced players on the defensive side of the ball, Bumphus has undoubtedly had an impact on Tennessee’s football revival under head coach Josh Heupel. His will and drive has shown up on the field, heading into the road matchup against South Carolina with 17 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss this season.
The Vols (9-1, 5-1 SEC) just finished up an undefeated homestand at Neyland Stadium, the first since 2007, and are a consensus top-5 team according to the College Football Playoff Top 25, Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. Two weeks ago, Tennessee premiered as the No. 1 team in the initial College Football Playoff rankings—becoming just seventh program to claim the top spot in the CFP poll since its inception in 2014.
Bumphus knows that the rankings are a testament to the team’s hard work and preparation, but leaning on his wisdom and experience, he also knows that the Vols cannot coast through the final two weeks of the regular season.
That’s the tale of the tape right there, but we can’t get complacent looking at that number. We just have to keep pushing, because if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do, that number doesn’t mean anything. We just have to keep our head down, stay humble and keep grinding.LaTrell
The redshirt senior defensive lineman arrived on Rocky Top in 2017 as a four-star prospect out of Hardin County High School, about two hours southwest of Nashville. Bumphus grew up a Tennessee fan, and his favorite player was the Vols’ all-time sack king—the midstate’s own Derek Barnett.
In his first two years at Tennessee, Bumphus played 22 games as a reserve tight end before moving to defensive line for the 2019 season. He had a breakout campaign with 23 tackles and six tackles for loss at defensive tackle, securing a starting role and setting up a promising senior year in the Orange & White in 2020.
Bumphus started the first five games of the 2020 season, but his senior year was cut short after sustaining a knee injury during pregame warmups at Arkansas on Nov. 7. Playing a 10-game, SEC-only schedule, the Vols finished the year 3-7 before going through a coaching transition, which brought about turmoil and uncertainty within the program.
After Heupel and defensive line coach Rodney Garner were hired in January 2021, Bumphus worked his way back from injury and prepared to return for a COVID-19 exempt fifth season of eligibility. The 6-3, 290-pound defensive tackle saw action in four games during his ‘super senior’ season, but a nagging knee injury sidelined him once again for the remainder of the 2021 campaign.
Bumphus earned a redshirt, stayed the course and ultimately decided to run it back for a rare sixth season of college football.
It was definitely a lot of thought. Battling injury is never easy, but I sat down and talked with my family, sat down with the coaches, and really just put my trust in them. Prayed about it a whole lot, and really just sat back and thought about what was best for me. I think that was really what was the deciding factor, and it was in my best conscience to come back and do what I need to do.
Bumphus has played in all 10 games this fall, starting every game of SEC play and producing at a level similar to his breakout year in 2019. When it would have been easy to hang up his cleats after battling back-to-back season-ending injuries, Bumphus stayed true to his goals and knew he had unfinished business to handle on the field with his teammates.
“Really my brothers, my teammates, I wanted to keep playing with them. Just being around them every day, it brings you joy. Even through all the adversity and things like that, I think that’s what really helped me push through. And then also, I wanted to come back and win, and leave the place better than I found it. I think as of right now, we’re on track to do that.”
Fifty-two career games later, Bumphus ran through the T one last time before the Vols took on Missouri for Senior Day—a moment he has dreamed of since cheering on the Vols from a small town on the banks of the Tennessee River.
It’s going to be special, for sure. It’s finally coming around, and it’s kind of surreal. I’m just going to soak it all in, enjoy it with my family and just take it all in. Don’t let the moment go too fast and take advantage of the time I have, because it’ll be the last time I get to run through the T in Neyland Stadium.LaTrell prior to his final entrance onto Shields-Watkins Field
Bumphus will leave Knoxville with two degrees, earning his bachelor’s in communication studies in December 2021 and working to complete his master’s degree this winter. He is the first member of his immediate family to graduate from college and looks forward to wearing the Power T with pride well after his playing days.
That T is very powerful. When you see that T anywhere across the country, you know that’s Tennessee. Just to have played here at Tennessee and get it back to a winning culture, it’s been a blessing.