University of Tennessee Athletics
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Meet The Player Development Staff
Ashley Smith
Assistant Athletics Director for Player Relations & Development
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Patrick Abernathy
Director of Player Development
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Kevin Simon
Director of Player Development
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Kerry Stevenson
Director of Player Development
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Steve Caldwell
Assistant Director of Life Skills and Character Development
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Our Player Development Staff has over 100 years of combined professional experience. This includes but is not limited to campus, NCAA, and NFL experience. We aim to educate, equip, and empower our young men to reach their full potential in every facet of life.
Become a VFlight Campus Partner
Through our reVOLve pillar, we educate our football student-athletes to utilize campus resources to enhance their experience as Tennessee football student-athletes. If you are a campus department or organization that is interested in expanding the knowledge of our football student-athletes, we invite you to become a VFlight Campus Partner. A VFlight Campus Partnership includes but is not limited to serving as a guest speaker, facilitating learning and leadership experiences, and more.
Click here to become a VFlight Campus Partner.
Become a VFlight Community Partner
Through our inVOLve pillar, we equip our football student-athletes with ways to excel as a VOL and in life through transformational service initiatives. If you are interested in having our football student-athletes serve your organization or support your cause, we invite you to become a VFlight Community Partner. A VFlight community partnership includes but is not limited to mentoring local elementary and middle school children, serving meals to underprivileged populations, visiting patients at hospitals, clothing drives, and more.
Click here to become a VFlight Community Partner.
Become a VFlight Career Partner
Through our eVOLve pillar, we empower our football student-athletes to set a viable career path through professional experiences that will help them prepare for life after college. We invite you to become a VFlight Career Partner and help shape the future of our football student-athletes. A VFlight career partnership includes but is not limited to internships and micro-internships across the country, career connections to business leaders and mentors, opportunities for our players to utilize the transferable skills of football for a lifetime, and more. Your partnership can make a lasting impact on the future of our football student-athletes who are daily giving their all for Tennessee.
Click here become a VFlight Career Partner.
NCAA Compliance
The University of Tennessee Football Program is committed to upholding the principle and practice of institutional control in a manner consistent with the letter and the spirit of NCAA, SEC and University rules and regulations.
