Lots of moves and numbers with VFLs in the NFL; full list and player of the week named

Lots of moves and numbers with VFLs in the NFL; full list and player of the week named

New Orleans, LA – September 9, 2019 – Mercedes-Benz Superdome: Alvin Kamara (41) of the New Orleans Saints during a regular season Monday Night Football game (Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images)

By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports

Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players in the National Football League entering Week 2 of the season and all the moves in the last week or so, as well as the VFL in the NFL Player of the Week as named by me.

You’ll find stats and a status on how each of the active players fared in Week 1 of the NFL season HERE.

I’ve included some notes, jersey numbers, unofficial depth chart positions, breakdowns by position and much more.

You will also see all of the players that are inactive in the league, either on injured reserve or on practice squads. Plus, you’ll find the list of players that were at UT at one time before transferring and others that have local ties to the Knoxville area that did not attend the University of Tennessee.

I update this list throughout the season here on my blog “Vince’s View.” Bookmark my blog page and check back often.


Most Recent Moves – U. of Tennessee/One-Time Vols/Local Players in the NFL
-Seahawks signed OL Kahlil McKenzie to their practice squad
-Jets signed WR Josh Malone to their practice squad
-Raiders placed QB Nathan Peterman (Pitt) on IR
-Steelers traded QB Joshua Dobbs to Jaguars for a 5th round pick (2020)
-Eagles placed DT Malik Jackson on IR
-Eagles signed TE Alex Ellis off their practice squad
-Eagles released TE Alex Ellis
-Eagles resigned TE Alex Ellis to their practice squad


Notes and Numbers – Vols in the NFL
*Currently 23 U. of Tennessee players are on NFL 53-player rosters
*UT had 25 entering Week 1 with Alex Ellis’ late addition to the Eagles’ 53-roster
*Vols (25) ranked 16th in number of NFL players to start the season among schools
*11 UT players are in the league, but inactive (5 on IR & 6 on practice squads)
*2 VFL rookies are in the NFL, both made teams as undrafted free agents
*Pittsburgh has the most active UT players with 3
*P, DB & DL are the largest positions of VFLs in the league right now with 4 active
*Tennessee’s 4 punters is the most from any school at that position
*16 of the 32 teams have a UT player on active rosters
*There are 3 players on active rosters that were once at U. of Tennessee but then transferred
*There are 3 players on active rosters that didn’t attend UT, but have Knoxville/East TN ties
*VFL Week 1 Game Inactives: Dobbs and Phillips
*One-Time Vols Week 1 Game Inactives: Hurd


Vinny’s VFL Player of the Week
Saints DT Shy Tuttle
The rookie undrafted free agent made the team’s 53-player roster after having a strong close to the preseason. He then took advantage of injuries and a suspension to earn the start on Monday Night Football at home against the Houston Texans. He played 33 snaps (49%) in the game. He recorded a ½ sack combining with Malcom Brown in bringing down Deshaun Watson. He had an assisted tackle, a QB hit and was largely complimented for his play under the circumstances in his NFL debut. His VFL teammate Alvin Kamara had the bigger numbers (169 total yards) but Tuttle’s story is great and AK will win this award more than a ‘couple-two-tree times’ this season. New Orleans beat Houston in an incredible game, 30-28.


Tennessee Volunteers On Active NFL Rosters as of 9/12/19 (23) x = rookie
Atlanta Falcons
Luke Stocker (80) TE (2nd team TE)

Baltimore Ravens
Morgan Cox (46) LS (starting LS)

Carolina Panthers
Michael Palardy (5) P (starting P/H)
Rashaan Gaulden (28) DB (2nd team SS)

Chicago Bears
Cordarrelle Patterson (84) WR/KR (2nd team WR & starting KR)

Dallas Cowboys
Jason Witten (82) TE (starting TE)

Denver Broncos
Alexander “AJ” Johnson (45) LB (2nd team ILB)
Ja’Wuan James (70) OT (starting RT)

Detroit Lions
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) LB (2nd team OLB)
Justin Coleman (27) DB (starting CB)

Houston Texans
Zach Fulton (73) OL (2nd team RG)
Trevor Daniel (8) P (starting P/H)

Jacksonville Jaguars
Joshua Dobbs (1) QB (2nd team QB)

Kansas City Chiefs
Dustin Colquitt (2) P (starting P/H)

Minnesota Vikings
Britton Colquitt (4) P (starting P/H)

New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara (41) RB (starting RB/2nd team KR)
Shy Tuttle (74) DT (3rd team DT)

New York Jets
Kyle Phillips (98) DE (3rd team DE)-x

Philadelphia Eagles
Derek Barnett (96) DE (starting DE)

Pittsburgh Steelers
Ramon Foster (73) OG (starting LG)
Daniel McCullers (93) NT (2nd team NT)
Cameron Sutton (20) DB (2nd team NCB)

San Francisco 49ers
Emmanuel Moseley (41) CB (3rd team NCB)


One-Time Vols That Transferred On Active Rosters (3) x = rookie
Buffalo Bills
Lee Smith TE (85) *Powell HS/Tennessee/Marshall (2nd team TE)

Miami Dolphins
Preston Williams (82) WR *Tennessee/Colorado St (3rd team WR)-x

San Francisco 49ers
Jalen Hurd (17) WR *Tennessee/Baylor (3rd team WR)-x


Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play At U. of Tennessee On Active Rosters (3) x = rookie
Dallas Cowboys
Randall Cobb (18) WR *Alcoa HS/Kentucky (starting WR)
Chris Jones (6) P *Carson-Newman (starting P/H)

Minnesota Vikings
Harrison Smith (22) S *Catholic HS/Notre Dame (starting SS)


Inactive Players From UT, One-Time Vols & Local Players In The NFL
Injured Reserve
LB Colton Jumper – New Orleans Saints
QB Matt Simms – Atlanta Falcons
TE Jason Croom – Buffalo Bills
LB Jordan Williams – Tennessee Titans
DT Malik Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles
QB Nathan Peterman – Oakland Raiders (Pitt)

Practice Squads
RB John Kelly – Los Angeles Rams
QB Tyler Bray – Chicago Bears
FB Jakob Johnson – New England Patriots
OG Kahlil McKenzie – Seattle Seahawks
WR Josh Malone – New York Jets
TE Alex Ellis – Philadelphia Eagles
TE Daniel Helm – San Francisco 49ers (Duke)
DE Dewayne Hendrix – Miami Dolphins (Pitt)


Teams Without Any Players From UT On Active 53-Player Rosters (16)
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Giants
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins


UT Players In The NFL By Position (23)
QB – 1
RB – 1
WR – 1
TE – 2
FB – 0
OL – 3
DL – 4
LB – 2
DB – 4
P – 4
PK – 0
LS – 1


Find more of my broadcasting work at VinceSports.net

Craig Morgan Releases Heartfelt Thank-You After “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” Reaches No. 1: “Jerry’s Work on Earth Did Not End With His Passing”

Craig Morgan Releases Heartfelt Thank-You After “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” Reaches No. 1: “Jerry’s Work on Earth Did Not End With His Passing”

After Blake Shelton spearheaded a successful viral campaign to get Craig Morgan’s new song, “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” to No. 1 on the iTunes chart, Craig released a heartfelt thank-you to the fans and Blake via Instagram.

The new tune, which Craig penned and produced, honors his late son, Jerry Greer, who passed away after a boating accident in July 2016 at the age of 19.

“Wow! I’m so completely humbled by all the support the world has shown this song,” said Craig. “Blake Shelton. You are an awesome friend and champion for country music. We love ya, and I cannot thank you enough. The support the entire entertainment community and music fans have shown is a testament to the love that country music embodies. This song is a God thing. My hope is that it reaches all who need to hear it. My son Jerry’s work on earth did not end with his passing. THANK YOU, everyone.”

Blake, country music’s most powerful social media influencer, implored his 20.6 million Twitter followers to help “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” reach No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart. And it worked. From Sept. 9—the date of Blake’s first tweet referencing the tune—to Sept. 12, the song moved from No. 75 on the iTunes Country Songs chart to No. 1.The tune also reached No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes Top Songs chart.

Blake mentioned Craig’s song in more than 20 tweets. He also got some of his famous friends involved via Twitter, including Ellen DeGeneres, Carson Daly, Meghan Trainor and more.

photo by NCD

Hardy’s New “Hixtape Vol. 1” Features 17 Guest Artists, Including Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Dustin Lynch & More

Hardy’s New “Hixtape Vol. 1” Features 17 Guest Artists, Including Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Dustin Lynch & More

Michael Hardy, known professionally as Hardy, announced that his new album, Hixtape Vol. 1, features 17 guest artists, including Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Dustin Lynch, Lauren Alaina, Tracy Lawrence, Trace Adkins and more.

“The more we kept asking people and taking chances . . . people kept saying ‘yes’ and it just became this really cool thing,” says Hardy. “80 percent of them are my friends. The spectrum is really broad. We have everyone from Devin Dawson to Joe Diffie, and everything in between. I think there’s something for every type of country fan on the record.”

The new album will drop on Sept. 13. Hardy’s debut single, “Rednecker,” is currently No. 28 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Before his success as a singer, Hardy earned a rep as one of Nashville’s hottest songwriters, having co-penned recent No. 1 singles “God’s Country” (Blake Shelton), “Simple” (Florida Georgia Line) and “Up Down” (Morgan Wallen). Hardy also had a hand in writing FGL’s “Talk You Out of It,” Chris Lane’s “I Don’t Know About You” and Blake Shelton’s “Hell Right.”

Hixtape Vol. 1 Track List & Songwriters

  1. “Boy From the South” feat. Cole Swindell and Dustin Lynch (Matt Dragstrem, Michael Hardy and Brett Tyler
  2. “He Went to Jared” feat. Morgan Wallen (Michael Hardy, Chase McGill and Morgan Wallen)
  3. “Redneck Tendencies” feat. Trace Adkins and Joe Diffie (Michael Hardy, Brian Kelley, Ernest K. Smith and Ben Stennis)
  4. “Nothin’ Out Here” feat. Thomas Rhett (Michael Hardy, Ben Hayslip and Jimmy Yeary)
  5. “My Kinda Livin'” feat. Hunter Phelps and Jameson Rodgers (Michael Hardy, Cameron Montgomery and Hunter Phelps)
  6. “No Place Like Hometown” feat. Keith Urban and Hillary Lindsey (Michael Hardy, Mark Holman and Hillary Lindsey)
  7. “Something a Lil’ Stronger” feat. Mitchell Tenpenny and Jon Langston (Bart Butler, Michael Hardy, Jake Mitchell and Brett Tyler)
  8.  “What They Make Backroads For” feat. Tracy Lawrence and Jake Owen (Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt and Josh Thompson)
  9. “Turn You Down” feat. Morgan Wallen and Zakk Wylde (Ben Burgess, Jacob Durrett, Michael Hardy and Morgan Wallen)
  10. “One Beer” feat. Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson (Michael Hardy, Hillary Lindsey and Jake Mitchell)

Listen to Hardy’s “He Went to Jared,” featuring Morgan Wallen.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Luke Combs Announces Sophomore Album, “What You See Is What You Get,” & Drops New Song Featuring Brooks & Dunn [Listen]

Luke Combs Announces Sophomore Album, “What You See Is What You Get,” & Drops New Song Featuring Brooks & Dunn [Listen]

Luke Combs revealed the title of his sophomore album is What You See Is What You Get, which is set to drop on Nov. 8. Produced by Scott Moffatt, What You See Is What You Get features 17 songs, including the five tracks previously released on Luke’s recent EP, The Prequel.

Cover art by Rob Hendon; original photo by David Bergman

To celebrate the news, Luke released a new track from the album, “1, 2 Many,” which features Brooks & Dunn. Luke was featured on Brooks and Dunn’s recent album, Reboot, singing “Brand New Man.”

Luke’s 2017 debut album, This One’s for You, spawned five consecutive No. 1 singles, including “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “One Number Away,” “She Got the Best of Me” and “Beautiful Crazy.” He scored a sixth consecutive No. 1 single with the release of “Beer Never Broke My Heart” from his 2019 EP, The Prequel.

Earlier this year, the recent Grand Ole Opry inductee made history as the first artist to simultaneously top all five Billboard country charts for multiple weeks: Top Country Albums, Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Song Sales.

This One’s for You has spent 47 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, second only to Shania Twain’s Come On Over at 50 weeks.

Listen to “1, 2 Many” below.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Watch Kip Moore’s Lively New Video for “She’s Mine”

Watch Kip Moore’s Lively New Video for “She’s Mine”

Kip Moore has given fans their first taste of new music from his upcoming fourth studio album with the release of lead single “She’s Mine.” Kip produced the new single, which he co-penned with Dan Couch and Scott Stepakoff.

“I wrote this song at a time in my life when I realized that my life was flipped upside down and I didn’t know which way was up,” says Kip. “Every experience from there forward, I felt like everything was going to be a surprise. I didn’t know where I was going to end up, who I was going to meet or who I was going to be with. I’m fired up to be getting new music out there, and this song is just the beginning. I know the fans are ready and so am I.”

Directed by PJ Brown, the new video for “She’s Mine” finds Kip cutting up with a wide cast of potential love interests.

“Filming the video for this single is some of the most fun I’ve had shooting a music video in a long time,” says Kip. “We just got to let loose and riff-off of the incredible cast we were working with. I can’t wait for the fans to see it.”

Kip’s forthcoming project follows his 2018 EP, Room to Spare: The Acoustic Sessions, and his 2017 studio album, Slowheart, which spawned hits “More Girls Like You” and “Last Shot.”

Watch the new video for “She’s Mine” below.

photo by NCD

Watch Sheryl Crow & Chris Stapleton Perform “Tell Me When It’s Over” From Upcoming “CMT Crossroads”

Watch Sheryl Crow & Chris Stapleton Perform “Tell Me When It’s Over” From Upcoming “CMT Crossroads”

Sheryl Crow wrangled together a handful of artists featured on her recent Threads (Aug. 30) album for an upcoming episode of CMT Crossroads, which will air on Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. CT.

Sheryl’s 17-song album features collaborations with 20 artists, including Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton, Keith Richards, Joe Walsh, James Taylor, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Margo Price, Jason Isbell, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and more.

For her new CMT Crossroads episode, Sheryl will be joined by Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Joe Walsh, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Lucius. The one-hour special includes performances and interviews filmed at a variety of eclectic and intimate settings.

CMT Crossroads Lineup

  • “Everything Is Broken” – feat. Jason Isbell
  • “Tell Me When It’s Over” – feat. Chris Stapleton
  • “Nobody’s Perfect” – feat. Emmylou Harris
  • “Still the Good Old Days” – feat. Joe Walsh
  • “Don’t” – feat. Lucius
  • “Live Wire” – ft. Bonnie Raitt
  • “Strong Enough” – feat. Lucius
  • “Walk Away” – feat. Joe Walsh

Watch Sheryl and Chris’ performance on “Tell Me When It’s Over,” a tune they co-penned for Threads.

photos by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Football Central: Tennessee vs. Chattanooga

Football Central: Tennessee vs. Chattanooga

Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee wraps up its season-opening three-game homestand this Saturday afternoon as the Vols welcome in-state foe Chattanooga to Neyland Stadium for a noon kickoff.

The Big Orange will be looking to extend their winning streak over in-state non-conference opponents to 15 straight games.

Broadcast Info
Saturday’s contest will be televised on the SEC Network with Taylor Zarzour (PxP), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline) on the call.

Fans can also listen to Tennessee’s radio broadcast on the Vol Network (WIVK-FM 107.7, WNML-FM 99.1 & WNML-AM 990) as well as satellite radio (Sirius Ch. 133, XM Ch. 190, Internet Ch. 963). Bob Kesling (PxP), Tim Priest (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action all season long.

Need to Know
One-Two Punch
Tennessee’s running back tandem of Ty Chandler and Eric Gray have proven to be an effective one-two punch for the Vols early on this season. Chandler and Gray have combined to account for 45 percent of the Vols’ total offense through two games with 368 total yards between them. The dynamic duo has also accounted for 308 of the team’s 335 net rushing yards.

Chandler is coming off his third career 150-plus yard rushing performance after racking up 154 yards on the ground against BYU last week, including a 53-yard run in the second quarter. The Nashville native had three runs of 50 or more yards in his career and 12 total plays accounting for 30 or more yards.

Gray rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries last week against the Cougars after racking up six receptions for 51 yards in the season opener against Georgia State. His six receptions against the Panthers were the most by a freshman running back since Jalen Hurd had seven catches at South Carolina on Nov. 1, 2014.

Jennings Off to Impressive Start
Redshirt senior wide receiver Jauan Jennings has been Tennessee’s biggest threat through the air through two games. The redshirt senior has 11 receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. His four-catch, 88-yard, two touchdown performance against BYU was the second multi-score game of his career (2016 vs. Missouri). It’s also the third time in his career that he has had a touchdown catch in back-to-back games. Jennings has already equaled his receiving touchdowns total of three from last season.

In the season opener against Georgia State, Jennings set a career high in receptions with seven. For his performance that also included 108 receiving yards and a touchdown, Jennings was named to PFF College’s SEC Team of the Week and graded out as a 79.8 — the highest grade of any slot receiver in the nation.

Mr. Automatic
Junior placekicker Brent Cimaglia has put together an impressive start to his third season on Rocky Top, converting on all seven of his field goals and all five of his extra points. Cimaglia is tied for first in the nation in field goals made (seven) and field goal percentage (100%). The Nashville native tied a career-long make against BYU, nailing a 51-yard kick in the second quarter. He previously made a 51-yarder at Florida in 2017. The junior has also made field goals from 19, 22, 31, 39, 40 and 48 yards during the season’s first two games, bringing his career total field goal mark to 25-for-33. He is also 39-for-39 on extra points over the course of his career. Cimaglia has now made his last nine field goals and has hit seven of his last nine field goal attempts of 40 or more yards.

Bumphus Emerging as Playmaker on D-Line
Junior defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus became the second player on Tennessee’s roster with a multiple-sack game to his credit during the Vols’ game against BYU. Bumphus, who registered two sacks after earning his first-career defensive start, joins Darrell Taylor as  players on Tennessee’s roster with games of two sacks or more. Before moving to defensive line prior to the 2019 season, Bumphus started one game at tight end against South Carolina in 2018. For the second time in the Jeremy Pruitt era, Tennessee had three separate players record a sack in the same game as Bumphus, Taylor and Greg Emerson did so against the Cougars.

Series History: Chattanooga
Vols lead series, 38-2-2

Saturday will mark the 43rd meeting between the Volunteers and Mocs. Tennessee has dominated the series, winning 38 of the 42 games between the two programs. The Big Orange have won nine straight games in the series, with their last loss coming back in 1958. UT’s only other loss to Chattanooga came all the way back in 1905.

Tennessee and Chattanooga were both members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1913-1920. The Vols are 68-6-1 against current members of the FCS and 48-4-2 versus current members  of the Southern Conference, most recently defeating ETSU, 59-3, last season in Knoxville.

About Chattanooga
Chattanooga enters this weekends contest with a 1-1 record. The Mocs defeated Eastern Illinois, 24-10, in their season opener before falling to Jacksonville State, 41-20, on the road last Saturday. Head coach Rusty Wright is in his first season leading the program after spending the past two seasons as specials teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Georgia State. Wright was a four-year letter winner for the Mocs football team and had two stints as an assistant coach at UTC.

The Mocs feature an experience offense that returns 24 letterwinners and nine starters from last season, including all five offensive linemen. Senior quarterback Nick Tiano has thrown for 403 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while also rushing for a pair of scores so far this season. Freshman Ailym Ford has seen the bulk of the carries at running back, rushing 34 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Junior wideout Bryce Nunnelly has been Tiano’s favorite target with 14 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, senior linebacker Marshall Cooper leads the team in tackles with 20. Defensive lineman Devonsha Maxwell has recorded 2.5 tackles for loss to lead the Mocs while defensive backs CaMiron Smith and Kameron Brown have both intercepted a pass.

Game Promos
Teacher Appreciation Day: Saturday’s game will serve as Teacher Appreciation Day at Neyland Stadium. UT will honor all of Tennessee’s educators and teachers as part of the Extra Yard for Teachers initiative. There will be an exclusive FREE pregame tailgate, which includes breakfast, drinks and entertainment. One lucky teacher will have the opportunity to win two (2) suite tickets & pregame field access. Tennessee will also provide discounted tickets for all teachers, educators, staff, family and friends.

2019 Spirit Day: Pregame Clinic, on-field performance, Spirit Day t-shirt, post-performance food and discounted tickets!

 

UT Athletics

Craig Morgan’s “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” Goes to No. 1 on iTunes With Some Help From Blake Shelton, Ellen DeGeneres & More

Craig Morgan’s “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” Goes to No. 1 on iTunes With Some Help From Blake Shelton, Ellen DeGeneres & More

Mission accomplished, Blake Shelton.

Country music’s most powerful social media influencer implored his 20.6 million Twitter followers to help Craig Morgan’s touching new song, “The Father, My Son & the Holy Ghost” reach No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart. And it worked.

From Sept. 9—the date of Blake’s first tweet referencing the tune—to Sept. 12, the song moved from No. 75 on the iTunes Country Songs chart to No. 1.

The tune also reached No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes Top Songs chart.

Blake mentioned Craig’s song in more than 20 tweets. He also got some of his famous friends involved via Twitter, including Ellen DeGeneres, Carson Daly, Meghan Trainor and more.

The new tune, which Craig penned and produced, honors his late son, Jerry Greer, who passed away after a boating accident in July 2016 at the age of 19.

“Come on everybody this song deserves to be number 1 at least on iTunes,” said Blake via Twitter on Sept. 9. “Tweet your friends, tag the song. All people need to do is hear it once. They will want to own it. This song deserves to be recognized.@cmorganmusic

“Ahhhhh!!!!!!! Y’all did it!!!!! Y’all did!!!” said Blake via Twitter on Sept. 12. “You gave @cmorganmusic and this song the shot it deserves! It’s a #1 Country song on @AppleMusic!!!”

photos: Craig Morgan by NCD; Blake Shelton by AFF-USA.com

Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Dave Cobb & More Win Americana Awards [Full List]

Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Dave Cobb & More Win Americana Awards [Full List]

The 2019 Americana Honors & Awards ceremony was held on Sept. 11 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

The star-studded event, which was hosted by the Milk Carton Kids, featured performances by Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Lori McKenna, Delbert McClinton, Buddy & Julie Miller, Maria Muldaur, Mumford & Sons, Amanda Shires and more.

The night’s big winners included Brandi Carlile (Artist of the Year), John Prine (Album of the Year and Song of the Year), I’m With Her (Duo/Group of the Year), The War and Treaty (Emerging Act of the Year) and Chris Eldridge (Instrumentalist of the Year).

The Honors & Awards ceremony is the centerpiece of Nashville’s AmericanaFest (Sept. 10–15), which features approximately 500 performances from more than 250 artists at more than 50 venues.

Check out all of the winners below.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“To the Sunset,” Amanda Shires, Produced by Dave Cobb
“The Tree,” Lori McKenna, Produced by Dave Cobb
“The Tree of Forgiveness,” John Prine, Produced by Dave Cobb WINNER
“Walk Through Fire,” Yola, Produced by Dan Auerbach

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Brandi Carlile WINNER
Rhiannon Giddens
Kacey Musgraves
Mavis Staples

DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR
I’m With Her WINNER
Our Native Daughters
Tedeschi Trucks Band
The War and Treaty

EMERGING ACT OF THE YEAR
Jade Bird
J.S. Ondara
Erin Rae
The War and Treaty WINNER
Yola

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Chris Eldridge WINNER
Eamon McLoughlin
Chris Powell
Michael Rinne

SONG OF THE YEAR
“By Degrees,” Mark Erelli, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Lori McKenna, Anais Mitchell & Josh Ritter, Written by Mark Erelli
“Mockingbird,” Ruston Kelly, Written by Ruston Kelly
“People Get Old,” Lori McKenna, Written by Lori McKenna
“Summer’s End,” John Prine, Written by Pat McLaughlin and John Prine WINNER

President’s Award
Felice & Boudleaux Bryant

Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting
Elvis Costello

Legacy of Americana Award
Rhiannon Giddens and Frank Johnson

Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance
Delbert McClinton

Trailblazer Award
Maria Muldaur

Inspiration Award
Mavis Staples

photo by Getty Images for the Americana Music Association

Vol Report: Pruitt Sees ‘Close Group’ Improving

Vol Report: Pruitt Sees ‘Close Group’ Improving

Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt saw a lot of juice at practice on Wednesday afternoon at Haslam Field as the Vols continued preparation for in-state opponent, Chattanooga.

The Mocs will travel to Neyland Stadium for a Noon ET kick (SEC Network) on Saturday and Pruitt is hoping his team continues to improve this week following three solid practices.

“Guys continue to work hard and improve,” Pruitt said. “(There was) a lot of juice out there today which is good to see. You see our leadership, see guys responding to adversity which is exactly what I expected with these guys. Just looking at them, I’ve said all along that I really like this group of guys. I like our team. They have really molded together to become a pretty close group, and that’s a good thing because right now that’s what they need to do and we’re working hard.”

The Vols have started the 2019 season with a pair of losses, but there have been several bright spots and noticeable improvements from Week 1 to Week 2.

The challenge is to keep improving moving forward.

“Every week we have the same expectations and that is to be at our best,” Pruitt said. “The previous game will have no outcome on the next game. We have 60 minutes on Saturday to be at our best. That is one thing that we need to do because we have yet to do that.”

Pruitt and the coaching staff have relied on several freshmen and newcomers throughout the early part of the season. A pair of bright spots on the defense have been true freshmen Warren Burrell, at cornerback, and Henry To’o To’o, at linebacker. The first-year pair has started both games this season.

To’o To’o is tied for the team lead in tackles, while Burrell’s production doesn’t show up in the box score as much. However, Pruitt called the Suwannee, Ga., freshman one of Tennessee’s top defenders through the first two games.

“I think Warren has been one of our better players on defense,” Pruitt said. “He’s tackled well, he’s been in the right spots, he’s cut off some guys in the back end. He’s an instinctive guy that needs to develop play strength.”

Another freshman making an impact is running back Eric Gray. The Memphis, Tenn., native has rushed for 106 yards on 24 carries through his first two career games, while showing he can be a threat as a receiver. He ranks second on the team with eight receptions for 56 yards. And he’s also outstanding in the classroom.

“I think Eric Gray has done a really nice job since he has been here. He is very mature,” Pruitt said. “He made all A’s and one B in the spring semester. He is a really good student. He does everything that we ask him to do. He has very good leadership skills. What you see on Saturdays is what we see on Monday through Friday from him. That isn’t a surprise. The guy comes to work every single day.”

The Vols have played 10 true freshmen so far this season and Pruitt is pleased with the class as building blocks for the future.

“There are a lot of guys in our freshman class that are similar to Eric and work hard like that,” Pruitt said. “He is at a position where it is only him and Ty, where they are the only two scholarship running backs. He is getting plenty of opportunities.”

Fils-aime, Jordan Adding Depth to Running Back Room
Last week junior Ty Chandler and Gray were the only two scholarship running backs to play against BYU. Pruitt expects senior Carlin Fils-aime back soon and junior Tim Jordan back for UTC.

Pruitt said Fils-aime is “probably one week away” after practicing on scout team last week, but he expects Jordan to be ready to go after practicing each day this week.

Fils-aime has rushed for 309 yards and five touchdowns in his career, while Jordan has logged 580 rushing yards and three scores, including a standout 118-yard game in the 2018 season opener.

Jeremy Pruitt Press Conference Transcript | Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019

Opening statement:
“We’ve had three good days again this week. Guys continue to work hard and improve. A lot of juice out there today which is good to see. You see our leadership, see guys responding to adversity which is exactly what I expected with these guys. Just looking at them, I’ve said all along that I really like this group of guys. I like our team. They have really molded together to become a pretty close group, and that’s a good thing because right now that’s what they need to do and we’re working hard.

“Got UTC this week. I said earlier, very familiar with their coaching staff, coached against them. Guys on our staff have coached with them and against them, so they do a fantastic job. We have lots of things we can improve on this week and we’ve got to do that. We’ve got to do that every week, so our guys are working hard to do that.”

On DB Bryce Thompson being reinstated to practice from suspension:
“He’s been away from the team for three weeks. He’s been in school here. There’s still lots of things that have to go on here with his situation. He obviously made a mistake, but he needs to be around the football team. He’s not practiced in three weeks, so he needs to practice. It’s good for him.”

On Bryce Thompson’s status Saturday:
“Well it’s hard to play when you haven’t been practicing, right? It’s hard to get in shape, so we’ve got to build up [to that].”

On the plan for Bryce Thompson and if the decision to reinstate him involved multiple people:
“We’re not going to discuss the plan. From privacy issues, we can’t really discuss that. When you talk about something like this you don’t just make a decision out on your own. You have to consult with people within our university and obviously we have.”

On how he is emphasizing turnovers in practice:
We obviously haven’t gotten any. The big thing to me is that you have to recruit guys that are used to handling the ball. To me, it seems like it gets contagious. The simplest thing is when every play ends the defense needs to have the ball. So, you are fighting to get the ball all the way to the end, that’s kind of our motto. We haven’t seen the dividends on gameday, but that’s how we practice, so we have got to take the practice part to the game. We have had some opportunities to pick a few balls off and haven’t, but we have got to get some balls off people.”

On the play of the safeties so far this season: 
“I wouldn’t say anywhere on our football team has played great the first two weeks, there’s lots of improvement everywhere. We’ve missed a few tackles in two games, not as many as I previously thought when I looked at the stats. There’re three things I look at: missed tackles, mental errors and loafs. So not as many missed tackles, too many mental errors – which some of that comes with when you are playing in the first couple weeks, you don’t know who they are – it helps to have experience so when you see something you can play things based off concepts. But we have got to improve all over our football team, and yes, we have got some young guys in the secondary that are getting closer. So, they have got to continue to work hard, the problem is that we have had to move a couple of these guys around to a couple of positions just for lack of depth, but it will help them in the long run.”

On Warren Burrell and where he would like to see him improve:
“I think Warren has been one of our better players on defense. He gave up a few passes last week, but we were playing off cover three, that’s the weakness of the defense. He’s tackled well, he’s been in the right spots, he’s got some guys cut off in the back end. He’s an instinctive guy that needs to develop play strength. I mean he’s 172 pounds, he’s got a nice frame on him but he’s going to have to work hard during the season to maintain strength and have a little more play strength, have a little heavier hands, and really kind of take care of his body so he can survive the season.”

On Baylen Buchanan and his progression with his injuries: 
“He does everything in practice, he just doesn’t hit. Baylen is a guy who can play a lot of positions. He is one of our better players on defense. I’m glad we discovered this injury to protect him. It is unfortunate for him, but he is making some progress and he is rehabbing. He is working hard. If he happened to be able to play in a couple of weeks, he would be ready physically. We are just staying with the status quo and he goes out and works everyday with no contact.”

On his expectations heading into the Chattanooga game:
“Every week we have the same expectations and that is to be at our best. The previous game will have no outcome on the next game. We have 60 minutes on Saturday to be at our best. That is one thing that we need to do because we have yet to do that.”

On the impact of Eric Gray having instant success on the recruiting trail:
“I think Eric Gray has done a really nice job since he has been here. He is very mature. He made all A’s and one B in the spring semester. He is a really good student. He does everything that we ask him to do. He has very good leadership skills. What you see on Saturdays is what we see on Monday through Friday from him. That isn’t a surprise. The guy comes to work every single day. There are a lot of guys in our freshman class that are similar to Eric and work hard like that. He is at a position where it is only him and Ty, where they are the only two scholarship running backs. He is getting plenty of opportunities.”

On Jeremy Banks playing more moving forward:
“Jeremy controls a lot of that. He always wants to play on Saturdays, but he has to do what it takes Monday through Friday to earn the opportunity to play on Saturday. He’s a guy that has really good potential, he’s a really good competitor, plays with really good toughness and just has to be a little more consistent to get those opportunities.”

On Trey Smith’s health and play so far:
“Trey played better this week than he did in the previous week and I’m sure he’ll continue to do that. Our plan has been great, there’s been no issues there. One thing is that we’ve probably changed our practice routine a little bit on Thursdays to give him an opportunity to do a little more. It’s probably good for all of our players, because we’re really thin at some positions, just to give them a chance to get their legs back underneath them a little bit. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we’ve gotten after it pretty good for the first three weeks of the season. We’ll continue with this plan. It gives him an opportunity to take more reps on Thursday.”

On the team’s running back depth:
“Carlin (Fils-aime) has actually taken some reps this week with the one and twos. He’s probably one more week away, but last week he worked on the scout team, so he’s just kind of been building himself up and it’s just been building up confidence. He needs to get banged on a little bit. A running back that hasn’t carried the ball in a while is a dangerous deal there for us in terms of putting it on the ground, so he needs to get knocked around some with the ball in his hand. Tim (Jordan) has practiced the last three days and has improved every single day, so I would expect him to be ready to go by Saturday.”

 

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