NORTHBROOK, Ill.– Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) on Monday named Tennessee senior defensive back Todd Kelly Jr. as one of its 146 nominees for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college football.
Since 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® has brought together a select group of college football players from across the country to honor their dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others. While players are often recognized for their accomplishments and achievements on game day, these student-athletes have made significant contributions to the greater good of society, inspiring future generations of young athletes and the larger college football community.
As a Knoxville native, Kelly takes a lot of pride in serving the local community. His community service activities have centered on helping children. From cheering on patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hopsital to mentoring local fourth-graders at Lonsdale Elementary to serving others via the Emerald Youth Foundation and Read Across America, Kelly is committed to inspiring local youth. He is a member of the 100 Black Men of Knoxville, which serves as a catalyst to empower minority youth to reach their full potential. He has also served as a speaker at local churches and elementary schools.
“Allstate is immensely honored to partner with the AFCA for the 10th year to help pay tribute to these players and their off-the-field ‘good works’ that often go unnoticed and unrewarded,” said Thomas Clarkson, president of the west territory for Allstate Insurance Company and a member of the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel. “The individuals nominated to the 2017 Good Works Team® are making a positive impact and uniting communities across the country through service, showing what’s possible when you put all hands in and give back.”
The student-athletes nominated for this esteemed award embody the true spirit of teamwork and selflessness, donating their limited free time to helping and serving others. From founding a non-profit that helps orphans secure jobs in the workforce to raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® nominees may wear different jerseys on the field, but they all exemplify a superior commitment to giving back off of it.
The SEC leads all conferences with 67 selections to the Good Works Team since it began in 1992.
“After looking at the bios of the 146 nominees we received for 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, it really shows that there are great football student-athletes all over this country who just don’t care what happens between the sidelines, but they also care about their community and giving back to others,” Todd Berry, AFCA Executive Director said. “The AFCA has been proud to partner with Allstate these past 10 years to honor football players who give more of themselves to help others in need.”
Comprised of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and 11 players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and the NAIA, the final roster of 22 award recipients will be unveiled in September. From the nominees submitted by sports information directors across the nation on behalf of their schools, a special voting panel consisting of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® members and prominent college football media members will select the 2017 Good Works Team®. Two-time national champion, Heisman Trophy winner and 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® member Tim Tebow will headline the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel.
In addition to Tebow and Clarkson, the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® selection panel members includes: former Good Works Team® members Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team) and Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State, 1999 team); media members Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star) and Paul Myerberg (USA TODAY); current AFCA President and University of Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez; 2001 AFCA President and current athletic director at Virginia Union University Joe Taylor.
Once the final team members are announced in September, college football fans are encouraged to visit the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® website on ESPN.com, featuring profiles and images of the players, for the opportunity to vote for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain. Throughout the season, fans can also follow along and join in on the conversation by searching and using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels.
In order to meet the criteria set forth by Allstate and the AFCA, each player must be actively involved with a charitable organization or service group while maintaining a strong academic standing.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Tennessee senior tight end Ethan Wolf was named to the 2017 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List on Tuesday.
The John Mackey Award is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end. The award recipient is selected by vote of the John Mackey Award Selection Committee and the Mackey Award recipient will be announced on Dec. 6 and then presented live on Dec. 7 at the Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU.
Wolf is a member of the Mackey Award Watch List for the second consecutive season. The Minster, Ohio, native enters his fourth year as a starter in 2017. He totaled 21 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns in 2016. His pivotal 20-yard touchdown catch against Florida in 2016 brought the Vols within 21-17 at the end of the third quarter during the eventual come-from-behind victory. Later in 2016, Wolf matched a season-high with four receptions for a season-best 44 yards and a 10-yard score against Kentucky.
Wolf had 23 receptions for 301 yards and two scores in 2015 and tallied 23 grabs for 212 yards as a true freshmen in 2014. For his career, the 6-6, 258-pounder has 67 receptions for 752 yards and four touchdowns, while making 34 starts and appearing in 37 games.
He ranks fifth in Tennessee history among tight ends with 752 receiving yards and is closing in on Jason Witten (797) and Luke Stocker (956).
Witten (2002) and Stocker (2010) are the only two Vols to be named semifinalists for the Mackey honor.
The Friends of John Mackey are responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award & the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. Please visit http://www.johnmackeyaward.com for more information.
Fender Musical Instruments Co. announced it has teamed with Brad Paisley to create a signature Telecaster guitar: the Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster.
Some of the Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster’s notable features include:
a paulownia core capped by a spruce top and back
custom-wound ’64 Tele bridge pickup and a Fender Custom Shop Twisted Tele neck pickup
Enhanced V-neck profile
modern 9.5-inch radius fingerboard and medium-jumbo frets
silver sparkle Road Worn lacquer finish and aged hardware
custom clear pickguard with black and silver paisleys and a cowboy hat insignia on the headstock
“The best thing about having a Fender Signature Telecaster is the unwavering quality associated with the brand’s legacy and confidence that I’m introducing a great guitar at an incredible price point,” says Brad. “I set out to create a guitar that was accessible for the vast majority of young people out there, who I hope to inspire to change the world with musical dreams.”
Sam’s “Body Like a Back Road” has been “doin’ 15 in a 30” for 22 straight weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, surpassing the 19-week record set by a solo artist (Leroy Van Dyke’s “Walk on By” in 1962).
Now, Sam is cruising toward the all-time record, which is owned by Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise.” FGL’s debut single remained at No. 1 for 24 weeks in 2012 and 2013.
“I wrote ‘Body Like a Back Road’ with my producer Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally,” said Sam to NCD. “I connect music to the emotions that come from relationships, so most of the songs that I write are inspired by those circumstances, emotions, feelings, all that kind of stuff. ‘Body Like a Back Road’ is a lighthearted song that was a lot of fun to write. It sort of swings, and hopefully it’s easy to listen to and will put a smile on some folks’ faces.”
If Sam’s “Body Like a Back Road” can maintain its position for three more weeks, it will break FGL’s four-year-old record—an accomplishment that will surely put a smile on Sam’s face.
With that kind of earning power—$394.5 million for the Top 11—don’t ever let your parents talk you out of becoming a country singer.
Garth netted the majority of his $60 million from his World Tour, while Kenny collected his millions from his stadium tours, endorsements with Corona and Apple and his own Blue Chair Rum.
Luke raked in his millions from his Kill the Lights Tour, his Outdoor Channel reality show Buck Commander and endorsement deals with Miller Lite and Cabela’s.
Dolly made the list thanks to a 60-plus-date tour and income from her Dollywood theme park.
Florida Georgia Line scored big with their Dig Your Roots Tour and endorsement deals with Advance Auto Parts and Nitto Tires, while Toby’s earning power came from his diverse portfolio of restaurant chains, Ford endorsements, Wild Shot mezcal and touring.
Jason gleaned most of his millions from his They Don’t Know Tour, while Blake reportedly netted double-digit millions from his role on The Voice.
Keith took home the dough thanks to his tour and his own line of guitars, while Eric and Zac Brown Band made the cut thanks to their monster tours.
Billy Ray Cyrus took his Burnin’ Vernon Brown persona to the streets of New York City to promote the second season of CMT’s Still the King, which premieres tonight (July 11) at 10 p.m. ET.
Accompanied by well-known NYC street performer The Naked Cowboy, Billy Ray descended on Times Square and performed a few tunes with his scantily clad companion, including “Hound Dog,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and “I Want My Mullet Back.”
(Opening statement)
“It’s great to see everyone. Hope everyone had a great summer. And as we all know, the SEC Media Days are kind of the kickoff to college football.
“I would like to start off first of all and welcome Coach Bielema into fatherhood. So congratulations to him.
“But it’s truly an honor and a privilege to be up here today and representing the University of Tennessee, fifth SEC Media Day, and very proud of the progress that we’ve made in our football program in four years.
“There’s just – I was thinking on the plane ride over here, just four and a half years ago where our program was facing the potential APR penalty, and now that’s a thing of the past with a 972, second year in a row that we’ll graduate 100 percent of our seniors in our program. We have 67 players on this year’s football team that has a 3.0 or above. And on the last two bowl wins, we’ve had 26 college graduates participate in those bowl games.
“And then on the field, we’re very proud of the fact that it’s very, very difficult to win in the Southeastern Conference, and we’re one of only three programs that have won nine games two years in a row. We’ve been very fortunate to have three straight bowl victories, first time in 20 years in our great program’s history and tradition, but there’s so much more out there. There’s so much more out there to be accomplished, and we’ve only started. And that’s what I like about this year’s football team, is there they’re very, very driven, very, very motivated.
“The three individuals here today, I think are very symbolic of our football program and the evolution and development of our program over four years, starts with Jashon Robertson, offensive lineman for us, Jashon was recruited as a defensive lineman, spent a week in training camp as a defensive lineman. And because of the limited number of offensive linemen that we had at that time in our program, we asked him to move over, and he started every game as a true freshman and ended up being a Freshman All-American.
“Emmanuel Moseley, I’m being kind to him, was 145 pounds at the time. He was an option quarterback and won a state championship, came two times to our camps in the summer to earn a scholarship. And the way he’s grown in our football program and developed his body, it’s truly remarkable.
“And Kendal Vickers, I was joking with him on the plane flying over here, he was a 250 – I’m sorry, 215-pound defensive end wide receiver, and I remember in practice, watching him catch passes, and now he’s developed himself into what I feel is one of the best defensive tackles in our conference.
“It’s been a very, very productive offseason for us, probably the most competitive offseason that we’ve had. And a lot of that goes – is attributed to our players, to our leadership, but also to the addition of Rock Gullickson in the strength and conditioning area. And Rock has been a 17-year veteran in the National Football League and has really kind of changed the dynamics in that room, along with the entire strength and conditioning staff.
“We have to replace some very, very good football players. We had six drafted players in the first four rounds of the National Football League draft this past year. That hasn’t been done in Tennessee in 15 years.
“So, again, that’s how far we’ve come in our program. We have five new coaches in our football family. As we all know, Larry Scott assumes the offensive coordinator position. And the way I looked at it, Larry had a year of an interview process, and very excited about him and what he brings to the table from that position.
“Mike Canales is now the quarterback coach. I’ve been very fortunate to have known Mike for over 20 years. We’d go with him and do football when he was at South Florida at every convention. We would actually take the mirror off the bathroom wall and draw plays. So he’s an individual that I’ve always admired. I think he’s the best developer of quarterback in the country.
“And Walt Wells is our new offensive line coach, Tennessee native, and brought so much to the table there. And Kevin Beard, everyone’s seen the YouTube videos with the click-clack and the cleats that he wears in practice and does the drills with the kids.
“And defensively, Charlton Warren is our defensive backs coach. It’s a very unusual situation. He spent ten years in the United States military, in the Air Force. Now he’s coaching college football. And he’s been a great mentor and a great football coach to our players and has really helped in the back end of our defense.
“And then lastly the defensive line position was filled with Brady Hoke. And Brady brings a whole other dynamic. He’s been a Conference Coach of the Year in three different leagues.
“The exciting thing about this coaching staff is we have three former head coaches, and any time you can have head coaches on your staff, I think it’s extremely healthy. It’s been a great help for me, but it also helps mentor your younger coaches on your staff as well, as we want all coaches on our staff to have the goal of being a head football coach one day.
“In terms of this year, we have to start fast. We have three games in 13 days. So our health, the turnaround, is going to be paramount, and we’re excited to be able to have the opportunity to start the season in Atlanta, in the Chick-fil-A kickoff game against a very good opponent. It will be a great challenge for us. So I’ll answer any questions you all may have.”
(On replacing Josh Dobbs)
“Sure. Well, again, you’re replacing an individual who really leaves a legacy at the University of Tennessee in Joshua Dobbs and everything that he brought to the quarterback position. When he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was the highest drafted quarterback since Peyton Manning in our program’s history, so he’s brought a lot.
“But I’m really, really excited about the quarterbacks that we have in our program, and I think the competition at that position is really elevated the level of play of everyone else around them. You know, you have two kind of distinct personalities. You have a young individual in Jarrett Guarantano, very energetic, very demonstrative, very passionate, very, very talented, and then Quinten Dormady, who is a coach’s son, who has kind of been in our football program. So a little bit different in terms of personality-wise, but these two individuals are very, very talented.
“And the great thing about these two individuals, we talked to our young football team about this all spring, is compete and don’t compare. They’ve been able to do that, but they also have the mutual respect towards each other that they’re still helping each other out, and that’s been great to see. I think it’s a great issue to have.
“We will not name a starting quarterback until the time is right. I can’t tell you where that is. That will be decided obviously on the field when we start training camp.”
(On replacing the leadership from last year’s team)
“Well, as we know, leadership is the key to any successful football team, and we do have to replace some individuals there. But that’s the exciting thing about this football team is it’s really been leadership by the entire team. It started with our 17 seniors. They’ve done a great job of really educating our younger players about the standards and expectations within our football program, and this is probably the best collective leadership that we’ve had in our football program to date.
“And it gets back to the details and accountability and toughness by which we’ve spoken about ever since we started our offseason program in January. So that part of it, from a leadership perspective, has been very good to see in terms of it’s been more of a collective -more collaborative group effort than it’s been in the past.”
(On Peyton Manning’s involvement with the program in the future)
“Well, Peyton and I are in constant dialogue. We’re in constant communication. I think right now he’s enjoying retirement. I know he’s looking forward to hosting the ESPYS coming up. But he’s an individual that we really tried to really involve him in our program, as much as he can because he has many things going on right now. And we had an opportunity to bring him back about a month ago and be able to see our quarterbacks and talk with them and just get around our football team, which obviously is extremely healthy for everyone. But, again, I know he has plans down the road, and he’ll be successful in anything that he chooses to do. But we try to involve him as much in our program as possible.”
(On what he’s learned as a coach from last year)
“Well, you always step back and you do a thorough examination of your season and what could you have done better, what did you do well, how can you continue to grow and elevate, and I think the thing we have as a program is you can never have enough depth. And everything is about competitive depth and being what we call nine strong, all nine position groups.
“I think it was a great illustration, to some of our younger players at the time, that you are one snap away and no matter who’s out there the names never change, but expectations change, and being ready for the opportunity when the opportunity presents itself.
“I think one of the great illustrations is John Kelly. John Kelly is an individual who waited his opportunity in our program, and when his opportunity came, obviously he made the most of it.
“I think it’s that competitive depth that we talk about and every player understanding their role and understanding their job description and being ready for that opportunity when that opportunity comes.”
(On playing two quarterbacks)
“Well, I think playing time is earned, so if both players earn their right to play, we’ll play both quarterbacks. I’ve been in systems where we’ve been able to do that, and really Quinten and Jarrett’s skill sets are very similar to each other. I think we have an offense that really can play to the skill sets of the quarterback and all of the players around.
“Again, if both players earn the right to play, they’ll both play. Again, it’s how it’s going to play itself out, because these two individuals are very, very capable and very good football players. It’s a good problem to have.”
(On replacing Derek Barnett on the defensive line)
“We’re looking forward to getting Kyle Phillips back. Again he’s an individual who has been offset by injuries, but he’s back to his full health right now. And he’s one of those individuals that has also grown into a leadership role, and it’s been great to – he’s been very boisterous, which has been great. Again, he has all of the skill set. It’s just him remaining healthy. So we’re excited. He’s actually in Vietnam right now. We have a Vol leaders class right now, and himself and Jack Jones are over there, and I think it’s going to be great in terms of a leadership standpoint and what they bring to our team when they return.
“But Jonathan Kongbo is an individual that you play defensive end, and then when we had the rash of injuries up front, he was forced to play defensive tackle. We’ve moved him outside to his natural position. He’s had as good of an offseason as anybody. He’s about 265 pounds right now. He’s one of those individuals who’s working out day and night. So, we’re excited about him.
“And Darrell Taylor is another young man that we thought took tremendous strides this offseason and into spring football. He’s really committed himself to the weight room and strength and conditioning area. He doesn’t even look like the same player right now.
“Again, I see those individuals really stepping up. The chemistry and that continuity that we have in the defensive line room is one of the stronger positions that we have in terms of accountability. I love sitting in their meetings and hearing them hold each other accountable and the standard and expectations that it takes to play defensive line. So, I think that’s been one of our stronger units from a leadership standpoint.
“Now it’s just, again, regaining our health. Shy Tuttle is a young man, I know we talked about at defensive end, but at the defensive tackle position. They started running now, doing change of direction drills. So we anticipate him being ready for August camp. He’ll be limited in some facets of his game. To be able to have him back and be running now is very, very encouraging.”
(On bringing in guys with head coaching experience)
“I tell you what. First of all, you’re going to surround yourself with great people, great people of character, great teachers, great mentors. The great thing is I’ve known these individuals for a long period of time. And we always talk about being a better version of you every day. And I want individuals that have sat in that chair that understand, A, the dynamics of what I’m going through, but also, hey, if there’s a better way, a better way to look at things, you have a better way of doing things, I’m open. We’re all in it together. We all want to be the best of everything we do. We also provided a great sounding board to really bounce ideas off: Hey, what do you think? How would you handle this situation? Would you do it any differently?
“But all three of these individuals, I think they respect the position, so they understand everything that goes into it. I’ll give an example. It’s 4th of July and my phone is going off, and it’s Brady Hoke. And he’s talking about the dynamics of our staff and how great our staff is and how this is going to be a great year and how he loves working with the kids and everything that we’re doing.
“For me, that’s very comfortable. That’s the type of resources that these individuals bring to the table. They’ve coached at the highest level. They understand the day-to-day operations, and I have a great respect for them and I know that they respect everything we’ve done in our program. So they’ve been great additions.”
(On if he views last season as a disappointment)
“I don’t view it as a disappointment. The way I view it is we didn’t accomplish everything we set ourselves out to. And, again, our goal every year is to win a championship and compete to win a championship.
“So, was it a disappointment? No. Did we not accomplish some of the things we set out to do? Absolutely. We have to learn from the things that went wrong that we could have done better.
“But I think all you have to do is look at it’s difficult to win and it’s difficult to win championships. And I think this league really exemplifies that. But I’m still proud of the way our team responded. And I told our football team this. The lessons you learned from last year, the resolve, the resiliency, are going to serve you for many years down the road in life.
“And that football team went through a lot of things. I know we started off 5-0, and I believe our first five opponents were divisional champions. And I made a comment going towards the tail end of our season that the back half of our season would be much more challenging than the front half of our season.
Everyone kind of looked at me like, what are you talking about? But I knew where we are at as a program, and we were still needing that competitive depth across the board, and we have some position groups where we couldn’t afford to have injuries.
“But, again, this is a results-oriented business and we fell short of our goals. But I don’t like to use the term “disappointment,” because when you still look at it, it’s hard to win in this conference. And only three teams have won nine games, and the University of Tennessee is one of those.”
(On taking the next step as a coach and having to play Alabama every year)
“Well, first of all, taking the next step, I think it’s you first of all sustain success. And when we set off four years ago building this program, we knew it wasn’t going to be a quick fix and we wanted to build something that would be – the foundation would be set for many, many years, and that foundation is set for success.
“I think a lot of times, too, when you’re building a football program, your program goes through evolutions or different stages, from being able to compete to having the competitive depth, but also your players and everyone in your program understanding now – when we first came to Tennessee, we were part of a lot of homecoming games, and what they – you know, we talked about as a football program, you’re now -everyone is going to play their best game. You’re going to get everyone’s A game. There are no off weeks in this conference. That takes a maturity level. That takes an understanding you getting yourself -preparing yourself to play the best game week in, week out. That’s been part of our evolution, too.
“I think maintaining the consistency, maintaining the expectations, we want more and we expect more. I know our fans want more. That’s the great thing coaching at Tennessee are those expectations.
“In terms of Alabama, obviously that’s a great, great rivalry. That game means so many things to so many people. So, again, we take that game very, very seriously and have a lot of respect for what Coach Saban has built at Alabama and what they’ve done. It’s also a great rivalry game, so that game means a lot to us.”
(On Phillip Fulmer’s role with the program)
“All of the time. That’s a friendship that I value. He’s been a mentor to me. He’s been a sounding board to me. This has been over time. This started from year one. I reached out to him, had him come by. Welcome him back in the program, had him speak to our team.
“You know, you have a great resource right here. Here’s a College Football Hall of Famer. He understands the dynamics of Tennessee. He understands everything associated with our institution. And I consider him a great friend, a great mentor, and it’s great to have him back. And like I told him, Coach, I want you at practice. Come to practice. I want you to sit in meetings. Anything that you feel, it’s your program. You helped build this football program.
“And that’s, you know, the expectation that we have with all of our former head coaches and all of our former players. They are the ones that built this program through their hard work, sweat equity. Any time you can have a resource like Coach Fulmer, I want him around as much as possible.”
(On his relationship with Coach Charlton Warren)
“I am very comfortable with him. He had us all over and cooked for us recently. It’s been great. Outside of football, he is a very humble guy.”
(On what the group looks like)
“We are definitely helping each other out. We are trying to put the best players on the field. We are trying to get several leaders and see what we can do.”
(On competition on the offensive line)
“We didn’t have everyone during the spring, but now that people are healthy, we are deep. The competition in the room has been healthy for all of us. You have guys pushing you every day. It brings a great challenge and mentality.”
(On what Coach Walt Wells brings to the group)
“He brings a different dynamic to the room and another perspective. We love working with him. He is very enthusiastic. We like what he brings to the table.”
(On the offensive line being the strength of the offense)
“Everybody on the team has a role, and our role is to protect our guys. We plan on embracing that role. We have some younger guys, but there is a lot of experience in our room. The expectation in our room is to take care of our guys and block our tails off every snap.”
(On how the expectations have changed since he arrived)
“I’ve had the mentality that I am going to come out and try to win every game that I can. I was 5-7 in my first season and didn’t go to a bowl game. I never wanted to feel that way again. We have worked hard. We have the right players, and we are a family. We want to go out and win every game.”
(On assuming the leadership role)
“I have developed into a guy that speaks up when someone needs to. The freshmen and whole defensive line needed me to be a leader. I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone a little bit, but I like it. I think I am a leader and the team will respond to me as one.”
(On the depth along the defensive line)
“We have been working hard, and I feel good about it. The guys who were injured last season have been trying to get back into football shape. With Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie coming back, we are better than ever. Those guys will help out a lot this year. Our depth at defensive tackle is very good right now. We just have to stay healthy.”
NORTHBROOK, Ill.– Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) on Monday named Tennessee senior defensive back Todd Kelly Jr. as one of its 146 nominees for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, one of the most prestigious off-the-field honors in college football.
Some of the Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster’s notable features include:
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