The CheckerBoard

I believe it was after I saw Diane Lane and the other kids sing "Rocky Top" in the movie Six Pack. Right about that time.

Birth, but when James Wilhoit missed the XP against FLA and then came back and hit a 51 yarder to win the game. He went to my highschool and was a older. That was awesome.

Glad to say I was born into the VFL! Dad, mom, both grandparents, aunts, uncles, you name it all Vol. Remember growing up in the 90's and going to Neyland to 103k plus. Absolutely awe struck as a kid, never had some many chill bumps. Instantly became a Vol fan, no place like Knoxville on an autumn saturday.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas but raised a Volunteer in Knoxville. Orange runs through my veins.

My local HS in SC is named Andrew Jackson HS, the Volunteers. In the mid 80's my dad would take me to all the games including girls basketball and they were really good. We even went to Columbia to watch them play for the state championship. Then came signing time for the stars. The star center surprised everyone by singing with UT. Her quote in the paper was,"Once a Volunteer always a Volunteer!". That sounded right to me. Her name is Karla Horton Douglas now.

I met my wife at the University of Delaware. She is from Knoxville. Before we got married (and while I was still in school), I came down for a football game in 2004. The difference between Delaware, which has a 30,000 seat stadium, and Neyland Stadium was incredible. I keep trying to tell my friends who still live up north that they need to come experience this. They really think that college football is college football, and that there isn't a great deal of difference between going to a game at a I-AA school vs. an SEC school. Man, are they wrong!

So I guess it's a good thing my wife wasn't a fan of another big time program, because I likely would've been wowed by their atmosphere just the same. I'm glad I'm a Vol fan, even though they haven't had a great deal of success since I become one.

born here over in Harriman to be exact and taken to Indiana against my will when I was two lol. Raised there till I was 19 and moved back here and had season tix ever since ... But I will never forget my first ut game ,my dad was working construction up at notre dame (rocking his ut hard hat!) And got tix to the Tennessee notre dame game down here so we came down and watched nd get pecker slapped lol but I remember my first day of sixth grade getting made fun of for wearing all ut stuff to school lol people don't support there teams up there like we do down here haha

I was at that Bluebonnet Bowl game myself, the only time I was ever in the Astrodome.

It was Majors' first bowl, in his third year at UT. We lost to Purdue. It was two years before we made another one, the Garden State. We won that one over Wisconsin.

Rebuilding was, and is, very tough.

My Father was an area supervisor at the DuPont plant in Chattanooga (yes way back then). He was raised a Tennessee fan during the mid to late Neyland years which he very often spoke fondly of. He did not attend college, he went into the military. He imparted his great love for all things Tennessee to me. I attended my first game at Neyland when I was around 5 with my mother and father. When the game was over (I can remember faint images of this... and my parents often talked about it in later years) as we were walking out of the stadium I burst into tears....when they, as very concerned parents, asked me what was wrong, I replied "Why did they stop playing !!??" Apparently I was heartbroken because the game had ended. BANG ... in the blood, hooked for life!!

I have many great memories of being in Knoxville on fall afternoons with my family, and friends, my dad's friends from Dupont. I can smell the wafts of kingsford briquets, Jack Daniels and cigars in the air, the earthy smells of the fall leaves, and the smell of the football my friends and I were tossing! Each fall I am drawn back to that place, and take my own little family now.

I have had many interests and hobbies in my life that have come and gone....the love of college football, especially Tennessee football has always been, and always will be, here to stay.

I cant imagine life any other way!

Born in east central alabama. Half family was alabama, Half family was auburn. I always loved orange but not that ugly auburn orange! watching manning play one year and from that moment on new the vols were my team. No matter what crap I got from everyone or trying to change me. Knew I was a vol through and through!!!

Both of my parents went to UT.... Mom for undergrad..... Dad for law school.... I was born in December of 1982.... I'm not sure of the exact year I became a Vol, but it has been for as long as I can remember.... My Dad brainwashed me into being a fan as soon as I was old enough to retain memories.... LOL.....

I can honestly say that I've never had any other favorite teams in my life.... Just the Vols..... Primarily football first, but also a college hoops fan...... I've never had a favorite NFL, NBA, or MLB team.... There are certain players i cheer for (in the NFL its former Vols and a few others), but I've never had a specific favorite team other then the VOLS....

First game I remember watching on TV was the '90 Cotton Bowl.... First game I went to was in the fall of 1990 against UTEP.... The following year my parents took my brother and I to the UCLA game.....