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Page 12 text:
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loosen up and run out the soreness and kinks in our bodies. Thursday is an important day practice-wise because this is our last chance to work on plays that would work against our opponentis defense, and we also work on our kicking game, which is very important. During the entire week of practice the coaches kept stressing Aubumis defense and how we must be ready for it. We were really up for our game with Auburn, and 1 think the 45-19 final score showed it. Sure, Auburn made a lot of mistakes, but I think we had something to do with it. Our defense really pressured them the entire game. Curt Watson was the stand-out of this game. During the game I tried to watch Denbo and see how he was doing against his man. During each game we try to help each other out as much as possible, even though weire after each otherisjob. For our third game of the year we played Memphis State, and we knew this game was going to be no push over because Memphis State had beaten a good team from North Texas State the week before. The players from Memphis State were good athletes. Basically Memphis State was made up of players who couldnit make a major college for one reason or another. We beat them 55-16 and they gave us a fairly good game despite the score. McClain played a real outstanding game that day. MtClain not only has the respect of all the players on the team because of his football ability, but also because he is a good and decent human being. McClaiifs playing for us not only helps UT, but helps the entire SEC as well. Heis certainly an inspiration. Following Memphis State we played Georgia Tech, and our effort could have been better than it was. lim afraid we were all looking past Georgia Tech to Alabama. Georgia Tech had a young reckless team. Their defense was really psyched up for the game. We won the game by a score of 26-8, and the entire team was glad to get that game out of the way so we could start to fully concentrate on Alabama. Therels something about Bear Bryant that brings out the best in you. I wanted to beat Bwant because I respect him so much. Bear tried to recruit me to go to Alabama when I got out of high school, and I must say he was a very nice man. Coach Dickey told us during that weekis practice that we had to keep getting better if we were to stay on top. Coach told us that you either get better, or you get worse, but you donit stay the same. There is no doubt in my mind that Doug Dickey makes the difference in our team. Coach Dickey and his staff are the best around and most of the guys on the team feel that way too. Coach doesnit scream, his assistants do that for him. Coach Dickey concentrates on technique. The only thing that really upsets him is when a person doesnit give one-hundred per cent. During a game you can tell he is upset when he throws his hat down on the field. i We had a real good week of practice in prepaxation for the Alabama game as the boys were very enthusiastic. A good week of practice is unusual for the middle of the season, but like I said, Bear Bryant brings out the best in you. Right before agame the locker room is like a tomb. Everyone is busy psyching himself, especially the first team. We beat Alabama bad and became the first team ever to beat Bear Bryant three times in a row. Steve Kiner was great out there as everyone just followed his lead. Denbo also played well. The ratings came out and we were rated number three in the nation. 1 can't begin to tell you how happy that made us feel. But like Coach Trail said to us, liWeire up there now. Now we have to fight to stay there. And everyone on the team knew he was right. For the rest of the season every team we played would be giving us their best shot. We had become the team to beat in the SEC. After the Alabama game we had an off-week, and frankly I was glad it came when it did becausel think we all needed a rest. Coach Dickey, I think, did not like us taking a week off because he had set us up in a routine, and he didnit want to see us break this routine any; despite the off-week, we had practice. We mostly worked on little details, and on basic plays in our offense. During the week, I remember trying to find any weaknesses in our team, and 1 must say I honestly could not. For a team to beat us they would either have to catch us on a very bad day, or else just not make any mistakes. You could say everybody on the team was beginning to feel his oats. Our next game, the following week, was against Georgia, and we knew they were a threat to our SEC title. In preparation for Georgia we did a lot of running because they were a small team. It rained before the game and therefore the game was a rather slow one. But the muddy field hurt them more than it did us because the mud cut down on their speed. 10
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Page 11 text:
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The beginning of a football season is always an unusual time of the year for me. 1 look forward to the games, the bid for the SEC title, and a chance to get a bowl game. But sometimes 1 dread those long, hot practices, the running we have to do. the oneon-onc drills, and, I guess, about a million more things. But after a game, and l‘m talking about a winning game, or after the season is over, I actually miss the tons of work we went through to make our season a successful one. Sure we go through hell in those spring practices, but if for one minute I didn’t think it was worth it I'd quit. Let's face it, I just love football. On the first day of practice you can usually tell the people who arc going to have the best chance of making the team. They’re the ones who arc always at the beginning of the line to do the windsprints, or the first ones to volunteer to participate in some kind of drill. In other words, they are the ones with the most desire. The only way you are going to impress your coach is to be as gung-ho as possible, even if it kills you. Pride, and a great deal of it, is what you need if you’re going to make a good football team like ours. BEHIND THE BATTLE LINES ... When I came up this year 1 was listed as a fourth string guard, and I just made up my mind that I wasn't going to be red-shirted. Two of the three men ahead of me were cut or dropped down because of injuries, and that left just Don Denbo, and me. Don is a good player, and I guess he deserved to be ahead of me. During practice Don was injured for about a week and that moved me up. I got a lot of valuable work with the first string while Denbo was out. Then I injured my thigh, and Denbo came back in to stay. It would be an understatement to say injuries weed out a team better than any other thing. That’s why it pays to be in good shape when you report to practice ... good shape mentally as well as physically. Chattanooga was our first game this year. Coming into that game wc weren't sure what we had. We knew our defense was sound, but wc weren’t sure about our offense. Well, we won 31-0, and I wasn’t happy with my performance. I played about half the game as Coach Dickey alternated me with Denbo. But in comparison with the other teams, Chattanooga wasn’t really that tough of a test for us. The Chattanooga game felt especially good though because there's nothing like starting off the season in a winning way. But, when one game is over you can’t take time to think about it. You just have to go on to the next game. There is plenty of time to look back on the games when the season is over. Wc next played Auburn, and needless to say we wanted this game, if for no other reason than to get even with them for beating us last year. In prepara- tion for this game (and any other game for that matter) wc have a definite schedule to follow during the week. Monday and Thursday we work out in sweats and Tuesday 3nd Wednesday axe what wc call our stinger days because we suit up for these practices and knock heads. On Monday we more or less
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