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Phillip Fulmer

	Former UT quarterback Erik Ainge fires a pass during the Outback Bowl against Wisconsin.

UT's Ainge happy to be picked by Jets

KNOXVILLE — Broadway Erik doesn’t have the same ring as Broadway Joe. But the two will share identical starts to their professional careers. The New York Jets, the organization that produced legendary quarterback Joe Namath, selected Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on Sunday.

“It sounds cliché to say that I didn’t care what round I got drafted in,” said Ainge, who was selected No. 162 overall. “Being as competitive as I am, I wanted to be the first pick in the draft. That’s just how it works. The round regardless, I couldn’t be happier about going to the New York Jets.” Ainge was the first Southeastern Conference quarterback picked this year and the ninth quarterback taken overall. He is the first UT quarterback drafted since the Pittsburgh Steelers took Tee Martin in the fifth round in 2000.
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	Brad Cottam

Cottam, Ainge selected on day two of NFL Draft

Cottam has shown flashes of brilliance for the Volunteers. Along with his younger brother, Jeff, who is 6' 8", they gave the Volunteers the tallest tight end tandem in college football.. Cottam enrolled at Tennessee in 2003, earning Academic SEC Honor Roll recognition while spending the season on the scout team. He appeared in 13 games as a reserve tight end in 2004, coming up with two catches for 34 yards. He appeared in eleven games in 2005, but did not catch any passes. He again earned Academic All-SEC honors. In 2006, Cottam started six of the 13 games. He snared 14 passes for 182 yards (13.0 avg), as his 45-yard reception vs. Vanderbilt was the longest catch by a Tennessee tight end since 2002.

He finished the 2007 season with five receptions for 125 yards (25.0 avg), registering his first career touchdown vs. Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. At Evangelical Christian High School, Cottam earned All-Metro Memphis private school team honors as a senior. He was a Super Southern 100 choice by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cottam served as team captain and was a two-year starter at tight end. During his final season, he had 24 receptions for 340 yards and five touchdowns.
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	Jerod Mayo

Patriots draft Mayo with 10th pick

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Jerod Mayo figures his immediate impact will be limited on a New England Patriots team that came within one minute of an unbeaten season. The tradeoff is pretty good, though. The 10th player picked in Saturday's NFL draft can still be a contributor to one of the best teams instead of a cornerstone of a rebuilding project.

And with New England's linebacker corps having at least three players who will be 31 or older when the season starts, he may not have to wait many seasons to fill a major role. "They pretty much have their team set in stone," Mayo said. "These guys only lost one game last year. I just want to come in and make a contribution, whether it's on special teams or as a starter."
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	Peyton Manning

PeyBack Foundation awards more than $600,000

"I am extremely proud to announce the PeyBack Foundation s distribution of $606,000 to 125 youth related agencies in Indiana, Tennessee and New Orleans areas. This is the highest amount we have given in any one year since our inception. We are honored to be able to impact the lives of thousands of children and their families through our grant program," Foundation President, Peyton Manning commented after the grant process was complete.

In addition to the $300,200 given to 69 organizations in Indiana and $155,800 given to 34 organizations in Tennessee; $150,000 was given to 22 New Orleans based charities. $606,000 is the largest amount the PeyBack Foundation has given at one time. More than 300 applications were received. The PeyBack Foundation, a public non-profit corporation, was established by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 1999 to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership growth and opportunities for children at risk. The Foundation has donated more than $2.5 million since its inception.
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Crompton back in 3-5 weeks from surgery

Tennessee junior quarterback Jonathan Crompton underwent successful arthroscopic surgery Monday on his right throwing elbow, UT head athletic trainer Jason McVeigh reported.

McVeigh said he expects Crompton to return to full activity within 3-5 weeks.
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Low key Mayo waits amid spotlight of NFL draft

KNOXVILLE – The kid handed the football to the referee. He could have danced. He could have snapped off his chinstrap and strutted. He’d seen the NFL guys do it.

But the kid handed the ball to the referee. This was the first touchdown of Jerod Mayo’s career. He was 7. The field was 60 yards long. He ran 30 yards for the score.
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	Quarterback Jonathan Crompton was 13-of-20 for 266 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday's Orange and White game.

Crompton gives UT offense hope

By BRYAN MULLEN
Apr. 20, 2008

Pickoff by Berry highlights defense

UT's Orange & White Game

KNOXVILLE — The first team offense scored a lot of points. The first defense gave up hardly any. It was precisely the kind of spring game the Tennessee coaching staff sought. An announced crowd of 28,898 took in UT's annual Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium Saturday and there was little to complain about on either side of the ball.

The White hung a 38-16 victory on the Orange team as a new offensive scheme was unveiled to the masses. And, as expected on the defensive side, UT's first team continued to impress with an improved pass rush and its dynamic secondary. But despite the showing, UT coach Phillip Fulmer tried not to sound too optimistic. "We've still got some real challenges in front of us to get through this summer," he said. "We hope to get some of the freshmen in the mix really, really fast to give us some more depth. We're not where we need to be right now."
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	Lennon Creer

Top units sharp in Dish Network Spring Game

If the Dish Network Orange and White game was any indication, having to replace all but one member of the coaching staff and the starting quarterback from a season ago wasn’t even a minor setback for the Tennessee offense. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton completed 13-of-20 passes for 266 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in leading the White team to a 38-16 romp in the annual spring scrimmage.

Tailback Lennon Creer lined up with the first team and did most of the work on the ground, rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. “I thought early, especially, we executed extremely well offensively,” head coach Phillip Fulmer said. “It was good to see Jonathan in that kind of rhythm. There were some really big plays in the passing game. I thought he had a good day except for that last ball.
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Vols have makings of a potent offense this fall

KNOXVILLE — One play. One touchdown. "That's how you want to start things, no matter if it's a game or a scrimmage," said Jonathan Crompton.

With that, Tennessee's new offense made quite a first impression. On the opening snap of the Orange & White Game, Crompton faked a handoff and threw a laser to a streaking Denarius Moore for a 74-yard touchdown.
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Fulmer to players: Behave yourselves

KNOXVILLE — Spring practice officially concluded on Saturday for the University of Tennessee football team. That means the players will have plenty of time on their hands. No official workouts, no coaches constantly present, no one to remind them to keep their noses clean.

That's why UT Coach Phillip Fulmer wanted to get his point across during a team meeting following the Orange and White game. "I told them I don't want any darn phone calls at 2 o'clock in the morning about anything," Fulmer said. "I want to hear how well they behaved themselves."
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Dish Network Joins UT Corporate Family

KNOXVILLE and ENGLEWOOD, COLO. – DISH Network Corp., the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, Saturday announced an agreement with the University of Tennessee Athletics Department as a UT Corporate Champion, the university’s most elite level of corporate sponsorship.

The agreement includes multimedia rights and sponsorships of key promotional themes during each year of the contract, including DISH Network’s exclusive sponsorship of “Perfection,” a season-long tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the undefeated 1998 National Championship football team.
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	Josh McNeil

Sportsouth to Televise Spring Game

SportSouth, in association with the Vol Network, will televise the Tennessee football spring game on a delayed basis throughout the Southeast. The Vol Network’s Bob Kesling, Mike Stowell and Rick Russo will call the game both on radio as well as for the delayed telecast.

Times are as follows:

Sunday at 7 p.m. Eastern time (Game not seen in Atlanta due to Atlanta Hawks playoff coverage…75-mile radius) Wednesday at 11 p.m. Eastern time, Saturday, April 26, at 5 p.m. Eastern time (within the Hawks 75-mile radius); 8 p.m. Eastern time (all other viewers), Sunday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

VOLS DUO AMONG 70 ON 2008 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST
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	New Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson will show off his offense in the Orange and White spring football game today in Knoxville.

Fans will get first peek at new-look Vols

KNOXVILLE — It began 40 days ago. Since then, there have been three full-contact scrimmages, position changes, some minor controversies and plenty of new faces. Today, fans can see it all for themselves. Tennessee's annual Orange and White game takes place at Neyland Stadium at 1:30 p.m., marking the end of the Volunteers' spring practice and the first time fans can witness this team, which is markedly different from a season ago.

The offense has been revamped under first-year UT offensive coordinator Dave Clawson, who has brought a more wide-open, West Coast offensive feel. There's also no secret about UT's ultra-talented secondary, which dominated the weekend spring scrimmages inside Neyland.
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Players' performance to decide Vols' new offense

KNOXVILLE — New offensive coordinator Dave Clawson has spent all spring installing his West Coast offense at Tennessee. Now the former Richmond coach just has to decide who will be playing in it.

The Volunteers will wrap up spring practice Saturday still undecided on which players and positions will be most involved with the new system, Clawson said Thursday.
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	Luke Stocker

Vols Quartet Named Spring's Most Improved

Four Tennessee football players chasing increased playing time in 2008 share this year’s most improved spring practice honors. Sophomore tight end Luke Stocker and redshirt freshman receiver Ahmad Paige split the Harvey Robinson Award given to this year’s offensive stalwarts. On defense, seniors Robert Ayers and DeAngelo Willingham were named the Andy Spiva Award recipients.

Stocker, 6-6 and 245 pounds from Berea, Ky., appeared in all 14 games last season as part of the Vols’ deep tight-end playing rotation. He had catches in four different games, including a six-yard touchdown reception against Alabama for his first collegiate score. Paige hails from Monroe, La., and sat out last season as a redshirt wide receiver. The 6-1, 180-pounder has worked to find his place among the Vols’ talented group of pass-catchers. Ayers led UT with both 12 tackles for loss and four sacks during his junior campaign as a reserve defensive end.
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For more than 53 years, FCA has been focused on one purpose . . . . . .

"Present to athletes and coaches, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church."
[Fellowship of Christian Athletes Statement of Faith]

Here's one of Tennessee Vols successful stories of a Christian Athlete named Will Bartholomew......
Will Bartholomew Keeping the Faith >>