KNOXVILLE - Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand has filled the University of Tennessee's Haslam Field practice facility with the same rallying cry since spring practice.
"O-line pride!"
Sounds great. But what does it mean?
Even the Volunteers' linemen didn't know at first.
"We really didn't understand it in the spring," senior offensive guard Jarrod Shaw said with a laugh. "He would say it all the time, and we were looking around like, 'What is he talking about?'"
Added junior center Cody Pope: "I was like, 'Yeah! Right on!' But I didn't know what he meant."
Hiestand meant a lot of things, but the bottom line was ensuring his inexperienced group had pride in everything they did - as individuals and as a group, on and off the field.
"It's basically togetherness, a bond, just being tight as a unit," Shaw said.
The linemen are acutely aware of the low expectations nearly everyone outside their complex has for them. And they used that motivation all summer in the complex, gathering for drill after drill on their own before breaking for dinner - which they usually ate together. Then they'd often hang out and play video games together. Then they might watch a movie together. Then, being, linemen, they'd often eat again. And they again ate together.
The goal? To become one big - really big - family.
"In order for us to be closer as a unit, I have to know what (guard) JerQuari Schofield is doing all the time," Pope said. "I have to know what he's doing Saturday night, whether he's my best friend or not. We all know where each other are. We've hung out with each other, whether it's on Saturdays or Sundays. We've had dinners, lots of buffets. We've done it all together, movies and everything. We've become best friends, and we've kind of forced it on each other.
"Even though we're so different - we've got guys from Louisiana, South Carolina, California - we come from all specs of life, and we've just forced ourselves into a role where, 'Hey, we've got to do this. Not for us, but for Tennessee.'"
First-year head coach Derek Dooley is slowly becoming a believer, despite his front five having totaled just three starts - all by Shaw.
Asked if the Vols would have a solid starting offensive line, Dooley said, "I think we will. I just don't know how quickly.
"I feel good about the talent level of that starting five, and I feel good about their willingness. I feel good about their attitude. I feel good that they're going to progress into being a good line. But you can't be a good line without experience, and that's a fact.
"Until we gain experience, the question then will become, 'How much experience do we need before we're good?' And that I don't know. I know it'll happen in time, and I hope it'll happen a lot sooner rather than later."
Asked if September was too soon, Dooley said, "No, I don't think."
"I think we have to do a good job as coaches of shaping the game plan for them," he added. "We can make it hard on them as coaches if we try to put our ego into it, getting real complex with them. I think it's a little combination. We've got to push them, and continue getting them to push, but then we've got to rein them in a little bit and ask them not to do too much."
Pope said he's learned several things he hadn't previously known about his line mates. He said those small things have helped form a bond among the big men.
Shaw agreed.
"I know what JerQuari is going to do now," Shaw said. "I know what Cody's doing, too. Dallas (Thomas), too, and Ja'Wuan (James) and (Kevin) Revis. The whole O-line, we're together. This is as close as we've been my whole career here."
Teammates have admittedly grown a little tired of hearing the "O-line pride" chants, but they've noticed the benefits.
"I've heard it all summer long, man. We all have," junior linebacker Austin Johnson said. "Especially when they beat us in soccer. We never heard the end of it. If you do anything around here, it's O-line pride versus the team.
"Our O-line has fed off the negativity. That's what's so great about it. The whole summer they were together the whole time, just working on their own. And you can see a lot of change from spring to now. Now they know their plays better, they're making their calls quicker. Overall, they've done a lot better than I thought."
Added senior wide receiver Denarius Moore: "I have faith in our O-line. Our team has faith in them, and we don't argue with the 'O-line pride' thing. I do believe they're going to step up and be big-time for us this year."
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