KNOXVILLE - Derek Dooley has big plans for his most experienced University of Tennessee football players.
But Chattanooga's Kevin Cooper has to play more consistently for the new coach to feel better about relying on his senior fullback.
Cooper, with a team-high 19 starts in 32 career games, paved the way for Montario Hardesty's 1,345 rushing yards last season and added some big catches of his own - including a 2-yard touchdown against South Carolina.
Dooley, a former tight ends coach for LSU and the Miami Dolphins, is a fan of that position. But the Volunteers don't have any proven tight ends behind preseason All-SEC senior Luke Stocker, which magnifies Cooper's importance.
"He's important to our offense also because we don't have a lot of tight ends," Dooley said. "The fullback and tight end spots are interchangeable in some ways. If you have a lot of good tight ends, you can get away with not having a good fullback. And because we don't have a lot of tight ends, he's important.
"But he's been a little inconsistent. He shows that he can be an excellent player in our offense, and play a lot and make plays. But then he has some inconsistencies, and he battles injuries sometimes, and we need him to be an every-down guy. We'll be a better team if he is."
Cooper missed a few practices last week after sustaining concussion-like headaches - but not a full-blown concussion, Dooley specified. Regardless, he missed a few days. And that frustrated both player and coach.
"I don't like being out at all," Cooper said. "If you like the game or love it, you never want to be out. I just always want to help my teammates, so I never want to be on the sideline."
He's since returned, but he agreed with Dooley that he hasn't been 100 percent sharp in camp.
"It's probably just getting used to just the inexperience," he said, referring to much of the offense. "Maybe I get a little bit frustrated, but I never show it. I try to keep positive as much as possible, because I feel like the more we jell together, the better we'll be as an offense."
He also is playing for his third head coach in three years, but that's something he "can't control," he acknowledged.
"I try to control whatever I can and just try to play as much as possible and just try to help my team as much as I can," Cooper said. "If that's having me on the field with the best players on the field, then good. I'm used to having adjustment by now, so it's never a problem."
His frustrations will be temporary, he added. Cooper, like many teammates, has been cautiously pleased with the offense's performance in UT's first two preseason scrimmages.
"I don't see why we couldn't do the same thing this year," Cooper said when reminded the Vols scored nearly 30 points per game last season. "Those young guys are super talented, and our quarterbacks are getting better every day, and we're jelling together as an offense."
A good fullback can be a good glue guy for the entire offense. He can pave holes in the running game, halt blitzing linebackers and create first downs with an occasional dive play or swing pass. He can help hide deficiencies in other areas.
"There's a lot of guys that can just lead block, but if they don't bring that second or third dimension, then the defenses can really lock in," Dooley said. "(Cooper's) versatility and athleticism are what makes him have a chance to be a good fullback."
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