KNOXVILLE - Two plays from the first half of Tennessee's win against Georgia last October define Derek Barnett.
Neither of them were game-saving plays, nor was one of them the defensive end's first of nine sacks during an eight-game stretch of his sophomore season.
On both occasions the Bulldogs went away from Barnett's side as running back Sony Michel broke free for a long gain. Both times Barnett turned and sprinted more than 50 yards to help the Volunteers keep a big play from becoming a touchdown. He made the tackle on Michel's 29-yard gain and later decked a wide receiver blocking downfield for him.
Barnett plays every snap the same way: with maximum effort, a tenacious relentlessness and a nasty demeanor.
"I think his switch kind of flips on and off the field," Tennessee linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said earlier this week. "He's kind of reserved and quiet, laid-back off the field. On the field, that's kind of where he lets loose. He plays with a big chip on his shoulder. I think everyone sees that on Saturdays, and he's just like that in practice every day.
"He's out there to play the game the way it's supposed to be played."
Defensive end Derek Barnett catches the football in a drill during Tennessee's practice at Haslam Field on April 14, 2016.Defensive leader
Bob Shoop, Tennessee's first-year defensive coordinator, first watched Barnett play when he was a 10th-grader at Brentwood Academy on a defense with current Vols defensive back Rashaan Gaulden and Jalen Ramsey, the former Florida State star who was the fifth overall pick in this year's NFL draft. Shoop spent three years trying to convince Barnett to join him at Vanderbilt before working the past two seasons at Penn State, where he coached five NFL draft picks.
Each week this preseason, Shoop has had a different adjective for the 6-foot-3, 265-pounder.
"He's the heart and soul of the group on defense," he said after two practices. "He says jump, they say how high. He says run, they say how fast. He's that type of leader. He's kind of my muscle, if you will, my enforcer."
A week later Shoop scoffed at pro scouts having doubts about some of Barnett's measurables.
"Put the film on and watch the guy practice on a daily basis," Shoop said. "He practices as hard as anybody I've been around in a long, long time. He's got an intensity to him. He's a savage when he's out on the field."
Hearing all the descriptive terms makes Barnett laugh, but he does have a favorite.
"I'd say muscle," he said. "I like that word. It sounds better. Some people think savage sounds bad. Savage is not bad, though."
Barnett's explanation for why he goes as hard as he can in practice is simple.
"I've had weeks I haven't practiced good, and I play bad," he said. "The weeks I practiced really good, I played really good. I'd say it starts with that. I've just got to practice well so when it gets to Saturday I can play good."
Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett plays against South Carolina earlier this month. He's been back to his sacking ways of last year in the last four games.Love of the game
Growing up in Nashville, Barnett didn't begin playing football until he was in the fifth grade and at the urging of his baseball coaches. Always one of the biggest kids around in his age group, he started football by playing guard and tackle. Later he played tight end and defensive end for one of the state's powerhouse high school programs.
Barnett recalled going to Tennessee Titans games and one time going home with Keith Bullock's gloves when the linebacker tossed them up into the stands after the game.
"I fell in love with football," he said, "like the first day I put pads on."
When his college recruitment began to heat up, Barnett had visions of signing with Ohio State, for whom his grandfather played. Tennessee initially wasn't on his radar, but as time passed he narrowed his choices down to the Vols and Vanderbilt before committing in October 2013.
"Derek was a great two-way high-school player as a defensive end and tight end and had a great career," Shoop said. "I asked him if he was serious about Vanderbilt and he goes, 'I liked you guys, man.' He had a good relationship with us."
Staying in state and immediate playing time were appealing to Barnett, who came to Knoxville with lofty aspirations.
"My biggest goal coming here," he said, "was to win a national championship, an SEC (title) and, when I leave, be legendary so when I come back people give me my respect just because I was a good ball player and a good person."
Tennessee defensive backs Cameron Sutton, left, and defensive end Derek Barnett celebrate stopping Utah State on 3rd down during the Vols' season-opener football game against the Aggies on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.Making the legend
Two years into what almost certainly will be a three-year career, Barnett is another strong season away from cementing his place in history. He's 12 sacks shy of Reggie White's program record (32) and needs 20 tackles for loss to match Leonard Little as the Vols' career leader in that category.
Numbers aside, Barnett has been a program-changer for Tennessee. He just wants to win games, and to help his team be successful he's focused this year on "being the most dominant player I can be."
"He's truly been my enforcer on defense," Shoop said. "If a message needs to be sent to the guys, he and (Darrin) Kirkland have done it. Maybin and (Cameron) Sutton have been elected the captains, and they've done a great job. But Barnett he's got some dog in him, and I mean that in a good way. Both those guys (Barnett and Kirkland), they're not afraid to jump a teammate, to get a guy going in the right direction. It can't always come from the coaches. It clearly has to come from the leadership of the players, and both those guys have done an outstanding job during the course of camp with that.
"Derek's been everything I would have hoped for and then some."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.