KNOXVILLE - One week before beginning its preseason work, Tennessee's football team acknowledged the nearing completion of its annual off-field summer project.
Five players, including team captains Josh Dobbs, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cameron Sutton, were present in North Knoxville on Monday for the dedication of a Habitat for Humanity house the team helped build for a sixth straight summer.
Kicker Aaron Medley and long snapper Riley Lovingood were also on hand as Dobbs handed over the keys to the home to owner Jean Claude Jafari and his family.
"It's bigger than us, and we all understand that," Sutton said. "It's just something that we've been doing for years. It's just amazing to see the impact that we have on families in the community. It's very humbling."
For five Saturdays in the summer 20 to 30 players spend eight hours helping the family and other volunteers build the home from the foundation up.
"They love it," said Antone Davis, Tennessee's Vol for Life program coordinator. "This is one that we kind of make mandatory because it's so important to Coach (Butch) Jones and myself, but players want to come out to it. They look forward to it. I never get any blowback of players not wanting to come.
"I think it's fulfilling when they see how quickly the houses are built," Davis added. "When we arrive, it's just a foundation, and we come back for a dedication like this and you've got a whole house that a family can live in. I think there's a sense of accomplishment and a sense of giving back that the players feel, and they love it."
The construction project has become a tradition of sorts.
The Volunteers enjoy the chance to give back to the local community while also building team camaraderie during the offseason and improving their handyman skills.
"Doing this for four years, you kind of pick up on some things," Reeves-Maybin said. "Seeing people's hammer techniques, you've got some guys that come in and know what they're doing right away, and then you've got people who struggle. It's always fun when you get out here and everybody starts building.
"Sometimes it's early in the morning and it's hot and you don't want to get up, but once we get out here and the energy starts going, it becomes a fun day."
Tennessee opens preseason practice next Monday, and Reeves-Maybin said the Vols are eager to return to the field and get to work for the new season.
"We're definitely very confident," Sutton said. "It's something that we've been waiting on for many months now. We had a great spring, great summer workouts and a lot of guys stepping up and embracing the roles they're in. We're ready to get after it."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.