KNOXVILLE - During initial preparations for last week's game at Alabama, Tennessee freshman defensive back Shawn Shamburger already had reasons to feel more nervous than usual.
Shamburger is an Alabama native and had multiple family members traveling to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
However, the pressure increased even more in the middle of the week, when Volunteers coach Butch Jones told Shamburger the first start of his college career would be against the top-ranked Crimson Tide.
"I was definitely hyped when he told me," Shamburger said. "I was definitely hyped, but at the same time I was kind of nervous because playing in my home state brought it to a level where it magnified my play a little more."
Despite any nervousness, Shamburger shined by leading the team in tackles with 12, including a sack, while covering Calvin Ridley, the Tide's star wide receiver.
"When you're playing a player with his magnitude, with all the hype around him, of course it's going to get to you and you're going to react a certain way," Shamburger said. "But you just have to just trust your training and what you have learned since being here."
Shamburger made what could have been a game-changing play when he knocked the ball out of the hands of tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second quarter. The ball ended up going through the end zone, which would have resulted in an Alabama turnover, but a hands-to-the-face penalty against Vols defensive end Jonathan Kongbo negated the fumble.
"I just ran and dove," Shamburger said. "And when I dove, I reached around to try and get the ball out, and it came out. We had a penalty on that play, it brought us down, but we just have to look past that."
Though originally from Alabama, Shamburger played his final year of high school football under coach Rush Propst at Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Ga.
Shamburger was a three-star recruit who carried plenty of confidence with him to Tennessee, and he was talked up by Vols coaches in the preseason and at the start of the season. Still, he had yet to receive significant playing time when an injury to senior cornerback Justin Martin forced him into the lineup last week.
Tennessee coaches took note of Shamburger's performance, which was one of few bright spots in the Vols' 45-7 loss.
"Was really, really pleased to see Shawn Shamburger step up in his first career start as a true freshman," Jones said on Monday. "I thought he brought a lot of energy. There were some situations where they tried to go after him and attack him on the perimeter being a true freshman. I thought he handled it very, very well. The stage was not too big for him."
Tennessee (3-4, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) will try to end its losing streak at three games when it plays at Kentucky (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday night, and still on the schedule are games against Southern Miss, Missouri, LSU and Vanderbilt. With the Vols' secondary thin on depth, defensive coordinator Bob Shoop was quick to note Shamburger had worked his way into the normal rotation.
"That's a done deal. I promise you that," Shoop said. "That guy, he showed that the stage wasn't too big for him, man. They tried to pick on him that first series. He makes a tackle the first play of the game on a three-step. He has a corner blitz for a sack. He triggers on the run.
"That guy can play, man."
Contact Rob Harvey at sports@timesfreepress.com.