What a summer for the University of Tennessee of Chattanooga football program.
The Mocs are ranked anywhere in the back half of the top 10 in most of the Football Championship Subdivision preseason polls. They are shining in the afterglow of an NFL draft in which they had more players picked than the Tennessee Volunteers. They figure to be on the short list of FCS title contenders, and a lot of those high hopes hinge on quarterback Jacob Huesman, the returning Southern Conference offensive player of the year.
So things are cruising for the Mocs and for Huesman, who enters his senior season with goals so lofty the sheer mention of them before now would have caused a collective eye roll from Chattanooga that would have stopped traffic.
"When we lost in the (high school) state championship game, my dad said, 'It's OK, because we are going to win a national championship at UTC,'" Huesman said of the encouraging words his dad and Mocs coach Russ gave him after Baylor's loss in Cookeville four years ago. "I have watched him build programs before, so I knew this was possible."
Possible, at UTC, maybe. Probable? Not likely.
It would almost be as crazy as one of the four best quarterbacks ever wanting to practice with the Mocs.
Oh, wait.
That's right, Huesman and a collection of the UTC skill-position players worked out with Peyton Manning this week. Yes, you read that correctly.
It's the same Mocs program that pre-Russ Huesman would have been lucky to have workouts with Bubby Brister. And, yes, the same Peyton Manning who is on the short list of the best guys ever to take a snap.
But there he was and there were the Mocs, with the signal-calling Huesman right there taking in as much as he could from the chance meeting that most would call the chance of a lifetime.
Manning has a lake house in Hamilton County and is a member at The Honors Course. He drops in a lot of places around town - D1 Sports Training a lot and occasionally at various high schools to work out - and even shot the famous seven-syllable Nationwide commercial here last summer.
Jacob discussed the logistical details about Manning working out with the Mocs on "Press Row" on Chattanooga's ESPN 105.1 FM this week. Manning is involved with D1 Sports workout facilities, and Jacob has trained there in the past. Someone from D1 called Jacob and said Manning wanted to throw and work out and asked if Jacob could assemble some Mocs.
It was paramount that everything was kept hush-hush because of Manning's desire to focus on football and the assured fan turnout if word leaked.
Can you imagine how cool that would be? Can you imagine having your hero calling you and saying, "Hey, want to get together and ?"
And then can you imagine how hard it would be to keep it all quiet?
"Well, it wasn't that tough," young Huesman said, "because it was Peyton Manning."
Well said, Jacob, who related that word kind of spread among the Mocs quickly.
For Huesman, though, it's a monster step in what figures to be a monster final season in Chattanooga. He talked of the dropback tips that Manning offered, and let's all agree that Manning is the QB equivalent of E.F. Hutton: When he talks passing, people listen. He spoke of the surprising arm strength Manning possessed and the mind-blowing accuracy with which he delivered the ball.
And of course, Huesman was overflowing in his praise for Manning's legendary preparation.
"His attention to detail is incredible," Huesman said Thursday.
It was a dream come true and the learning chance of a lifetime, so, yeah, Jacob Huesman had a good week.
Put it this way: Imagine you're heading into your senior season and arguably the greatest quarterback ever reaches out to throw some passes on a random summer day.
Yeah, that's cool no matter who you are.
So, Mocs fans, we believe three things this Fourth of July morning:
First, we are happy to sing, "Happy Birthday America" because it's the best country in the world.
Second, be very excited about the looming season of your Mocs, because there are good times ahead.
And third, you may dislike the Big Brother Big Orange and even their fan base, and you can lob grenades at Manning's postseason record.
But Peyton Manning is a complete class act, another trait he shares with Jacob Huesman.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343. Follow him on Twitter at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com. Read his online column "The 5-at-10" weekdays starting at 10 a.m. at timesfreepress.com.