KNOXVILLE – Ryan Johnson said the Florida-Tennessee game experience at Neyland Stadium is not easily described.
But the Tennessee redshirt sophomore center painted a vivid picture this week of what the rivalry meant to him growing up in middle Tennessee and attending games in Knoxville with his family.
“I still remember walking out of the stadium – actually, I was riding on my dad’s shoulders,” said Johnson, who is now 6-foot-6 and 302 pounds. “I was that small, if that tells you how little I was, chanting “It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!” when we won. That’s something that sticks with you.”
Johnson and his teammates will have the chance to provide similar memories for an expected crowd of more than 100,000 Saturday night when Florida visits the Volunteers in a pivotal game for both teams.
The Gators (2-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) have won 12 of the series’ past 13 games, but the Vols (2-1, 0-0) will have the nostalgia of better days on their side.