KNOXVILLE — Willie Bohannon admits he’s his own harshest critic.
After a particularly disappointing performance in Tennessee’s season opener, the Volunteers’ defensive end remembered sitting down with position coach Lance Thompson.
“I played really bad,” Bohannon recalled after UT’s practice on Tuesday morning. “[Thompson] sat down and talked to some of the other guys who played bad, and he questioned us if it was important to us or not. I’ve always thought it was important to me.”
Seven games later, Bohannon’s consistency earned him a starting spot against Middle Tennessee State, and he’s held it since. The Mobile, Ala., resident had a sack against Florida, half a sack against South Carolina and three quarterback hurries last week against Vanderbilt, but it was his three-tackle performance against LSU in October that he considers the turning point.
“Nothing special,” said the 254-pounder. “The coaches have been telling me I’ve been playing pretty well. I look at the film and I see I’ve been striking more, doing the small things right. I never really thought about why they put me in more.