University of Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones talks with fan Gavin Bambuzza during fan appreciation activities before the spring Orange and White game Saturday at Neyland Stadium.KNOXVILLE – The first fan arrived at Neyland Stadium at 4 a.m. Saturday to start the line for the one-hour autograph session with Tennessee football coach Butch Jones and his players.
The caps on the Sharpies, though, wouldn’t come off for another eight-plus hours.
The annual Orange and White Game to wrap up the Volunteers’ spring practice was 11 hours from kicking off.
“That’s crazy,” Vols cornerback Cam Sutton said after the Vols put the finishing touches on their second spring under Jones. “I know I would definitely not be out there. We greatly appreciate those fans being out there today.”
The announced crowd of 68,548 fans at Neyland on a warm April afternoon was the second-most for a Tennessee spring in the program’s history, besting the crowd of 61,076 for Jones’ first showcase a year ago yet falling short of the 73,801 who came to watch the Vols’ spring game coming off a memorable Sugar Bowl win in 1986.