Late in Wednesday’s practice at Scrappy Moore Field, Roman Pearson cut upfield and sprinted for a long gain. Football in hand, he zigged and zagged, and at another point attempted to pick up another football – a tough task for anybody trying to grab the oddly-shaped object.
Of course, there’s a catch: Roman just turned 2 years old.
The oldest son of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga strength training coach Chad Pearson is one of more than 20 kids – all younger than 9 – who at any point could be hanging around the field as Mocs coaches’ wives await the end of practice. As preseason camp approaches its fourth and final week, the staff is at meetings and practices all day, so a reprieve from that grind via the smiling, young faces eager to see their fathers has been a welcomed part of the process.
It’s not uncommon for the kids to become part of post-practice interviews. Defensive coordinator Tom Kaufman and wife Stephanie just had their first child, and after a recent practice, Tom stood proudly and spoke softly as Jack slept in his arms.
Building a family atmosphere in the program was part of head coach Tom Arth’s plan since being hired in December, and on Wednesday, coaches’ wives Tori Aplin, Katie Feeney, Emily Hennessey, Rachel Pearson and Jennifer Rascati were at practice and there were six kids present.