“Grandpa” is having a great last run for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program.
Who is Grandpa?
Tyron Arnett, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound wide receiver for the Mocs. As the lone senior in the rotation of a position group filled with freshmen and sophomores, the nickname is apparently fitting for Arnett. He’s in his third UTC season after transferring from Western Michigan, a move that cut in half the distance from his college to his hometown of Pahokee, Florida.
“It depends on the vibe of the day, honestly,” Arnett said of his nickname, noting the rest of the group also refers to him as “Pops” or sometimes “Doc.”
Whatever his younger teammates call him, Arnett is playing well for Mocs (4-1, 2-0 Southern Conference), who are ranked ninth by Football Championship Subdivision coaches and 10th in the Stats Perform Top 25 heading into Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. home game against Virginia Military Institute (1-4, 0-2). The Mocs, who had an open date last week after rallying to win 24-16 at East Tennessee State University on Oct. 1, are looking for their first victory over the Keydets since head coach Rusty Wright took over prior to the 2019 season.