Derrick Lott is a 300-pound defensive tackle who also played some at defensive end in the season opener for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.Derrick Lott said the last time he lined up at defensive end was during his sophomore season at North Cobb (Ga.) High School. Of course he was smaller then.
Lott, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior, is now 6-foot-4 and around 300 pounds. That’s pretty big for a Southern Conference defensive tackle and it’s really big for a SoCon end, which is where the preseason All-SoCon first-team pick lined up at times during UTC’s season-opening loss to UT-Martin.
UTC sometimes used a three-man front in the 31-21 loss to the Skyhawks, with All-America end Davis Tull on the left, tackles Josh Freeman or Danny Ring in the middle and Lott on the other end.
“It was a little challenging at first,” Lott said. “Coming from inside and learning what to do, different techniques, and then moving to the end, it’s a little bit more fast-paced. I had Davis, [defensive line coach Marcus West] and Zach Rayl, who I was helping fill in for, coach me all week and tell me things I needed to do.”
Lott finished with eight tackles, including one for lost yardage. Mocs coach Russ Huesman said Lott had some ups and downs playing outside and inside.