New to the Chattanooga area this spring, State Farm insurance agent J.R. Isham was looking for an intern to work in his office for a few weeks. He settled on Josh Cardiello, a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offensive lineman who will be a redshirt senior this season.
"Very personable," Isham said Wednesday when asked about his temporary hire. "Josh really connects with people. He's got a mind for business."
Then Isham was asked for any moments that stood out during his three weeks with the Mocs' No. 72.
"Josh told me, 'Nationwide (Insurance) has Peyton Manning,'" the agent recalled as he began to chuckle. "Then he said, 'You all have me.'"
Cardiello, quarterback Alejandro Bennifield and their senior teammates have one more season to complete their already stunning mark on UTC football. Counting the year most of them sat out as true freshmen, 2013, the program has gone 36-16 since they first arrived on campus. That's the second-best four-year run in school history, trailing only the 33-9-2 record from 1977 through 1980.
Of course, the head coach who oversaw those 36 wins - UTC alum Russ Huesman - has left, heading off to new challenges at the University of Richmond. In his place will pace Tom Arth, formerly the head coach at his alma mater, Division III powerhouse John Carroll.
Said Cardiello of the offensive scheme employed by the new top Moc, "I'm not going to say much, but it will be different and it will be fun to watch."
Befitting a fifth-year veteran whose college career began three hours east of here at the University of Georgia before he transferred, Cardiello declined comment when asked to provide details of how this year's scheme will vary from those of UTC's recent past.
What he would talk about is the summer workout program and how Arth has helped participation in those workouts by raising money to help enroll more players in summer school, thus having them in town for a longer stretch of time.
"We probably had 70 guys here for the (first summer semester) session," Cardiello said. "Coach Arth has gotten meals for us. He deserves a lot of credit for getting so many guys here and helping us build camaraderie."
Indeed, if you want to select yet another area in which the Power Five conferences have an edge, summer school is one. For Tennessee and Alabama and Georgia and Ohio State and Notre Dame, those potential additional fees are not an issue. At UTC it can be. Arth deserves much credit for making sure it wasn't a concern for the 2017 Mocs.
But veteran players such as Cardiello and Bennifield also deserve much credit for strongly encouraging their teammates to run and lift weights and run passing routes on their own.
"We've had a real good summer," said the 305-pound Cardiello, who already has earned his bachelor's degree in sports management. "Alejandro was a really good leader for us last year, and that's tough for a first-year (starting) quarterback. But he might be even better this year. I can't wait to start blocking for him. I think we're going to have a special team."
They've been so close to being viewed as a special team for several years now, with last December's season-ending 41-36 loss at top-ranked Sam Houston State in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs the latest frustrating finish to an otherwise fine season.
"I don't know if you ever get over games like that," Cardiello said. "I've watched the tape a couple of times, but you have to put it behind you. We're focusing all our energy on this season."
To that end, they have spent at least a portion of the summer training under the watchful eye of new strength coach Chad Pearson, as NCAA rules allow.
"We've run a lot," said Cardiello, who then added of this thus far soggy summer, "We've run through a lot of raindrops, too. But we also know that come July 27th (the first day of official practice), it's probably going to be 95 degrees and sunny."
It's all aimed at finally securing a championship season, beginning with a rather extraordinary opener against Jacksonville State in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Aug. 26. That 6 p.m. game will be shown on ESPN.
"The first game of the college football season," said Cardiello, pride filling his voice. "Everybody and his brother who have been waiting six months for college football to return will be watching."
And when the Mocs finally play their first home game of the year at Finley Stadium against UT-Martin on Sept. 16, State Farm's Isham intends to be there with his wife and three kids to watch his former intern.
"We've got to be there to cheer big No. 72," he said.
If nothing else, the addition of five new fans to Finley's seats is proof Cardiello's degree is already helping his alma mater's athletic department in more ways than football wins only.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.