Staff photo by Erin O. Smith /
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga running back Jonathan Stovall (38) runs with the ball during practice at Scrappy Moore Practice Field Monday, August 6, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jonathan Stovall's mentality is to do anything to help the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga win in football.
A week into preseason camp, he's putting himself in a position to do so.
The 5-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore running back has put the coaching staff on notice that he's wanting to find a way onto the field this season for the Mocs. It started with Stovall putting pads on for the first time since 2015 this past spring and playing well in practices as well as the spring game, and he has continued that momentum with a solid camp to date.
Staff photo by Erin O. Smith /
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga running back Jonathan Stovall (38) runs with the ball during practice at Scrappy Moore Practice Field Monday, August 6, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Stovall's college career started at Division II Carson-Newman, where he redshirted as a freshman. Wanting a change, he decided to transfer to UTC, where his cousin James was a receiver from 2014 through last year. The two had grown up on the same street in Tullahoma before James moved to Cleveland for high school, but they had talked about playing together.
"We had dreamed of playing on the same team, so when I told him I was considering transferring, of course he said I needed to come here and get on the field with him," Jonathan said after a recent practice. "He was a huge factor in my decision."
Staff photo by Erin O. Smith /
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga running back Jonathan Stovall (38) runs with the ball during practice at Scrappy Moore Practice Field Monday, August 6, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The problem was that Jonathan had to sit out the 2016 season due to his transfer. Thinking he was ready to play in 2017, he suffered an injury and had to miss another year. Wanting to be a part of the program in some capacity, he chose to be one of the team's videographers during practices, as well as shooting the Wofford game on the road.
"I just set up cameras and helped get the gear down to the practice field," Stovall said. "I went up in the tower a couple of times and tried to video practice from each perspective.
"I got to see a couple of things, learn a couple things."
The coaching staff has noticed. The Mocs don't have many running backs - only five players have been working in the running back group this preseason - which has given Stovall opportunities to perform.
"His attitude is fantastic," UTC head coach Tom Arth said. "He has no ego. He's just out here working as hard as he possibly can to contribute to our team in any role, any way possible.
"We'd just seen somebody in the spring that showed some signs of being able to help and maybe take some reps, to now this camp where he has really stepped up. He's been really productive; he's getting some really good carries, and he's really reliable in pass protection. He's worked hard to carve a role out for himself."
Stovall called the feeling of being on the team amazing ("The feeling in your gut you get when you get to put pads on every day with these guys, it's unbelievable"). He's bought into the coaches' focus on getting better every single day and not making the same mistakes in back-to-back days.
That could lead to an opportunity to play in some capacity. It's an opportunity he would cherish.
"I just want to be on the field," he said. "Sitting out two years, I just really want to play.
"As long as I help these guys get a win, that's all I want to do."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.