Kobe Joseph had never heard “Rocky Top” before.
Neither had fellow sixth-year senior Dave Monnot III and a number of other University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football players, but Mocs coach Rusty Wright changed that by blaring the Tennessee Volunteers’ fight song for 25 minutes straight during practice last Saturday.
Along with working at the on-field aspects of the sport, it was part of UTC’s preparation for this weekend’s season opener in Neyland Stadium. After all, hearing that song over and over and over is a given part of any game day in Knoxville.
That was obviously not the case at Harvard, where Joseph — a linebacker from Sharpsville, Pennsylvania — played before joining UTC as a graduate transfer last year.
“It’s pretty catchy,” was Joseph’s opinion of the tune, which originated as a bluegrass song more than a half-century ago and soon became part of the Pride of the Southland Band’s playlist.