There are motivating factors throughout a college football season, and then there are the Tennessee Volunteers playing for William Inge.
Tennessee’s third-year linebackers coach suffered a significant health scare in September that had him hospitalized for weeks. The Vols played with Inge on the sideline for their 56-9 opening rout of Furman but did not experience his presence again until last Saturday night’s 34-6 victory over Kentucky.
“He’s just a walking testimony to be able to see why we should keep on fighting,” Vols junior receiver Mike Matthews said after Saturday’s game. “There are a lot more difficult things going on in the world, and being able to have him on our side gives us a lot more energy to play hard for him and compete out there.”
The Vols improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference with their win over the Wildcats. They are now preparing for Saturday’s showdown (3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN) at Texas A&M, which has struggled through a 4-5 season that contains a 1-5 league ledger.
Inge became gravely ill in the days leading up to Tennessee hosting Texas on Sept. 26, and there were even rumors that he had passed. The day before the Vols and Longhorns collided, Inge started taking his first small steps towards a recovery that included a statement that read, “I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers. I am resting comfortably. I am fighting this illness just like our team fights on the field. I look forward to supporting our team and wish them well tomorrow.”