Tennessee wide receiver Marquez Callaway and trainers help quarterback Jarrett Guarantano up after he was injured during last November's home game against Southern Miss. Injuries were a problem for the Vols under former coach Butch Jones, and new coach Jeremy Pruitt is emphasizing being mindful of teammates' health during practices.KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's football team will be walking a "fine line," coach Jeremy Pruitt said, as it ramps up the physicality Sunday at Neyland Stadium during the Volunteers' first preseason scrimmage.
Pruitt has said he is searching for consistent toughness from his players, but they're also learning a form of practice etiquette that prioritizes the team's overall health.
If the Vols are to correct last season's 4-8 record this year in Pruitt's first season as coach, they must fix one of the primary problems that led to former coach Butch Jones' demise. Tennessee led the nation in missed starts the past two seasons amid a rash of injuries, some of which occurred on the practice field.
"You've got to stay off the ground, you've got to stay under control and don't take cheap shots at people that aren't looking," Pruitt said. "You take care of your teammates. I think our guys are learning that. We're much better than when we first got here, so we've got to continue to improve on that."
Pruitt's words insinuate that before the new staff arrived, Tennessee players were accustomed to practicing in a more forceful fashion. Most 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 portions of practice under Jones were closed to media. Pruitt's practices follow a similar protocol, but he has alluded to "knowing how to practice" multiple times since preseason practices started this month.
"We practice staying off the ground," redshirt junior long snapper Riley Lovingood said. "Coach doesn't want guys on the ground getting hurt, rolling any knees. Practice etiquette - so, being smart but being physical at the same time. You can never replace physicality."
A new strength and conditioning staff, new athletic trainer, new team surgeons and new emphasis on "control" in practices stand as measures Pruitt has taken to reverse the injury trend that helped derail Jones' tenure.
Tennessee ascended to No. 9 in the country during the 2016 season after a 5-0 start that included consecutive victories against rivals Florida and Georgia. After back-to-back losses to No. 8 Texas A&M and top-ranked Alabama in the following weeks, the Vols traveled to South Carolina still in position to win the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division.
By then, however, their injury list had grown to more than a dozen starters or key contributors. That attrition and an overall lackluster effort led to a 24-21 loss to the Gamecocks - Tennessee's third in a row - and a noticeable decline in public support of Jones.
Tennessee wound up 9-4 after a win over Nebraska in the Music City Bowl, but the injury problems only increased the following season.
Data obtained through a public records request indicates Tennessee players, including walk-ons and reserves, missed a total of 176 games due to injury in 2017, a four-year high and an average of nearly 15 players per game. The data examined years 2014 through 2017.
Tennessee football players missed 12 games due to concussions alone in 2017, four times as many as any of the three previous seasons. Scholarship players incurred 26 concussions last year, according to the data.
The Vols have several players still working back to full strength after offseason surgeries, including potentially key starters such as offensive linemen Chance Hall and Trey Smith, receiver Jauan Jennings, safety Todd Kelly Jr. and linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr.
Their collective health as well as that of their teammates will have an impact on the product Pruitt puts on the field during his first season. Injuries happen, but Pruitt believes some of those that occur in practice can be avoided.
"This is a physical game," Pruitt said. "Probably, if you look, if people are on the ground, there is an opportunity for people to get hurt. You've got to coach guys, number one, to learn how to strain, learn how to play the game - but play it under control. Know that you're playing against your teammates in practice.
"You've got to be competitive, and it's a fine line."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.