Tennessee senior left guard Trey Smith has taken on as many national issues as he has opposing defensive linemen this year, and Tuesday was no exception.
The Volunteers took a day off from preparing for Saturday night's test at Arkansas, which is a matchup of Southeastern Conference teams seeking to attain a 3-3 record. The day off was mandated by the NCAA in order that student-athletes in all fall sports could be away from practices and competitions in order to vote in the national election.
"It's a big deal," Smith said on a Zoom call. "When you talk about the right to vote in this country, it's something that my ancestors and people who looked like me died for. A lot of people have died for the right to vote. In a way, it's selfish if you're a person who has a right to vote and don't vote. That's pretty embarrassing when you think about the people who have died for that right.
"For me, I think it's a great opportunity to do what we're supposed to do. In this society, we're supposed to play a role."
Smith has played a prominent role among Tennessee players during recent months in the discussion of racial injustice, which has been a prominent topic in this election along with the eonomy and the coronavirus. He helped guide a peaceful protest in both May and late August, with roughly 1,000 Tennessee students and student-athletes participating in the on-campus August event.
"We're just coming together out of peace and love," Smith said during the preseason. "That's all we're doing."
The NCAA announced the mandatory day off for the national election back in September, and the schedule played in Tennessee's favor, as the Volunteers are coming off their lone open date of a 10-game schedule consisting solely of league contests. Arkansas traveled to Texas A&M last Saturday night and lost 42-31.
"For us, it was pretty easy because we were off last week," Tennessee third-year coach Jeremy Pruitt said. "We just did our Monday practice on Sunday. There was not a lot of shakeup with us."
Florida coach Dan Mullen has been against the NCAA-mandated off day because most of his Gators players voted early and because of the importance of Tuesday's practices during game weeks. Mississippi State coach Mike Leach also expressed his displeasure with the NCAA's decision, but there haven't been any public complaints from the Tennessee camp.
Especially among those who have been in tune with the national headlines this year has provided.
"I have a lot of respect for Coach Mullen, and everybody is entitled to their opinion, and I understand that he's a coach in one of the biggest games of the season coming up," Smith said. "I understand why he would be upset with that, but it is what it is. We're talking about people's rights just to go out and vote, and I think it's a good thing that it was instituted."
Said sophomore inside linebacker Henry To'o To'o: "I respect the NCAA's decision, and I appreciate it. It gives everybody to be able to use their right to vote. I think it's huge for a lot of players across the NCAA, and I think we just have to take advantage of it as players and use our right."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.