KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, offensive lineman Brett Kendrick and defensive lineman Kendal Vickers spoke to reporters at Tuesday’s press conference.
The Volunteers (6-3, 2-3 SEC) are set to face the Kentucky Wildcats (5-4, 4-3 SEC) in this Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium. The game is slated for a 12 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network.
Prior to the start of his media session, Dobbs was surprised and honored with an announcement of his induction into Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society. Founded over 100 years ago, Omicron Delta Kappa has initiated more the 300,000 members and includes the likes of Tennessee greats Peyton Manning and Pat Summitt. Joining Manning, Dobbs is now only the second Tennessee football player to be inducted into the national leadership honor society.
"It is an honor to receive this information and to be accepted is an honor and a privilege," Dobbs said following the announcement. “Peyton Manning, Pat Summitt, Winston Churchill are all people who, you realize what they did in their respective areas but they're mainly known for their leadership. So, to be a part of a group that is very prestigious is an honor and a privilege and I'm very honored to be a part of it."
Brett Kendrick | Offensive Lineman
Tennessee brought a noticeably different energy into last week's matchup against Tennessee Tech, resulting in a 55-0 shutout win for the Vols. Kendrick noted one reason for the energy change was the team's commitment to having fun and staying loose.
"[Last week] was a little different. We talked a lot last week about this being a child's game and it's just what we fell in love with playing when we were little kids growing up, out in the back yard and on the playgrounds. I think we played more loose on Saturday and we just decided we were going to go out there and have fun with it and we were clicking on offense so that was fun. We're just going to keep focusing on what we did leading up to the game last week, the meetings that we had and the time we spent together."
Joshua Dobbs | Quarterback
This week, running back Alvin Kamara has returned to practice and hopes to see his first game action since Tennessee's October matchup against Alabama. For Dobbs, having Kamara back alongside explosive sophomore John Kelly is an exciting possibility.
"We saw what they can do together against Texas A&M. We’ve seen Alvin perform for the last two years and John Kelly is emerging and making plays. It’s definitely exciting. But, we’re going to take it one day at a time to make sure he is healthy and ready to go for Saturday. It’s definitely exciting to see him back on the field practicing and back to make plays for us.”
Kendal Vickers | Defensive Lineman
Veteran Kendal Vickers is using the team's energy and his increased leadership role to help UT's defensive line prepare for a solid Kentucky offense this week. Entering Week 11, the Wildcats are averaging 215 rushing yards and nearly 400 yards of total offense per game.
"They're physical up front. With their backs, you cannot give them a window or else they'll take it. No. 18 is a good player and we played against him last year. I think they ran eight plays in a row against Georgia, just running the ball. We just have to make sure we come in, be physical with their O-line and we have to make sure we're fitting all of our gaps and executing well."
More Sound Bites
Brett Kendrick
(On the offensive line having fun blocking for John Kelly)
"He's just an exciting runner. He's fun to watch and you know, he runs so hard. As an offensive lineman, that's all you could ask for out of a back, to run as hard as he does. He gives us a lot of praise and he thanks us and I think it's just kind of locker room stuff too. We are good friends off the field and we have a lot of fun together."
Joshua Dobbs
(On having played well against Kentucky in the past)
“Each week, you come into the game and you try to prepare at a high level. Each week, you want to go out and put a productive game plan together and play well. Thankfully, over my career I’ve played well against them. I look to play well every time I step on the field, so my past performances against a certain opponent don’t dictate future performances. I have to go out and prepare at a high level if I want to preform well again.”
Kendal Vickers
(On who carries a lot of spark for the defensive unit)
"I think Darrell Taylor. Whenever he's in and if he makes a big play, everybody just gets excited for him. Paul Bain is another guy who I think everybody gets excited for when he does well. I think that's just a brotherhood thing. Everybody knows how hard they work and everybody knows what they put in throughout the week. When it shows on the field, everybody is happy for them."
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)