University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Take In Gatlinburg
December 18, 2014 | Football
GATLINBURG, Tenn. -- With bowl practices in full swing, Butch Jones took time out of the practice week for Team 118 to bond off the field. Tennessee Football took a trip to Gatlinburg on Wednesday afternoon for fun at different Ripley's Believe It or Not attractions including the Haunted Adventure, Mirror Maze and Aquarium of the Smokies.
Inside of the aquarium, the Coach Jones and the team met a special member of the Penguin Playhouse. In honor of the Tennessee coach, a special penguin was named after the man at the helm of the program.
"I would like to thank everyone is Gatlinburg, what a great evening for them, making it a memorable experience for our football team," Jones said. "A lot of these individuals had never been to Gatlinburg and for them to be as accommodating as they were last night to our football family, very indebted to them. Jim Ogle and everyone in Gatlinburg. So thank you."
Senior Justin Coleman appreciated the memories made and the extra time that he was able to spend with his teammates at the different attractions.
"We had a team function, get together, a little team bonding," Coleman said. "We went inside the haunted house, the mirror room, ate together. We just tried to get the team closer.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs also enjoyed the trip to Gatlinburg, sharing a similar opinion with Coleman about using the opportunity to get the team closer together.
"It was a great opportunity to get around different guys than you usually hang out with," Dobbs said. "That was fun. We got a chance to eat dinner as a team and then venture out and do our own things, see a couple of the attractions. They were fun and a couple of the guys got a little scared in the haunted house, so that was funny to see linemen run out of a haunted house. We definitely had fun and enjoyed the time together."
Senior Jordan Williams continues to appreciate and savor the last month that he has with his team. His favorite moment of the trip was alongside fellow defensive teammates, Curt Maggitt and Brian Randolph.
"The haunted house," Williams said. "Man, that was tough. It was actually me, Maggitt and Randolph went in there together and we were right behind Coach Jones and his son. We were more scared than him. It kind of hits you with a surprise at the end. You think it's all over and then you're walking out and sure enough, here comes somebody chasing you down the hallway!"
As the TaxSlayer Bowl nears for Team 118, the group will take their close relationships with one another to the field as they look for their seventh win.
"It's important for our team to know each other and get closer to each other," Coleman said. "When you know you have to play for the guy to your left and right, it makes you play a lot better. You don't want to let down the guy next to you."
