University of Tennessee Athletics
Season Of Moments Peaks in Jacksonville
December 29, 2014 | Football
By Brian Rice JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
UTSports.com
There was the moment this summer when he took a phone call from Butch Jones while sitting poolside at his home in Farragut to inform him he would be a scholarship player for his redshirt senior season.
There was the moment when it became clear in fall camp that he would be a starter on the offensive line, anchoring a unit that replaced all five starters from a season ago, with two of those departed players starting in the NFL.
Then there was the moment in the Utah State game that should have ended his season. Down on the turf in the south end of Neyland Stadium, Gilliam knew something was very wrong in his left knee, he prayed that it would not be the end of his season.
A day later, there was the moment that he was told the ACL in his left knee was torn. But when the doctors wanted to talk about scheduling surgery, Gilliam was determined to make his prayer come true.
"About an hour after I learned I had torn my ACL, I decided that I wasn't going to give up and I wasn't going to let this season go," Gilliam said, standing on the practice field at the University of North Florida, Tennessee's home for TaxSlayer Bowl preparation. "I had the option to maybe come back next year and try it. I decided that this was my time, I felt like that was what I was being told, so I went for it and it worked out well for me."
He returned to action against Ole Miss and to the starting lineup a week later against Alabama, two more moments. Defeating Vanderbilt in the season finale gave Gilliam and the Volunteers the opportunity for more moments, and he has taken advantage of all of them.
"It's a great feeling, it's been a long time since I've been out practicing at this time in December," he said. "It's obviously a big deal to me. I was part of a team that went to a bowl my redshirt year but this time is different. I get to play and to start. After everything I've been through this year, it's great to be out here practicing with my guys."
His is a story that borders on the unbelievable, almost too good to be true. He admitted that sometimes even he cannot believe all of the things that have taken place over the course of his season.
"Sometimes you just have to look back and thank God for everything his done, thank him that I'm out here still playing," Gilliam said. "It's just a blessing to be out here doing what I'm still doing."
There were two more moments. One was stepping off the plane in Jacksonville, Butch Jones greeted every player as they passed by.
"We stepped of that plane and Butch had a big smile on his face and was glad to see everybody," Gilliam said. "It's a big moment for our football program to be able to play in a bowl game. For so many years, we didn't get that chance so for the young guys."
Then there was the moment he stepped onto the field at UNF for practice, ready to make final preparations more another moment Friday afternoon at EverBank Field.
"It's good to be out here practicing," he said. "It's good for me, I get one last chance to get out here and play some ball."
