A July 25 meet-and-greet at a Knoxville Food City turned a routine grocery stop into a full-on Tennessee football scene, with 22 players greeting fans, signing autographs and posing for photos ahead of preseason practices.
The event at the Food City on Malone Creek Drive drew supporters of every age, all eager to spend a few minutes with the Vols before the season gets rolling. For the players, it was a chance to return the favor to a fan base they repeatedly described as unmatched.
Defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs, now in his fourth year with Tennessee, said the crowd still manages to surprise him even after plenty of similar appearances. One moment from the day stood out in particular: a fan brought two photos Hobbs had never seen before and asked him to sign them, including one from his first sack after returning from an injury last season and another from Tennessee’s 42-9 win over New Mexico State a few weeks later.
"It's the same thing every time," Hobbs said. "Every time there's an event, the fans are here showing love. We've got the best fan base in college football, and that's what they expect."
Junior tight end Ethan Davis said showing up for fans is part of the job, not something extra.
"I absolutely love doing things for Vol Nation," Davis said. "They come out every single Saturday and show out for us, so it's the least we can do to be involved in the community."
That appreciation was easy to see in the store aisles. Madilyn Price, 6, moved through the crowd with her dad trailing behind her, wearing a shirt that looked signed by a good chunk of the roster. She said she has been a Vols fan her whole life and would remember the day for a long time.
Clinton Boyd, 29, brought his own version of Tennessee pride with him. Since 2023, he’s added about one or two new tattoos a year, and he rolled up his sleeve for defensive linemen Mariyon Dye and Jordan Norman, who were fired up by the display.
"Oh, that's awesome," Boyd said of the reaction he gets from players. "That's just a good way to show my pride every single day."
Three friends - Greyson Hopkins, Neyland Hanson and Jariel Ramos - made it their mission to work their way across all five tables before the day was over. Hanson, 13, said his Tennessee fandom was practically predetermined.
"My dad's been the biggest Tennessee fan for as long as I can remember," Hanson, 13, said. "When I was born, they just decided to name me Neyland because it made sense."
Hopkins, 14, had a different path to the Vols. He said he almost walked away from junior high football until a summer scrimmage gave him what he called the “adrenaline of the Vols,” and that feeling pulled him back in.
For the players, that kind of connection is the point. Hobbs said he once looked up at college athletes the same way these kids do now.
“I remember looking up to college players,” Hobbs said. “I thought they were the coolest people ever. Now being in those shoes for these little kids, it's a pretty cool thing.”
Junior wide receiver Mike Matthews said he understands that feeling from the other side.
"I've been a kid before, I know how it is," he said. "I didn't think I had that many people behind me."
With Tennessee set to open the season against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5, sophomore linebacker Edwin Spillman said the support from Vol Nation carries all the way to game day.
"It really means the world to us, getting to feel that energy from Vol Nation," Spillman said. "It translates on the field and all the way off the field, too."
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Gave Vols Fans The Adidas Answer They Wanted
The long-awaited switch to adidas is now official for Tennessee football, and the early signs are exactly the kind of detail Vols fans were watching for. The programs new look includes orange and white accessories like gloves, arm sleeves and cleats, a small but meaningful change after plenty of concern that the rollout might lean too heavily on black and white.
Josh Heupel has already framed the partnership as more than a uniform change, pointing to the financial support and resources that come with it for the program. The first full on-field reveal is still ahead, with Tennessee set to debut its adidas uniforms in the season opener against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, but the early photos have already answered one of the biggest questions surrounding the move. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Think One Obvious Vol Got Disrespected Again
Tennessees preseason All-SEC third-team list gave the Vols a solid showing, with DeSean Bishop, David Sanders Jr., Wendell Moe and Arion Carter all earning media recognition. It was the kind of early nod that usually helps set a tone for the fall, especially for a roster that expects to lean on several established pieces as it heads toward 2026.
Braylon Staley was the name fans immediately circled anyway. After a strong 2025 season and SEC Freshman of the Year honors, the wideout was viewed by many as the most obvious omission, and the reaction only sharpened the sense that Tennessee may again be leaning on one of its most productive young pass-catchers. Staley is expected back as a starter, but with the third receiver spot still unsettled after Chris Brazzells departure, the conversation around the Vols passing game is far from finished. [Read more 🡒]
Neyland Just Earned The SEC Respect Tennessee Fans Crave
Neyland Stadium got the kind of respect Tennessee fans have been waiting to hear during SEC Media Days, with players around the league putting it at the top of the conferences toughest places to play. For a program that has spent years trying to turn its home field back into a real edge, that kind of peer-to-peer recognition carries more weight than any offseason hype.
The timing is notable, too, because Tennessee did not exactly overwhelm opponents in Knoxville last season and now faces a brutal home slate in SEC play. Texas, Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Kentucky are all set to come through Neyland next fall, giving the Vols a chance to prove the stadiums reputation still matches what happens on the field, even if the leagues preseason forecast has them sitting eighth. [Read more 🡒]