Tennessee has a big trash can that it carries on its sideline. It says “Team 121” on it. Per ESPN’s Maria Taylor, the bucket is meant for Tennessee players to dunk footballs into it after they get takeaways on defense. That’s a nice little tradition.
In the season opener, a dunk missed:
A couple days after Tennessee’s 42-41 win over GT, Vols head coach Butch Jones expanded on the trash can’s significance.
Butch on #Vols’ trash can: Some people act like we’re the only place in America that does things like that. Everybody has something.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 6, 2017
He said the turnover trash can was a thing last year. Maybe they just didn't hold it up the entire game last year? https://t.co/mmUtCzbRM0
— @GrantRamey (@GrantRamey) September 6, 2017
It was a thing last year, but there wasn't a designated hold-the-trash-can-up-in-the-air-while-the-defense-is-out-there guy. https://t.co/lPG2uKgEAa
— Patrick Brown (@pbrown247) September 6, 2017
And now Tennessee’s leaning into the trash can on social media.
FUMBLE
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 16, 2017
forced by @CHECK_UP_
recovered by @darrelltaylorst pic.twitter.com/GPpdsY5Kfl
Something cool Tennessee does is number itself every year. By that, I mean that the Vols count how many years they’ve been playing football in their history, and they call each year’s squad “Team XXX” or whatnot. So 2016 was Team 120, 2017 is Team 121, and on and on. It’s not a revolutionary thing, but it strikes me as unique and good.
Jones has a penchant for weird motivational stuff.
You probably know about the Life Championship, which Jones rhetorically awarded to his players last year, when they failed to win the SEC East after a 5-0 start.
But Jones has a whole history of oddball sayings and motivational tactics. He’s referred to his players as having five-star hearts, which is basically a Life Champs sequel.
Lots of other teams have props that are sort of like this.
How long these Bama players ball? All day, all day http://t.co/AO3w3HJb7s (pic: @ByCasagrande) pic.twitter.com/2ZC1Qxnoah
— SB Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) April 9, 2015
Ole Miss has a NWO wrestling belt and I think I’m back in on the Rebels pic.twitter.com/eH2SALPBci
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) September 3, 2017