If Tennessee is able to save a season that appears to be on the brink, players like Brett Kendrick will be the key.
Kendrick signed with Tennessee with little fanfare. He was a three-star prospect from Christian Academy of Knoxville. Since that time, he’s been a versatile offensive lineman that has started 22 games, including every game last season. Kendrick is the kind of mortar that helps hold the bricks together.
Kendrick signed with Tennessee with little fanfare. He was a three-star prospect from Christian Academy of Knoxville. Since that time, he’s been a versatile offensive lineman that has started 22 games, including every game last season. Kendrick is the kind of mortar that helps hold the bricks together.
Kendrick showed his leadership this week when he was asked about the state of UT’s football team. Kendrick didn’t shy away when the media asked him about injured players not showing up on the sideline during the UMass game.
Photo Credit: Twitter @B_Ken63
“I think we’ll start seeing some of them back on the sidelines,” Kendrick said. “I think that’s something we need to take care of inside the team. Obviously senior leaders and just older guys in general out there show the younger guys what it’s supposed to look like and how the sidelines are supposed to look. I think that would be huge for us.”
Kendrick was at the center of a recent team meeting in which the direction of the team was discussed after the lackluster 17-13 win against UMass.
“We had a conversation about it already, about what we expect right after the game,” Kendrick said. “We did a great job of addressing it and telling everybody what we need. It started right after the game and it’s going to keep going.”
Kendrick didn’t keep the entire conversation behind closed doors. He publicly challenged UT’s freshman to do more and drop any prima donna attitude that might be present.
“Coming in the SEC and playing as a freshman is already difficult, but I think there’s opportunity for some of these freshman to take on bigger roles on special teams,” Kendrick said. “I think that’s something that they need to take very seriously…(Former UT linebacker) Jalen Reeves-Maybin, that’s how he made his name here, to start out with special teams.
“Sometimes they overlook special teams and think ‘I want to be a star on defense or a star on offense right away.’ Sometimes they can come in and help us on special teams and they don’t know how much of an impact (they can make).”
It’s easy to take note of momentum-turning plays and final scores in the coming weeks, but don’t overlook the importance of leadership. Kendrick is providing just that.
