Lane Kiffin boasts about success of Tennessee’s topless recruiting
Kiffin (KNS/S. Young)
Lane Kiffin says Tennessee’s infamous shirt-ripping stunt on Junior Day was “the best story you could ever have” for recruiting football players to Rocky Top.
The topless tactic was perhaps the most creative and most bizarre recruiting strategy in SEC football history. Tennessee had many of the nation’s top 2010 prospects on campus, and the Volunteers went to extreme measures to make sure they remembered the trip, as reported by the AJC. [Click here for a full recap].
Kiffin talked extensively about the benefits of the controversial method to CBSsports. ”It’s the best story you could ever have. You can’t get all these recruits on your campus. You’ve got to convince them to take an official visit. What better way when they read about this.”
“We had numerous kids the next day [say] this was the best junior day I was ever at. They had a blast. They said, ‘These coaches are so intense, so high energy. You can tell they’re going to win here. Tennessee is at the top of my list now.’”
Kiffin says he kept his clothes on for the Feb. 28 adventure. It was Tennessee’s assistant coaches that ripped their shirts off, WWE style. They sprinted with several Tennessee players, including All-America defensive back Eric Berry, and the junior prospects to the front of the room to form a moshpit. They jumped up and down together, while hollering and screaming “U-T, Wild Boys. U-T, Wild Boys. U-T, Wild Boys.” Loganville tailback Storm Johnson said things got so crunk that “even the podium got knocked over.”
There were mixed emotions among the prospects, but many seemed to like it. “It was awesome,” Brookstone tight end Brian Vogler said. “I didn’t know how to react at first. I said to myself, ‘Oh my God, these people are crazy.’ Then after talking to them later in the day, I realized that’s just their style. That’s how they go.”
Lane Kiffin is claiming everything was planned. We said it a month ago. Click here to read “Lane Kiffin May Get the Last Laugh”
Lane Kiffin (left) and UT recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron have elevated to rock-star status from Internet humor. Click on photo for full effect (found on the Vol fan site Losers With Socks)
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179 comments Add your comment
Stephen
March 20th, 2009
1:28 pm
Dawg, you guys couldnt score half a hundred on Monte Kiffin D even if we only played 7 guys.Oh by the way half a hundred is fifty . Ut accomplished on your dawg d a few years ago
JustCallMeChamp
March 20th, 2009
1:10 pm
Oh, and one more thing for those Vol fans who are crowing about the foolish Kiffins recruiting class and how the ends are justifying the means. We had a guy down here a couple of years ago, Ron Zook, and he could recruit too.
Matthew
March 20th, 2009
1:07 pm
Personally, I think anyoone who uses the word “Crunk” is perfect for that kind of nonsense. If you have to get recruits by resorting to some sort of Lord of the Flies BS, you get what you deserve. I wish I could say more, but my high horse isn’t all that high since this is probably how opposing fans looked at Soulja Boy and the Trinton Sturdivant dance war in Jacksonville
swgaboy
March 20th, 2009
1:02 pm
Michael, are you serious? Did you not read the comments of players that said it was “awkward” and no one “knew what to do?” They just had middle aged men rip their shirts off in front of them.
You guys just love quote machines and stunt pullers like Kiffin. It makes for good business obviously. But what about when he has to actually live up to the hype that you’re helping him create?
What’s going to happen when he struggles to win 5 to 7 games and loses every important game on their schedule because they have no QB?
Well, I guess he’ll be in trouble. And that’s good for business too, now isn’t it?
JustCallMeChamp
March 20th, 2009
12:58 pm
ctownvol…shouldn’t that “t” in your name be a “l” as in clown??? Because that is what your coach is, what your program has become and based on your comments here, what you have been for quite some time. If you’re such be a big man, come on down to the Swamp on that fateful day in Sept and we’ll find out just how big you are. Heres the real bottom line for me…if my coach started acting like that and representing my school like that, I’d want him OUT, national championships or no national championships. Happily, I know I’m NEVER gonna have to worry about that scenerio with Coach Meyer.
Reality Check...
March 20th, 2009
12:49 pm
rockmartVOL, We are not worried about UT football. And we are the #1 school in the state. What bowl did UT go to and what bowl did Vandy go to. How did your season compare to Vandy. GT bearly beat us this year in the rain. And trust me, they let us know it every single day. But at least we can say we beat you last year, even when the UT media tried to play up that whole Fulmer’s last game thing like the year before. Clean up your own backyard before coming on here and talking foolish senseless verbage.
Reality Check...
March 20th, 2009
12:36 pm
We do own our fan base in the state and you are correct ATL is a melting pot, but the other small towns are not. And as long as CMR is at the healm we will be very competitive. Even though we lost three games last year, we still on ten of them even with all of those injuries. For those of us who followed UGA football before CMR, we will stay behind him until he retires.
rlinaug
March 20th, 2009
12:31 pm
The folks who are praising Kiffin are missing the big picture and remind me a lot of folks who called Obama “savior” last November. They’re praising a guy who’s done nothing. The Vols may very well wind up dominating the SEC. I doubt it, but it could happen. But even if he wins the national championship for a decade running and coaches UT for the next 40 years… That’s all unforeen. But no reasonable person can look at what he’s done so far at Tennessee and label it as anything other but classless and immature.
Brando
March 20th, 2009
12:30 pm
What is funny is how all the Tennessee fans are eating this up! Look, acting juvenile and causing controversy does not necessarily equal to a great football coach. It is not like you Tennessee people have got a choice in the matter or anything. All it shows is how desperate you guys are to be important again. You guys would rally around Ronald McDonald if he was named coach at Tennessee. Who knows, this guy is liable to dress like a clown to recruit and you Tennessee people would hail it as an innovative recruiting method. How are you guys going to feel if he continues his comedy tour into the football season? Eventually you will get tired of being laughed at and see the reality of the situation. I will predict you guys will be wishing for Fulmer to come back within a year.
Wake Up Call
March 20th, 2009
12:27 pm
Note to all rival fans, we are not worried about UT or the coaching staff. I wish the AJC would stop running this story.
hey DAWG678, I can remember when we beat them by three TD’s in back to back years. As for Peyton, at least our best two players won the Heisman Trophy when they played college ball(Trippi and Walker). Name one team that lost both of their two starting LT and was hti by the injuiry bug as we did won the MNC. Anyone, anyone, I thought so. DAWG678, they are not right and by you agreeing with them, I believe you are a poser. I will see you in Athens this fall and I hope you will support us instead of them. GO DAWGS!