Pruitt: Vols 'Have a Bunch of Guys That Are Winners'

Jeremy Pruitt comments on the status of his program and the players in it

Knoxville, Tenn.-- When Jeremy Pruitt came to Tennessee, the culture around the program was not necessarily that of a winning culture. Pruitt went to national powerhouses in pursuit of players accustomed to success, and it is starting to pay off in year three of his tenure.

Following a 35-12 victory over Missouri on Saturday, Pruitt had high praise for his team.

“We have a bunch of guys that are winners. They’re good kids, good men, that work hard. They’ve got an edge about them when it comes to doing the right thing and competing. They’re coachable. It’s fun to be around them. It is for me to be around them," Pruitt said when asked about what he had learned about his team over two games.

Pruitt would continue, "They might say the opposite about me, but I love coaching these guys; I love the men on our staff, everybody we’ve got men and women, and everybody in our organization. It’s exciting times for me to get up and go to work every day and be around everyone.”

Pruitt went 5-7 in his first season with the Volunteers, and he was also asked about how far the program has come since then. He had nothing but positives to say about the initial group that he inherited.

“I don’t think it’s fair to compare those two groups. They’re not the same team. The first year I was here, that team tried to do everything that we asked them to do. There were some really good seniors in that group that helped lay the foundation. I don’t want to name them all, but Jonathan Kongbo, Shy Tuttle, Kyle Phillips. There were a lot of guys in that first class that we had when we got here that really worked hard, Darrin Kirkland Jr. as well, to help set the standard that we’re trying to get to. Are we there yet? No, we’re not, but we feel like we’ve got good leadership, and we’re working hard to get there.”

The Volunteers are currently riding an eight-game winning streak dating back to last season. Pruitt & Company will face their toughest test of the season,  when they travel to Athens, Georgia on Saturday to play the Bulldogs.

The kick time for Saturday's contest has not yet been revealed.