By the middle of our tour, something unexpected happened. I stopped noticing how much Larry Smith had collected and started thinking about the people whose lives filled the museum.
There was truly a great story behind each of the artifacts.In 1969, Tennessee played the #1 South Carolina Gamecocks in the opening game of their new arena. When Ray Mears and Ken Rice were walking together before the matchup, Rice promised Mears to get him one of the gamecocks being sold in the local shops. Tennessee won 55-54 and Mears kept the gamecock present as a memento.
As Larry shared the stories behind each exhibit, I realized his collection isn’t organized around famous names alone. It’s organized around relationships. Ray Mears was not just a Coach of the Year, but a creator of lasting traditions. He came up with logos that had special meanings: ZD (zero defense), AAA0 (Any team, Any where, Any time, Bar none), XL (Excellence).
Experiencing this section reminded me how personal sports memories can be. Larry’s stories added context that neither of Tom or I had known.
Larry isn’t interested in celebrating only the stars. He also honors the people behind the scenes and the traditions that connect generations of Tennessee fans.
That perspective gives the museum its heart.
Tomorrow: Part 6 of Inside Tennessee Basketball: A Walk Through History
The smallest artifacts often tell the biggest stories as our tour enters its final chapters.
Catch up on the series:
- Part 1: A Walk through History
- Part 2: Building the Vols Tradition
- Part 3: Championship Moments
- Part 4 Legendary Vols Players
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