The successful life and good times of former Vol Stan Trott will be celebrated Sunday from 3-5 at Sinclair’s East restaurant in Montgomery, Alabama. He died August 20, 2025, at age 75.

Trott was a receiver in football and a long-jumper in track in the early 1970s.

Carl Johnson, former defensive end, remembers their long-ago get-acquainted meeting at Gibbs Hall, first hour on the UT campus.

“Stan was one of the first to meet me in the lobby and let me know we were roommates. That was the beginning of many years of friendship.”

Dr. Bill High, star hurdler, recalled how competitive Trott was in track, how he improved in his event from season to season even though his primary practice time was devoted to football.

“Stan was one of the really good guys,” said High. “I miss him already.”

Sportscaster John Ward made Stan famous with his historic “Scott to Trott” line in the broadcast of the 1970 Vol romp over the Florida Gators. Quarterback Bobby Scott passed for 385 yards. Scott to Trott produced 146.

The 38-7 Vol victory was a humbling experience for Doug Dickey, in his first year as coach of the Gators after six strong seasons at Tennessee.

Trott was back in the headlines a year later when the Vols won in Gainesville. The winning drive was the longest possible, 99 yards and change. A Florida punt rolled very near the goal and maybe a little more. Officials ruled it had been downed at the half-yard line.

Coach Bill Battle thought for sure the ball went into the end zone and said so in no uncertain terms. He was penalized half the distance to the goal. The coach recalled “there wasn’t much of anywhere to step off the penalty. The referee essentially picked up the ball and put it back down.”

Trott said “It should have been a touchback. We drove 99.5 for that score.”

Tennessee won, 20-13. Third-string quarterback Phil Pierce engineered the accomplishment. The concluding play was a 20-yard pass to Trott. He summed it up succinctly.

“That was truly the length of the field.”

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Erik Whitsitt

Good News: Erik Whitsitt, forced out as an assistant track coach at Tennessee, has landed a new job at Nebraska. He will coach the shot put, discus and javelin.

Nebraska track and field head coach Justin St. Cloud said: “Coach Whitsitt has established himself as a top tier throwing coach in the NCAA. He brings a wealth of experience in recruiting, mentoring student-athletes and coaching at an elite level. He has been a part of championship programs.”

St. Cloud wasn’t talking about the three years at Tennessee. Before joining the UT staff, Whitsitt coached for a decade at Oregon, a national track and field power.

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Nico Struggles: What happened to former Vol Nico Iamaleava the other evening may have divided UT fans. Some probably celebrated his pay cut, mediocre showing and UCLA’s 43-10 loss to Utah. Others undoubtedly felt a touch of sympathy for the quarterback.

Nico was 11 of 22 for 136 yards with one TD and one interception. He missed one wide-open receiver down a sideline. He had 13 runs for 47 yards. He was sacked four times.

“I didn’t execute at a high level,” he said.

Nico’s heavily hyped debut attracted just 35,032 to the Rose Bowl. Many UCLA fans left early.

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Persistence Pays: Tennessee’s never-give-up football recruiters have been rewarded for determination for the third time in the hard-driving campaign for 2026 prospects.

Hezekiah Harris, 6-6 and 235, four-star edge rusher from Huntsville, Alabama, changed his mind, reversed his commitment to Auburn and told UT coaches and his high school that he wants to be a Volunteer.

In the past two weeks, five-star receiver Tristen Keys of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, flipped from LSU to Tennessee and four-star offensive tackle Kamari Blair, 6-5 and 282, of Clarksville, Tennessee, switched to the Vols after being pledged to South Carolina.

What follows is holding onto commitments until signing date in December.

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Alex Golesh

Orange-tinted Upset: South Florida’s stunning 34-7 victory over Boise State had an orange tint. The winning coach is Alex Golesh, offensive coordinator for Josh Heupel at Tennessee in 2021 and 2022.

Former UT offensive lineman Parker Ball is an assistant coach for the Bulls. Former Vol receiver Chas Nimrod caught three passes for a team-high 96 yards. Former Vol defensive back De’Shawn Rucker made 11 tackles. Former Vol reserve quarterback Gaston Moore is on the team but didn’t play.

Gaston gained a lot of experience in not playing at Tennessee. He was considered a very valuable-if-needed Volunteer while serving behind Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton and Nico.

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Keeping Count: Alabama has lost five of its past 10 football games and three of the last four. Anybody remember that Tide coach who almost never lost?

Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com