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Beyond the Orange: Dominic Bailey

On3 imageby: Austin Price09/08/25AustinPriceless
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Tennessee has a pair of sixth year seniors on the defensive line. One of those two is Dominic Bailey and he went Beyond the Orange sponsored by Knoxville Smiles to talk about his time on Rocky Top.

“I think when I first got here it was all new to me and I was ten hours away from my house and out here by myself,” Bailey said. “I feel like I had to mature on my own in a way because I didn’t have my parents. They weren’t and hour away so I could go see my family. Coach G helped me because he gave me that father figure that’s going to be in your butt. Someone who is going to push you to be the best version of yourself. I think I’ve grown. I’ve calmed down because I was a little hyper when I first got here.”

When Rodney Garner first got to Knoxville, the two didn’t exactly jive but now four plus years later and the two are so very close.

“I think what I try to tell the young kids now is you can’t listen to what he is saying or how he is saying it,” Bailey said. “You have to listen to the message he’s giving you. He’s not trying to be mean to you or nothing. You can’t take it personal. You just have to listen to the message.”

And what’s been the best message he has taken from Garner?

“Just that you don’t have to react to everything,” Bailey said. “Everything doesn’t deserve a reaction. Say something happens that I don’t like or something. Like I don’t have to react to it. I can take it in and feel but it doesn’t have to get a reaction from me.”

Watch the full episode of Beyond the Orange with Bailey below.

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