Beyond the Orange: Edwin Spillman

Tennessee linebacker Edwin Spillman just wrapped his first full season of being a feature contributor for the Vols. He joined Beyond the Orange sponsored by Knoxville Smiles this week to talk about his growth on and off the field.

“Mentally I feel like I’m in a great position,” Spillman said. “Mind, body, spirit everything I feel like I made a whole lot of growth this year. Not just in football but in my spiritual faith too. I also think that’s a big reason why also.”

His growth in his walk with the Lord has been instrumental in his jump.

“Faith is obviously a big part of my life and my family,” Spillman said. “Just being God has always been with me since day one. People are just now seeing it but I’ve always known God is with me.”

Spillman will play a key role in Tennessee’s prep for Illinois in the Music City Bowl.

Watch the full episode of Beyond the Orange below.

How To Watch: Tennessee vs. Illinois

When: Tuesday, December 30, 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Where: Nissan Stadium

TV: ESPN | Streaming: ESPN App

Radio: WNML 99.1 FM in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee.

Satellite Radio: SiriusXM, SXM App

Tennessee and Illinois have never met in football, but the Vols have made three appearances in the Music City Bowl. Tennessee lost to North Carolina 30-27 in the Music City Bowl in December 2010, beat Nebraska 38-25 in December 2016 and lost to Purdue 48-45 in December 2021 to cap the first season under head coach Josh Heupel.

Illinois went 8-4 during the regular season, losing 63-10 at Illinois, 34-16 at home against Ohio State, 42-25 at Washington and 27-10 at Wisconsin. The Illini beat Western Illinois, Duke, Western Michigan, USC, Purdue, Rutgers, Maryland and Northwestern.