Culture Change: Roman Harrison says Vols 'just expect to win' under Josh Heupel
Roman Harrison didn’t have to do the heavy lifting. Instead, the senior defensive lineman just had to be part of the culture change that Josh Heupel quickly instilled during his first two seasons leading the Tennessee football program.
“Tennessee became what I wanted it to be,” Harrison said after Tuesday’s practice, the sixth of fall camp, “without me having to say a word. That’s a big up to Coach Heup.”
“Bringing the best out of each other because we expect the most from each other” 🤜🤛@_rh30_ #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/GKVsnJmzxg
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 8, 2023
Harrison was a four-star prospect out of Bainbridge, Ga., in the 2019 recruiting class, committing to former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt and signing with the Vols in December 2018.
But Pruitt was out in January 2021, fired in the midst of an NCAA investigation into alleged mass recruiting violations committed by his staff.
Danny White replaced Phillip Fulmer as athletic director, coming to Tennessee from Central Florida, and only a few days later hired Heupel, his old UCF head football coach, as the new coach of the Vols.
That’s when the real changes started taking place.
“Obviously, with the last staff I would just sit back and watch everything,” Harrison said. “This staff, they bring you in more. It’s more of a family type of environment. We pull each other along and we bring the best out of each other because we expect the most from each other, because we ourselves are giving that.”
Dayne Davis: Vols ‘pushing for an SEC Championship’
Despite a roster depleted by the NCAA Transfer Portal during the coaching change, Tennessee won seven games in 2021, going to the Music City Bowl in Heupel’s first season.
Last season the Vols catapulted to an 11-win season, their first since 2021, and were ranked No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff ranking of the season on November 1, after starting the season 8-0 behind quarterback Hendon Hooker, a Heisman Trophy contender.
Hooker is off to the NFL and Tennessee has redshirt senior Joe Milton III stepping into the starting quarterback role, but the expectations for the Vols won’t change.
“We expect to win games, we expect to win championships,” Harrison said.
“That’s what Joe keeps resounding to the group and every day,” offensive lineman Dayne Davis said during his press conference on Monday. “So, you know, just working towards that goal and you know that’s what we’re fighting for … we’re pushing for an SEC championship. What’s gonna happen this year? Vols are back on top. SEC championship, national championship.”
Tennessee vs. Virginia (Nashville), September 2, Noon ET, ABC
Harrison later stated the obvious. That process is easier said than done.
“It’s going to come day-by-day,” Harrison said. “We know it’s going to come with the hard days, we’re going to have to work every day for it — our technique, our plays, knowing what you have to do it all ties into it.”
But expecting to win, he explained, is all that anyone needs to know about the culture change under Heupel.
“We all know that as a group, under Coach Heupel, we just expect to win,” Harrison said.
