Vol Club Confidential: Ollie Lane
This weekend and next weekend will mark the final two home games for local product Ollie Lane. It’s been quite a ride and experience for the Gibbs product and he got a little bit emotional, reflecting back in this week’s Vol Club confidential.
“It’s starting to hit me a little bit,” Lane said. “I’m starting to think about what life is going to look like for me. Luckily I have a fiancé so that part is figured out for me. She does a lot for trying to plan for our future which is nice because it takes the pressure off me. She has been great to just let me focus on football this season. She is a big planner so I just have to finish this out and see what is next for us. It’s starting to hit me that next week will be my last week in Neyland stadium, which is insane. Being here for six years, sometimes it never felt like that was going to come to an end. I don’t think it will really set in until that final horn is blown in the fourth quarter but it’s head down and focus on what is next.”
He grew up going to games and admits sometimes he and his family would just go over to tailgate to be around the atmosphere even if they didn’t have tickets. Getting the opportunity to play here is something he can’t describe and has so much appreciation for.
“I think it means even more to me now,” Lane said. “For everything I’ve been through with this program and everything that I’ve gotten to see through with this program, it makes the meaning of wearing that T on my chest mean even more. I was telling one of my close friends in high school a couple of weeks ago that at the end of the day I’ll be able to say I was a Tennessee Vol and that carries a lot in the Knoxville community. It means a lot that I’ll be able to carry that badge of honor with me through every aspect of my life.”
Just six years ago, Lane committed to then Tennessee head coach Butch Jones. Jones would end up being relieved of his duties and in stepped Jeremy Pruitt and his new staff. That’s when Lane looked around and wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
“There was definitely a lot of iffy situations that I encountered in my recruiting process,” Lane recalled. “I had committed to Butch Jones and what his staff believed in for Tennessee. A majority of it was just wanting to be a part of the program and Tennessee. When that flips to the Pruitt staff, it was different line of thinking. You didn’t know who they had been recruiting at previous places, who have they been looking at to bring to a new school. You have to think about where is my spot because the offer I had was from the previous staff.”
Lane has obviously had the time but has built quality bonds with so many people on campus. He is on pace to start every game, his final season at Tennessee, and was able to use one of those bonds to help him when he had to become Tennessee’s starting center to start this season.
“I’ve got relationships that I played with my first year to guys I’m making relationships with now,” Lane said. “Some of the most notable are guys who played in 18 and 19. They come over to the games every weekend and we hang out if we have time. Parker Ball is someone I’ve gotten really close with because we used to be roommates for road games. He has helped me out a lot for my transition to center this year. He has played it a long time and he was able to coach me through that stuff. Having relationships with Cade (Mays), Cooper (Mays) and Jacob (Warren) who I knew before Tennessee and getting the chance to continue to grow those relationships are people I’ll never not be able to think about when I go through my daily life.”
