The first time Marlon Walls played at Neyland Stadium, Jim Bob Cooter was the Vols’ head coach, and UT was Walls’ opponent.
Recruited by Phillip Fulmer out of high school, Walls enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy – a Virginia college preparatory school – for the 2008 year and played against a junior varsity version of UT on Nov. 13, 2008.
Cooter acted as UT coach for the game as the junior varsity Vols rolled past HMA 37-21 on a Thursday night in Neyland Stadium, just days after it was announced that Fulmer would not return as head coach.
Walls finally arrived as a UT student for the 2009 season and played in seven games as a freshman during the short-lived Lane Kiffin era.
He redshirted the 2010 season under Derek Dooley and has played as a reserve defensive lineman ever since.
Now a 23-year-old fifth-year senior, Walls has seen a lot since his days at Olive Branch High School on the Mississippi side of the Tennessee border. But one thing he has not seen in a while is a defensive line coach who cares as much as UT’s Steve Stripling.
“Strip, he comes in and shows us that this game means a lot to him and that we mean a lot to him as players,” Walls said Monday. “And whenever you get a guy you feel like you can relate to and that really encourages you and wants to see you do better, you strive to do that because you don’t want to let that guy down.”
In UT’s 31-17 loss at Florida on Saturday, Walls forced a fumble and made repeated appearances in the Gators’ backfield.
His efforts certainly did not disappoint UT’s coaches, including Butch Jones who pegged Walls as a leader for the Vols.
“I thought he had one of his best performances,” Jones said Monday. “It’s important to him and I thought he played his best football at Florida, and we’re going to need him obviously as we continue to progress here.”
Jacques Smith and freshman Corey Vereen are both back from injury and are bolstering the defensive end position for UT, but Walls is listed as a backup defensive end behind Corey Miller on this week’s depth chart.
With the ire of a veteran, Walls praised the work ethic of Vereen and discussed the confidence that he and freshman cornerback Devaun Swafford will gain from their performances at Florida.
“I remember my freshman year being out there, and man, when you get a little success it allows you to relax and calm down and just go play,” Walls said.
Though he can reflect on their performances with an undeniable level of sentimentality, the truth is that Walls is quick to admit that he is still progressing as well thanks to the efforts of Stripling.
“I think Coach Strip is doing a great job of teaching,” Walls said. “I think I’m getting better just by listening to what he’s telling me to do, and I feel like I’m starting to progress a little bit just by listening to him.”
And as far as motivation goes for UT’s game against South Alabama at 12:21 p.m. on Saturday at Neyland Stadium, Walls is not overlooking the Jaguars (2-1).
He knows that his Saturdays as a Vol are fleeting.
“We’re pretty pissed off right now,” Walls said. “And that’s just the truth, because we felt like we let two games slip away.
“You only get 12 Saturdays to play this game.”
