ATHENS, Ga. – With all eyes fixed on him, Justin Worley proved, once again, that he has nothing left to prove.

One year ago, the Volunteers’ signal caller staked his first legitimate claim to the starting quarterback position at the University of Tennessee.

When the Georgia Bulldogs came to Neyland Stadium on Oct. 5, 2013, the then-junior played his best game of the season, orchestrating two fourth quarter touchdown drives and giving the Vols an opportunity to pull off the upset.

They didn’t.

Inside UGA’s Sanford Stadium one year later, though, the senior chiseled his name into the storied history book of UT football.

In 2013, Worley stood tall as he matriculated the ball down field late in the game. On Saturday, he got pummeled behind a shaky offensive line for the second consecutive game.

The vicious beating eventually forced the Vols’ offensive leader to watch from the bench while he sported a large ice pack on his elbow in the third quarter.

Moments later, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Worley and his damaged arm made their way to UT’s locker room to undergo an X-ray, all while the Bulldogs were smelling blood in the water as UT’s offense scrambled without its leader.

But then he did what he felt he needed to do: play.

At the 9:22 mark in the fourth quarter, Worley rejoined the offensive huddle, and not as the same game managing quarterback the Bulldogs saw a year ago.

Instead, he stepped back into the pocket as a confident and potent signal caller who seemed no worse for wear – just as he had been in the Vols’ first three contests – en route to the most memorable moment of his career.

Instead of letting his team hang their heads after Jalen Hurd suffered a Pig-Howardesque fumble that gifted Georgia seven points and seemingly the game, Worley assembled the troops, and under his command – and with his arm – he drove the Vols down the field for a score.

And he did it with a banged-up arm, despite the fact that a hint of fear had set into his mind that the injury could potentially be serious, like the one that kept him out of the Vols’ final four contests last season.

“I was hoping and praying it wasn’t another major injury,” Worley said. “Thankfully, it wasn’t.”

The Vols are thankful, too.

Yes, he did all of this in a losing effort, but what he accomplished in Athens means more to UT than any win over the Bulldogs could – even if Worley and the Vols would disagree.

By persevering when his team needed him most, Worley inspired the entirety of Tennessee’s roster to play winning football despite taking a 35-32 loss straight to the chin. In doing so, he garnered respect from everyone lucky enough to witness his performance.

It seems the Vols’ man under center has nothing left to prove. If he never won another game at UT, it wouldn’t make a difference. He’s already left his mark – beautifully.

With this young batch of players watching his every move, Worley displayed talent, resolve and most importantly, a passion to win.

For a group of kids who are still learning the ropes of college football, his example may prove to be invaluable as second-year head coach Butch Jones attempts to infuse “Tennessee Toughness” into this team and the others that follow in its footsteps.

And with his “gritty” performance, Worley has picked himself off the turf to become the torchbearer for the future image of Jones’ Tennessee Volunteer football program.

Troy Provost-Heron is a junior in journalism and electronic media. He can be reached at [email protected].