Ethan Wolf and his fellow tight ends once had a simple idea: why not go fishing?
The idea proved successful. One fishing trip led to another, and the expeditions quickly became a favorite pastime among the position group.
Fishing is a simple activity, but Wolf said he believed the trips brought the tight ends closer together in the summer.
“I think that [fishing] built big chemistry between us because we still, to this day before practice are making jokes that pertain to us fishing and situations that happened,” Wolf said. “So, we definitely bonded more out there.”
Redshirt senior Alex Ellis also enjoyed these trips. He flashed a smile when discussing his teammates visits to the lake and happily mused over who might be the best fisher — finally surmising that redshirt junior Joe Stocstill is probably the best.
“When we get some free time, it’s good to just do something relaxing,” Ellis said at UT’s annual football media day. “Everybody loves fishing no matter who you are. If you are 12 or 48, everybody loves fishing. It’s a good time.”
Ellis admitted the tight ends haven’t had much free time since the start of fall training camp, so they haven’t had the opportunity yet to take the newest tight end Jakob Johnson, who recently switched from middle linebacker, ona fishing excursion.
“It’s just been camp time for him,” Ellis said, laughing.
Truth be told, Johnson might have more pressing matters than scheduling his first fishing trip with members of his new position group. Learning how to be a tight end isn’t easy, as mastery of the position requires a diverse set of skills. Theymust run block, pass block, run routes and have good hands.
But the Vols needed Johnson to switch positions after true freshman Kyle Oliver and redshirt sophomore A.J Branisel left the program. The departures left Tennessee thin at tight end, prompting the coaching staff to move Johnson to the position.
The perceived lack of depth wasn’t the only problem the tight ends encountered in the fall. Wolf, who starts in the positions, missed several practices with an unspecified injury.
“We have had some injuries, and I guess adversity overall,” Wolf said.
But the tight ends have deftly managed their adversity.
Wolf returned to Saturday’s open practice and didn’t seem to miss a beat. He snagged several tough receptions in 7-on-7 drills in front of an estimated 40,000 fans—delivering on the massive potential he displayed last season.
Tennessee Head Coach Butch Jones credited the tight ends for the improvement in the Vols’ passing game, praising Ellis’ and Johnson’s adaptation to the position.
Wolf said it was the tight ends’ bond that aided them in overcoming the problems in fall camp.
“We have just come together,” Wolf said. “We are very tight-knit in that room and we lean on each other when one person was having a bad day, the other was there to pick them up. We have had our ups and downs, but we are definitely on the up-rise of perfecting our technique.”
“We know when to push each other and how hard to push,” Ellis said. “We always hold each other accountable.”
And some simple summer fishing trips helped forge the bond that perhaps helped prepare the tight ends for the adversity of fall camp.
“We definitely bonded more out there — relaxing out of the football environment,” Wolf said. “That is the reason why I love the outdoors, just to be by yourself and to just relax.”
