Football season is here, and being a football fan means the fall is the start to Saturday night cookout and for my family, two (sometimes more) TV's in the living room with a full driveway full of family and friends. The night before my dad got all the meat to marinate and put into the smoker, so every Saturday morning I woke up to the smell of wings and cookies. As the people started filing in, the cookies and dip started filling the kitchen.
Growing up in a Tennessee house, Rocky Top has been played on a loop when September hit. Fantasy Football starts and Saturdays were planned weeks ahead. Game day was a full day's work for a couple hours of watching a game. It's not just a game, Tennessee football is a tradition that's been in my family since I can remember. Smokey is hung up in our basement while even having a shelf with Tennessee signatures and helmets. Butch Jones is the focal point of our living room at the moment and football has finally started in the Laytham household.
Late nights on Saturdays are a must in the fall. Its not only the pumpkin spice and hoodies on a cool night. Cheering and screaming along with the Big Orange band is part of it. One thing I learned about the Vols game, you can't get too angry and you can't be one of those obnoxious fans. Don't cross the line and be respectful, because sometimes, all we leave with is morals, not always a win (although, wins are great at the end of the night).
All wins and losses aside, being a Tennessee Volunteer has never made me disappointed. Down to the checkerboard end zones to running through the "T". In ending, I Will Give My All To Tennessee Today.
