Friday, February 1, 2008

Donte' Stallworth Omits Tennessee


So, what’s up with former Tennessee great Donte’ Stallworth?

Listen closely when he’s introduced before games or when he announces where he is from. When an overwhelming-majority are giving the names of their college teams, Stallworth is going real old school.

Stallworth gives out the name of Grant High School in Sacremento, Calif. when he’s introduced. That was fine with former Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Otis Sistrunk, who didn’t go to college. Although it was often joked that Sistrunk went to the University of Mars.

Nonetheless, Stallworth was a beloved Vol.

He’s in Super Bowl XLII.

The Big Orange fans are proud.

But how will the fans handle it when he says Grant High instead of Tennessee?

Stallworth said this week that he was getting some flak from the good folks in Tennessee.

He explained that everybody knows he went to Tennessee and he wants to give love back to the people back home.

Stallworth did leave Tennessee early to defect to the NFL, where he was drafted in the first round (13th overall pick) by the New Orleans Saints in 2002.

This season he grabbed 46 regular-season passes for 697 yards, which is a fall off in production for him.

He is now the third wheel in the Patriots receiving corps behind Wes Welker (112 receptions for 1,175 yards) and Randy Moss (98 grabs for 1,493 yards).

It’s fine to love your high school. I read this week that he had bought uniforms for the team at Grant High.

That's a good thing. Tennessee has the money to buy uniforms.

But come on Donte’ give the folks in Tennessee some love too.

I'll bet even Kelley Washington claims he's from Tennessee.


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