Linebacker Al Wilson in a private reception honoring the Jackson, Tennessee native spoke emotionally of his passion for his teammates, his coaches and his love affair with the power T and all it means.

Saturday morning, Wilson joined me, John Wilkerson, Jayson Swain, and Will Overstreet on the Big Orange Countdown. When I asked Wilson his fondest moment or most proud moment on the field. Wilson said that’s not what the game was about for him. It was about the locker room, his teammates and the relationships he built for life. Those relationships were on full display at half time Saturday as Wilson was formally honored as the next Tennessee player going into the College Football Hall of Fame as Wilson saluted his teammates standing at the goal line who mob him as Wilson left the field.

In the post game, Wilson put that on display again as he celebrated in the locker room with the Vols and had a clear message for the team he has just watch beat South Carolina 45-20.

“It’s his presence, you feel it when he walks into the locker room. You just feel it when he’s around. The biggest takeaway I got was just how special playing in Neyland is. Playing with that T on your chest, it’s just bigger than you. Taking that away from the legend himself just meant a lot,” Jaylen McCullough said.

Alabama transfer Brandon Turnage admitted he knew little about Wilson a few weeks ago, but after witnessing one of the best Vol leaders ever, Turnage is a fan.

“I didn’t really know anything about Al Wilson until I got here. We had talked about him in previous weeks from now, like today the energy he brought into the locker room after the game – I like him, I like him.”

Head coach Josh Heupel has praised Wilson since meeting him last spring. Heupel has made it clear he welcomes Wilson in the building and around his team anytime and the first year head coach liked Wilson post game speech on Saturday.

“Al talked to our football team a little bit at the end, and you can tell his passion and emotion for the Power T and this football program,” Heupel said. “It was a great message for our guys.”

Heupel’s team now sitting at 4-2 has played all season with great effort as evident by Saturday’s win which prompted an Al Wilson locker room party.