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Berry brothers focused as senior season looms

In the early morning hours of November 4th, 1995, James and Carol Berry welcomed their newest editions to the Berry bunch. Born two months premature and both weighing just over three pounds, both Evan and Elliott have been basically inseparable and yet unique in their own way ever since.

"Elliott is the analyst because he has a great memory and is methodical," mom, Carol Berry said. "He's almost like a walking encyclopedia. Evan is more like Eric (Berry). He's visual and he has to see it before he does it. Elliott can read things and figure it out."

What both of the twins have figured out is time gets the best of everything. The clock is ticking ever so quickly on their Tennessee career. It was in January of 2007 that both twins sat on the set of The Locker Room at the WVLT studios in Knoxville after older brother Eric had wrapped up his official visit to Tennessee. With Eric on set, both Evan and Elliott had fun with their future by light heartedly pledging to Tennessee and LSU, respectively. Over a decade later, they enter the homestretch of their college path and they do so together.

"Knowing you have someone to talk to when you need to talk or someone that won't judge you," Evan said. "I admire his intelligence. He's a bookworm and whenever he finds out something amazing or something he feels like I should know, he tells me immediately. I'm more of a people person. He will go find out information and then pass it along."

And to show you how Elliott's mind works, his mother shared a recent story about one of the first times that he and Evan were apart.

"He is so analytical that he text me out of the blue the other day and said he still didn't understand that decision (to separate the two in Pre-K)," Carol Berry said with a laugh.


Some 15 years later, and Elliot is still thinking through life processes. It's why he'd like to be a coach someday. Ironically, the twins can't recall ever having a class together at Tennessee. They occasionally will pass each other on campus in-between classes and 'throw up deuces' or sometimes stop and talk

After helping lead Creekside High to a state championship their senior year, the Berry brothers headed home to Rocky Top. For the first couple of years, Elliott contributed on kick coverages for special teams while Evan made a name for himself as an All-American kick returner. He's returned four kickoffs for touchdowns and returned an interception for a score in the Outback Bowl two years ago. In those moments where Evan has returned a kickoff for a score, he's seen the game slow down and found himself thinking during the play. It's an approach he takes with him every day.

"I've noticed that you have to focus in the now," Evan said. "Time is flying. You have to learn from the past, but you have to just take care of business in the now."

Playing sparingly at safety, Evan got one offensive snap last season. Would he be open to another chance to get the ball in his hands?

"(Coach Jones has) come to me a few times," Evan said. "I'm really just focused on defense. If he wants me to play some offense I'll gladly step in because I want to be a team player and help the team."

With the defense hobbled by numerous injuries last season, it was Elliott getting his chance. A chance that he was glad to see fall his way.

"It felt good to contribute to the team," Elliott said. "Just helping them with what we set out to do felt good. Any way I can do that is good."

And just like when their brother Eric played, they love to root for family.

"Ah man that was exciting," Evan said. "It's really an indescribable feeling. It was like that when Eric was here too. You just want to see your brothers do well so to have him out there making plays was very neat to see."

The Tennessee Waltz is starting to play on their Big Orange career. They are well aware that this season could very likely be the last they suit up together and run out on to the field. They don't want their last run through the 'T' to be sentimental, but they are blessed to have had this run side by side.

"I just think about it a lot," Elliott said. "Put it in this perspective. If you had a best friend in high school and you played on the same team and you had the chance to go to school with him, it's like a dream come true. It's one of the biggest accomplishments in life is being able to attend college with my twin brother.

"It's been great. I don't regret anything. I've met some of my best friends and had some great memories. I've learned a lot from these great coaches. I've had the time of my life."

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