The brief, collective silence was severed by the sound of Bru McCoy's name.
It had been nearly a year since the Tennessee wide receiver had played a game at Neyland Stadium and it took less than two minutes for McCoy to touch the ball on a reverse that went for nine yards on the Vols' opening drive against Chattanooga last Saturday.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Almost eleven months to the day that a gruesome ankle injury derailed McCoy's season on the same field, he was running all over it in Tennessee's 69-3 season-opening triumph, accounting for 98 yards of total offense.
It was the payoff of a months-long rehabilitation process that McCoy attacked so vigorously, his teammates and coaches were left in awe of how quickly he returned to health.
"It was a little bit surreal," McCoy said. "Just me going through everything, but I really enjoyed it. I soaked it in. Once you get back on the field and get a good sweat going, you feel back at home."
McCoy looked like he had returned to form. Maybe even better.
He caught short passes and turned up field, not once hesitating to lower his shoulder into a defender to pick up extra yards. There may have some breaths being held as he went up for a catch over the middle of the field in the second quarter before coming down with the ball to set up first-and-goal.
McCoy stood up, reared his head back and let out a yell. It was a combination of emotions from time lost and the recent death of his grandfather, Robert Snyder, just two months after his season-ending injury.
"This is my first game since I lost my grandfather, and I made a very similar catch in the last game he got to see me play," McCoy said. "That came to mind and jazzed me up."
McCoy's credits, at least in part, his grandfather for his own remarkable recovery. He remembered the trip he took home to his native Southern California last year to see him not long after his injury and taking his first steps out of his boot after his grandfather got out of his hospital bed in a meeting of two determined minds.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee wide receivers 'absolutely love' playing for Nico Iamaleava
That determination was displayed throughout McCoy's path to recovery and it was displayed on Saturday.
"I credit my success to him because he instilled a lot of values in sports and just how to be a man," McCoy said. "I miss him a lot."
Kelsey Pope has had a front row seat to McCoy's return to the field.
The Vols' third-year wide receivers coach has grown accustomed to not being surprised by what McCoy can do. The last year taught him that. From his vantage point on Tennessee's sidelines, he just enjoyed what he was watching.
"I wouldn't say surprising, but it's really refreshing to see (McCoy)," Pope said. "He has a step or two that I don't think he had before... It was just awesome to see him back and in rare form from our perspective as coaches.
"I'm sure from a fan's perspective, you guys watching it, it was great to see No. 5 back out there in Neyland. It was awesome."
– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.
– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.
– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.
