SEC Media Days: Pruitt comfortable in checking final offseason box

ATLANTA — At 1 p.m, EST, Jeremy Pruitt was 3.5 hours into his gauntlet of media interviews. Left was an appearance on College Football Live. I asked Pruitt as he passed by if he was over it all.

In his southern drawl, Pruitt smiled and said he was “having fun."

The concept of enjoying media visits seems somewhat foreign coming from a head coach, who in the spring wouldn't talk about a specific player and seemed like a media appearance was the equivalent of a root canel.

For the Vols, the biggest storyline heading into Wednesday's SEC Media Day appearance was how the first time head coach handle the big stage.

The fact is Pruitt handled it well.

No, Pruitt won't win an award for comedy. He won't win an award for candor and being forthcoming about his team. But he also won't win an award for coach-speak or cliches.

In other words, Pruitt was simply himself. Honest to a point, not a fault. Humble to a point, but not to Lou Holtz poor mouthing. Salesmanship to a degree, but not to a used car salesman level.

Pruitt was engaging to most questions. He avoiding answering some. He sold when we had a chance. He referenced Huntington, West Virginia when he spoke of the Power of the T and his reach nationally. Huntington just happens to be the hometown of five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

Pruitt also referenced Georgia powerhouse Grayson High School when he spoke about his taunting schedule saying they should just add Grayson, and the Philadephia Eagles to what many feel is the most difficult league schedule of any SEC team. Pruitt spoke glowingly of his boss Phillip Fulmer. He spoke of the fans passion, of the resources he has to work with, of the hunger he had to give the fans what they want and the hunger his team has.

In other words, Jeremy Pruitt did well on Wednesday. Something Phillip Fulmer said told Volquest Pruitt would handle fine back in December, but something that's not the priority.

“That he's not going to get caught up in the clutter. This interview we are doing is going to help us, but it's not going to help him win,” Fulmer said in December.

“Recruiting is going to help him win. Coaching is going to help him win. Coaching his coaches to how he wants it done is going to help him win. Building relationships with his players and with the former players. That's going to help him. My job and our job in the organization is to take as much of the clutter out of his world. Its not that he doesn't want to do it. He's very good at it.”

On Wednesday, Pruitt was good at it. He handled himself quite well. Perhaps he changed his perception with some. He clearly didn't with others like SEC Network analysts David Pollack. But at the end of the day, Wednesday didn't matter. Winning a press conference means nothing. Something Pruitt is fully aware of and is probably most comfortble with.

So with a smile and a few more autographs signed, Pruitt left Atlanta. The media day box checked. The last major off the field assignment done. The focus now, squarely on ball. Pruitt's playground and the setting where he's most confident.

“I was walking down the street one night last week and you could smell the grass. You know what I'm talking about. In the fall or late in summer and the grass has that smell to it. For me it registers that it's football time,” Pruitt said.

Pruitt's confidence, thanks to 5 championships, is between the white lines.

On Wednesday, Pruitt showed a different side and a comfortable side as he checked the final box of the off-season.

And with that, welcome to ball.