Emmit Gooden took such a circuitous and rollercoaster route to Rocky Top, I dubbed the defensive tackle the Tennessee Tornado last summer.

The Brownsville (Tenn.) native took a wild ride to end up with the Vols, originally committing to Tennessee way back in 2014 before actually making his debut in Orange & White against West Virginia just last September.

In between all that time, the talented but mercurial 6-3, 300-pound lineman dropped out of high school, attended two different community colleges, gave a pair of verbal commitments to Mississippi State and Arkansas and became a star on Netflix’s docu-series Last Chance U.

“It took a while,” he said Wednesday, “but I’m glad I got here.”

Gooden was Tennessee’s top reserve defensive lineman in 2018, recording 33 tackles, seven TFLs and a sack in 12 games. He made just a single start but constantly pushed Shy Tuttle and Alexis Johnson for playing time.

Still, the same characteristics — both good and bad — that were profiled during Gooden’s time at Independence C.C. in Kansas in the TV show bubbled up during his first season with the Vols.

Last Chance U depicted Gooden as a soft-spoken kid who wants to make his family proud and has legit NFL potential, but academics have long been a hurdle, as have inconsistencies on the field — with effort, committing personnel fouls and not always taking to coaching.

“That’s not really me,” Gooden said about his time on Last Chance U.

“The way I carried myself. They just showed little clips. I haven’t watched the full season even when I’m in it.”

Perhaps Gooden is right. Perhaps the show didn’t accuracy reflect Gooden’s time at Independence.

But Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt echoed some of the same sentiments as Pirates coach Jason Brown early last fall.

Following Gooden’s standout performance against ETSU, I asked Pruitt about how the former JUCO lineman was transitioning to the SEC?

Ever bluntly, Pruitt responded, “He's still got a long ways to go, but he does have some ability. When he practices well, he performs and plays well. He has to continue to do that."

However, by the end of the season, Gooden’s practice habits improved. The media no longer saw him running laps while the rest of the defensive lineman did individual drills. In the blowout loss to Missouri, Pruitt said that Gooden was the team’s best defensive player that day.

“I got better,” Gooden said.

“Shy taught be how to be a ball-player. Shy taught me how to bring it everyday and have an attitude in the game. In JUCO, we just practiced and I was probably the best one on the team. Here, there’s 50 other players better than me, so it’s bringing it everyday.”

Tennessee needs Gooden to do that this fall, too. On a defensive line littered with young pups who’ve barely played, Gooden is expected to anchor the unit. He’s capable of playing all three positions for Tracy Rocker and has the talent and skill-set to be a legitimate playmaker and disruptive force.

Gooden’s journey has come full-circle, and the Tennessee Tornado is “ready” to make the most of his final ride.

“I’m prepared,” Gooden said. “I think coach Rock prepared me for this. It’s my senior year. I’m ready.”