Foster back to make mark at University of Tennessee

KNOXVILLE — Phillip Fulmer left Tampa on New Years’ Day expecting to replace his All-Southeastern Conference tailback, a versatile star who added 340 receiving yards to the 1,193 he amassed on the ground in a fine junior season.

To his surprise, though, Arian Foster ultimately turned down a second-round grade from the NFL’s draft advisory committee and opted for one more year at the University of Tennessee.

Putting it mildly, Fulmer was happy his hunch was wrong.

“As a running back — and we sell this in recruiting, because we play a lot of guys — you’ve only got so many hits in your career,” Fulmer said Friday morning before his annual media golf tournament at the Gettysvue Golf, Polo and Country Club. “Hopefully you can go on to run six, seven, eight years in pro football, but there’s only so many hits that you’re going to be able to take.”

Fulmer said he “didn’t think (Foster) would be coming back” after the Outback Bowl, and he grew more pessimistic upon receiving his tailback’s draft grade.

“Now, he never closed the door by any stretch of the imagination, but Arian’s fondness for school hasn’t always been what it should be, and he had a chance to be a second-round pick, possibly,” Fulmer said. “But I think when Arian got home and weighed his options, he understood what he could accomplish at Tennessee — to be the all-time leading rusher in Tennessee history, with all the backs we’ve had here; a chance to improve his game under Stan Drayton, who is a true running back coach who had played the position; and the academics, being close to his degree.

“I think all those things together led to him making the decision to come back, and we’re glad he’s back.”

Foster lost 10 pounds before spring practice, and he looked a step quicker. First-year offensive coordinator Dave Clawson generally builds his offenses around a few cornerstone playmakers, and Foster’s versatility makes him the clubhouse leader for that role this fall. Clawson and Drayton — who came to UT from Florida in part to coach a more traditional running game — have spoke highly of Foster’s adjustments to their scheme.

“Arian’s a complete running back,” Fulmer said. “He’s a guy that can run the football, obviously. He can be a great receiver out of the backfield. He’s learned how to protect and block. Those are all things that will pay great dividends in the long run. My goal for him is No. 1, be the best player that he can be, and produce like he’s capable of, and getting the records and those things. And secondly, for him to move that draft status up where he has a chance to reach his (first-round) goals.”

Coach Geico

Larry Slade doesn’t plan to star in any Geico caveman commercials, but UT’s longtime secondary coach has become quick to sarcastically comment on his public job approval ratings.

“It seems like everybody can coach the secondary,” Slade said Friday morning. “That little old lady with orange hair in the stands knows when one of those guys gets beat. She knows them by name, and she knows their coach, and all of that.

“That goes with it. That’s part of the territory. We look forward to that challenge.”

UT’s injury-depleted secondary took several high-profile lumps early last season before generally improving during the team’s SEC Eastern Division championship run. Slade said it was “very gratifying” to watch that transformation.

“Despite all the negativity around them, they kept hanging in there, and they kept going to work every day,” Slade said. “We knew they would get better. They just had to be tough-minded people, and they were. They worked their (tails) off, and they got better.”

Demetrice Morley’s return from last season’s academic dismissal hasn’t slowed the gradually-forming “swagger” from the Vols’ secondary. Slade said he’ll allow that confidence if it’s coupled with results.

“They see themselves as an elite group,” Slade said. “Now, there’s a whole lot to that. If you see yourself that way, then you’ve got to work about being that way, and I’ve been really pleased with the way they’ve worked.”

Senior receiver Josh Briscoe — also not a quiet player — said Morley and Eric Berry were “the best safety combo in the country,” and that the overall secondary was “also up there.”

2010 schedule released

UT released most of its 2010 schedule Friday, but the Vols still need an opening weekend opponent.

A Sept. 4 game against Akron was moved to a later date, leaving UT to scramble for a replacement before a Sept. 11 game with Pacific-10 Conference power Oregon. The other non-conference games schedule for 2010 are a Sept. 25 home game with UAB and a Nov. 6 trip to Memphis.

UT’s first four SEC games in 2010 — trips to LSU and Georgia sandwiched between home dates with Florida and Alabama — could be a minefield.

The Vols are scheduled to play at Oregon in 2013, and future seasons also are filled with premier out-of-conference opponents, including North Carolina (2011-12), North Carolina State (2012), Oklahoma (2014-15), Nebraska (2015-16) and Ohio State (2018-19).