Reveiz thankful for second chance -by Dave Ford

Generously listed at 5-foot-10, Nick Reveiz possesses a spirit much bigger than his physical stature.

Having progressed from walk-on status in 2007 to team captain before the start of the 2009 season, the undersized middle linebacker has proven time and again he is all heart, and all about playing every down of football like it's his last.

Through four games last season, Reveiz had collected 27 tackles, including a team-high nine against UCLA. But on Sept. 26 against Ohio, shortly after he tied for the team lead in tackles with eight, Reveiz suffered a catastrophic knee injury that ended his season just as it was heating up.

Not the type to hang his head and feel sorry for himself, Reveiz, supported by his crutches, stood by his teammates for their remaining eight games and never complained.

Now, fully rehabilitated and ready to go, Reveiz said he's humbled to have another shot at playing in Neyland Stadium for one last season.

"I'm excited, it's my senior season, this is what it's all about," said Reveiz on Aug. 3 during a preseason media opportunity. "I'm glad to have another opportunity with God's blessing."

Following the dramatic exit of former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin, Reveiz said the first member of the Derek Dooley coaching staff to sit down with the team was strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie.

"I just think the minute he came in he wasn't about yelling at us and he wasn't about 'Hey, blah, blah, blah,' " said Reveiz. "He wasn't cussing us out or anything like that. But he kind of embraced us. He sat down and said, 'I realize what you've been through — four strength coaches in three years — that's ridiculous.' He sympathized with us because he knew we were hurting, but then he also showed us the tough side of him because he knew when to push us.

"Any good coach knows when to kick you in the butt and pat you on the back. Bennie has done a great job. He knows when to encourage and when to yell. He just does a great job."

As for how he's adjusted to Dooley and his dramatically different style compared to the former regime, Reveiz said it's been healthy from the jump.

"Coach Dooley does a great job of delegating and managing," he said. "He's very organized and that's been really big. That's how you get things done. He does a great job of communicating what's expected of us.

"So, we don't think, 'What does it mean to be a Tennessee Volunteer? What kind of responsibilities do we have?' We've had a lot of educational seminars, you know, social responsibility — what to do with agents, things like that. Coach Dooley has educated us and made it known what we needed to do and how we need to go about it."

One thing is for sure when it comes to Tennessee's chances of success on the field in 2010. Just as Wylie embraced the members of the UT football team and didn't take their loyalty for granted when he came to town, the new-look Vols must do the same for Reveiz, and the blessing he is to a squad that could use some help from above.