Take heart Vols fans, UT has tons of it -by Dave Ford

Walking to my truck after surviving yet another whirlwind Tennessee football media day on Aug. 15, I started going over all the things I heard during those two hours. I went over all the positive comments. I went over all the optimistic viewpoints. And finally, I started analyzing how I felt about the 2010 squad before it ever played a game together.

I've said for quite some time now that the Vols will do no better than 4-8 this year, and if they happened to go 6-6, that would be a great season. While I haven't changed my outlook on their final record, I have however, changed my overall opinion of this year's collection of Vols, and how I perceive them both individually and collectively.

This team has heart. It has young, raw talent. It has ambition. And most of all, it has unrivaled unity. The fact that the senior class has gone through, and survived, three coaches in four years, two six-loss seasons in the last three and overall chaos from every direction, makes this year's team incredibly strong on the inside.

Whether UT can transfer all the positive energy and optimism onto the field when it matters remains to be seen. However, from talking to guys like Chris Walker and Denarius Moore — two seniors who have been through the fire — and even to coaches like Chuck Smith and Bennie Wylie — two men who fuel and maintain a high-octane atmosphere — things for this program aren't as bad as many think.

In fact, if the Big Orange contingent that still harbors ill will toward Lane Kiffin and his staff don't already realize it, the entire program from the administration down to the equipment manager, is much better off for having Derek Dooley and his collection of high-character leaders of young men.

Although I, like everyone else, have never seen Dooley coach a game, I already know he could very well prove to be a steal for the proud Tennessee program and its fans everywhere.

Dooley has already mastered the art of public speaking with the ability to inform, while at the same time, having the skills to infuse laughter and interest in a program that has nearly flat-lined over the last two seasons. More importantly, the new regime has hit the recruiting trail hard and aggressive, and has stressed bringing in "character guys" who will not only make plays on the field, but also make themselves men off of it.

If Dooley is half the coach that he is a speaker and motivator, the Vols are in good hands, and could potentially compete for an SEC championship in 2012. This year will be telling in many ways of who Dooley is, and whether or not he can lead the Tennessee program back to prominence not only in the conference, but more importantly the nation. His second season in 2011 will further tell us all just how much further the program has to go until it can be taken seriously once again. So, to Tennessee football fans everywhere, be patient. This time last year, Kiffin had already been held responsible for six minor NCAA recruiting violations. Since he took over in January, Dooley has reported none.

The program has a clean slate and needs every ounce of support it can get. Fans should embrace this group of young men who have sacrificed a great deal to get to this point. Embrace them now, and when they're in Atlanta just four quarters away from hoisting the first SEC championship trophy in 14 years, you can say you believed in them the whole time.