The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 16

48 Monday January 16 2017 Knoxville News Sentinel Vandy LB Cunningham reportedly opts for NFL Monday is the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft Cunningham a consensus first-team All-American led the SEC with 115 tackles and four fumble recoveries this season He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award given annually to the top linebacker in college football Cunningham a 6-f00t-4 230-pounder was projected as high as a mid-first-round pick during the season but he recently dropped into the early second round in some mock drafts CBS latest projection had Cunningham squeezing into the first round with the Oakland 29th pick Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter AdamSparks ADAM SPARKS USA TODAY NETWORK TENNESSEE Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham has announced that he will declare for the NFL draft and forgo his senior season according to numerous reports Alex Marvez a Sirius XM NH Radio and Sporting News NFL columnist first tweeted that Cunningham made the announcement at the Walter Camp All-American awards banquet Saturday Cunningham could not be reached for comment Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason was reached via text message but he was on a recruiting trip and could not confirm the report Tennessee tight end Croom named MVP of Tropical Bowl RHIANNON POTKEY 'KHIANNONJOTKEYWCNOXNEWIGOM It had been more than two years since Jason Croom caught a touchdown pass in a game The Tennessee redshirt senior doubled that output on Sunday in the Topical Bowl scoring twice to earn most valuable player honors and help lead the National lteam to a 28-14 victory over the American Team at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach Fla The early-morning All-Star Game provided a showcase for FBS Division I seniors to perform in front of NFL scouts and general managers Croom and defensive back Malik Foreman represented the Vols Former Tennessee defensive end Danny who was dismissed from the program in October was teammates with Croom and Foreman on the National Team Before his Sunday scoring spree last touchdown catch in a' game came at UT during his redshirt sophomore season in 2014 The 6-footn5 246-pound Georgia native was sidelined last season with a knee injury He converted from wide receiver to tight end last spring and record a touchdown this season despite catching 21 passes for 242 yards Croon'S-first touchdown reception for the National Tfeam was a Hail Mary catch from quarterback Teuton Norvell to end the first half His second touchdown came in the second half onapass in the flat be took 15 yards to the end zone MARKHUMFHREYAP A chair Mwted for Pat Summit sits at the end of thd Hmncssee women bench before a game' Lady Vols playen also have commemorative parties on their uniforms to honor Summltt And now other teams am donning patches to honor ona of tha gamrt greatest ambassador! Lady Vols not alone in honoring Summitt Teams wear patches raise cash in her memory "I am just a big believer in role modeling and mentorship and pioneers She was one of our best if not our best" KATHY DELANEY-SMITH HARVARD COACH mitt at Tennessee Metropolitan State head coach Tfcnya Haave and Kentucky assistants Niya Butts and Kyra Elzy played for Tennessee teams Kentucky assistant Lin Dunn and Summitt are both Basketball Hall of Earners and Tennessee-Martin graduates Vermont and Harvard have such connections to Summitt but chose to honor her anyway am just a big believer in role mod- eling and mentorship and Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said was one of our if not our Another tribute to Summitt could have a particularly lasting impact Elzy whose grandmother died of Alzheimer's disease started the Win project to benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation during the 2012-13 season while working as an assistant on staff -During the first year of the project she and her husband donated $50 to the foundation for every win the Lady Volunteers earned in SEC competition The next year she increased the contribution to $100 for every SEC win! All the while Elzy encouraged fans to make their own contributions to Summitt's foundation Now that at Kentucky Elzy is continuing the practice by donating $100 for every SEC win Kentucky earns She increases the total to $200 per win for the SEC and NCAA tournaments Wade said the project has raised over $75000 Wade added that Mitchell at ready has pledged to donate $2000 to the foundation for each of SEC wins this season Fans have been encouraged to donate money for however many conference wins their own favorite SEC team earns whether it be Tennessee Kentucky or anyone else bigger than just Tennessee because Conch Summitt is a national icon and Elzy said what she brought to the game the exposure that she brought it-and the classiness she had (that was) second to none people want to honor her as a person and as a STEVE MEGARGEE ASSOCIATED PRESS tr Tributes to former Tennessee basketball coach Pat Summitt in the season after her death are taking place at te program she built into a national power and on other campuses across the country Harvard Kentucky Vermont and Division program Metropolitan State of Denver are among the basket- ball teams that have joined Tennessee in wearing commemorative- patches on their uniforms to honor one of their greatest ambassadors Summitt died June 28 at the age of 64 after battling early-onset demriitia type Vermont coach Chris Day said it was an obvious decision be honest with you we all should be doing Day said Summitt led Tennessee to eight national titles before stepping down in April 2012 cme year after announcing her diagnosis She spent the rest of her life leading the fight against Alzheimer'S through contributions that included the development of her foundation and the establishment of the Pat Summitt Clinic that opened last month at the University of Tennessee Medical Center A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the clinic was held Sunday Tennessee hosts No 6 Notre Dame on Monday as part of the Southeastern Back week that raises awareness of the Pat Summitt Foundation As it has done for every home game Tennessee will leave a chair on its bench vacant except for a strip of tape with the word have a tendency to look at the chair every once in a said Tennessee coach Holly Warlick who played for Summitt and worked as an assistant coach on her staff for 27 seasons a visual for me just to understand where I am what doing and kind of what doing it But the tributes to Summitt have extended far beyond Tennessee Not only are a few schools wearing commemorative patches but many high schools and colleges have conducted their own Back games to raise Alzheimer's awareness incredible and really I say that as a fan more than anything said Patrick Wade the director of the Pat Summitt Foundation just special anytime you see any kind of testimonial from someone outside our area code just reminded constantly of how highly people think of who Pat Some of the schools wearing commemorative patches have ties to Summitt Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell worked as a graduate assistant for Sum- LARRY MCCORMACK AJSA TODAY NETWORK -TENN Ttainwrt Jason Croom finds an open Raid after making a catch against Chattanooga in a 20T4 game Crown excelled in the Tropic! Bowl a showcase for FBS Division I seniors MANNA MOORKANEWS SENTINEL From left Tennessee spring enroilees Deandiw Johnson Riley Locklear TVey Smith Win McBride and Shanon 'Reezy Reid pose for a photo in Neytend Stadium on Thursday McBride Continued from Page IB knows what McBride said know going to be tough in the offseason to get where you want to be in die regular McBride believes the exposure he got playing high school football in the Houston suburbs prepared him for what the SEC will be like His stadium at Clear Springs High School held crowds of 10000 Ibxas high school football got a lot of pressure on he said is a huge high school football fan It's really a big drill down there Fm excited to be in front of 10000 times 10 and run through that McBride joins a depth chart that includes rising junior Quinten Dormady a fellow Texan rising sophomore Sheriron Jones and redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantana Only Darmady has taken a snap in a college game Dobbs leaving going to play the best McBride said just comes down to whoever is the the best Growing up McBride was an LSU guy Now he's a Tennessee guy always defended the SEC when people would try to tell me there's a briter conference growing McBride said ifs really a blessing to be here in the SEC at a great school like Tennessee" in college on my de- fensive end Deandre Johnson said basically a grown Well Johnson and the other newcomers aren't fully grown A commanding presence in their lives the next couple of months is also a newcomer Rock Gullickson hired from the NFL to run the strength and conditioning program McBride Johnson linebacker Shanon Reid and offensive linemen Tkey Smith and Riley Locklear graduated from high school early to get a head start on college football The first step will be the winter conditioning program a great Johnson said of Gullickson the 2007 NFL strength coach of the year a man of hk word He knows the body well and going to help me change my Johnson weighs 235 and said his target is 250 McBride admitted bring anxious about getting started hi weight workouts this week under Gullickson who worked with the Saints Packers and most recently the Rams Harvard Karrtucky Vermont and Division program MetropoB- tan State of Danvarara among tha womanV basketball teams that have joined lknnessee in wearing patches on their uniforms to honor Pat Summitt 6A8RY JONESMP M'.