As Tennessee kicked off against Troy on Nov. 3, 2012, Hamp McWhorter sat in the stands of Neyland Stadium to cheer on his childhood friend Derek Dooley, the Volunteers coach at the time. Dooley had been on the hot seat all season, and McWhorter thought a convincing win over the Trojans would help ease fans’ concerns.
That didn’t happen.
Tennessee won 55-48 but gave up over 700 yards of offense to the visitors. The Volunteers nearly lost the game multiple times. McWhorter continually changed seats during the contest, moving closer to the Vols sideline, in case his friend needed him once it was over.