Jabari Small addresses the chip on his shoulder this season

Tennessee running back Jabari Small has been a key piece of the Tennessee offense, despite dealing with a few injuries. Now, he’s running with a chip on his shoulder for the Volunteers. That’s huge, as he’s been a huge key to the team’s offensive success this season.

During a press conference, Jabari Small was asked if he felt differently in recent weeks after getting back from a shoulder injury. Small explained that he’s been running mad since then.

“Yeah, I’ve been kind of mad,” Jabari Small said. “I’m kind of tired–I was tired of getting injured.”

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“So, just kind of playing with a chip on my shoulder really, not caring who the opponent is, just trying to take advantage of every opportunity given. Really, just playing with an attitude.”

The running game is often overlooked in Josh Heupel’s offense. However, it’s incredibly important to his philosophy. As Heupel spreads the field, defenses get stretched out too. When they overextend to cover the outside, the middle of the field opens up for running backs like Jabari Small to take advantage of rushing lanes.

Against Alabama, Tennessee ran for 182 yards as a team. Jabari Small, a former three-star recruit in the Class of 2020, was a big part of that, running for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Jabari Small on Josh Heupel

Jabari Smith praised his head coach Josh Heupel. In particular, Small praised Heupel for his competitive nature.

“Very competitive, aggressive, he wants to win, that’s our coach. He’s a winner, very competitive, he doesn’t blink in the heat of the moment, keeps the same poker face. He wants to win so I wasn’t surprised at all,” Jabari Small said.

“Coach Heupel he does a good job of keeping his composure and he has like a natural poker face, so it’s kinda hard to read. But he’s just one of those competitive people, he’s always thinking about the next play or till the clock hits zero, so that’s just the competitive nature he has.”