Watch: Tennessee WR coach Kelsey Pope's Tuesday press conference

Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope met with reporters Tuesday, updating the progress of his position group, looking back at the loss to No. 1 Georgia and ahead to Saturday’s regular-season finale against Vanderbilt:

Tennessee wide receivers facing adversity this season 

“When it’s going good, right, it’s easy to celebrate, but when it’s not so good, you got conflict and adversity after adversity, and it’s important that those guys see us as coaches face it adversity the right way, handle it the right way and they’ll ultimately follow suit. So it has been a challenge, but it is been one of those things where the guys see me answer that. They see me kind of adjust to that and I think they’re able to feed off of that. I really do. So we’re gonna always accept challenges while I’m here and we plan on continue to do that.”

What he has seen from Tennessee redshirt freshman wide receiver Chas Nimrod 

“It is funny you bring him up. He probably had his best practice today, so that probably answers your question. Like he’s doing a really good job of finding ways to continue to get better each week. I mean, not just him, Kaleb Webb in that same breath, like those guys had a really good practice today. And I think that speaks volumes to this culture. Again, like we talked about the inconsistencies, we talked about things may not have been going our way. Those guys continue to rise to the occasion and prepared as if we’re playing for the Super Bowl. And that lets you know what type of culture is in this building, what type of kids we’re dealing with. They’re resilient and competitive and that’s what we wanna deal with.”

Chas Nimrod making a tough, contested catch late in the first half against Georgia to set up Tennessee’s field goal, emphasizing those kind of catches on film

“Yeah, you emphasize it everywhere. You emphasize it in practice, you’re emphasizing in film. And I think when you’ve got young guys like that playing mean, you’ve gotta do a good job of challenging them daily. And when they meet those challenges, you celebrate like crazy and you create new challenges. That’s ultimately how you create confidence in this game, right? Like we’ve had some really successful guys here that ultimately got to where they go to because they were challenged. That built confidence and then they were able to go make plays like that on the field. And I think Chas making that play was a direct result of what we’re doing every week and every day in practice.

“So we celebrate those type of plays like crazy because that’s a SEC play, that’s a routine catch in the SEC. And when guys are able to lift their level of play and reach that standard, it’s exciting to see. And the most exciting part is the growth that comes after that. So he’s in a really good spot. Like I said, those other young guys are in a really good spot and we gotta use that momentum to stay consistent and win these match on the outside.”

Tennessee’s Dont’e Thornton using the offseason to capitalize on the success he had before being injured at Missouri

“Yeah, I think man, sometimes we even look for like really complex answers. I think the answer for him was just he got comfortable and that came with reps, right? Like he was halted in the spring, he had a hamstringing injury, and then he didn’t really get to get a bunch of reps. So through camps, through the season, he was actually getting those reps, supplementing those reps from the spring in real time. I think just the more he was able to play more comfortable he got. And we plan on this off season being able to to use that and help him going forward. He just needed the reps, I think.”

What he’s thankful for this year

“I’m thankful for you guys, man. Like you guys come in in the rain jacket, I forgot it was raining outside. But man, just being able to be here in this position, I’m not sure if a bunch of you guys know, but like a couple years ago I was a (Division III) coach. And I’m watching interviews like this, of guys I look up to, but similar to what I’m talking to you guys about with our players in the battle that they’re facing. Like, man, you face them in your personal life and those lessons you want to use when you’re a coach.

“You use those lessons to help your guys get through those same type of, difficulties and tough times. And so being able to remember my lessons and the things that I’ve been through and now hopefully able to give them to our guys is the biggest blessing in the world. So just being up here at this podium is kind of surreal. I’m always thankful to have this opportunity and I think that’s why I put so much effort and I’m so intentional with this platform that I’m in. Bcause I know it’s a bunch of people that love to be here. I wanna make sure I’m pour into these guys every second I can.”

If moving outside made Dont’e Thornton more comfortable or if the comfort came from more reps

“I think with that kid, like you just gotta find ways to get him comfortable and sometimes with new guys that move in, like you gotta try to push different buttons to see what works, right? He was a transfer, we were still trying to figure out how how he got comfortable in certain spots and once we got him outside, I think he was able to kind of find a fit there. And it just kind of worked. So I think that’s the thing that you always have to assess. Like where guys are comfortable in certain spots is no different than, it’s a basketball analogy. The guys got this spot on the floor that they get to and they can knock those shots down. I think football players, you have the same thing. You just gotta find with a rhythm.”

How to coach a freshman like Nathan Leacock who was a big-time recruit but hasn’t played as a freshman at Tennessee

“You coach him just as hard as you coach the best guy in the room. Like those guys know when they come in, like nobody is different. Like you got different temperaments, you have different ways to get through through two guys, but wholly like, I’m gonna coach Nathan just as hard as I’m gonna coach Bru or Jalin Hyatt or Cedric Tillman. Like, everybody’s gonna be coach hard. And I think that creates a respect in the room that once guys are playing like it’s earned. It ain’t something to coach Nathan. It is not something where this guy started on second base and we got different. Everybody’s gonna go the same route and kind of create the same type of work ethic. That way when you’re playing, like everyone in the room knows that man, he earned it. And Nathan’s doing a good job and he’s another one today, he had a really good practice. Really the last two to three weeks he’s been practicing really well. As he continues to get reps in practice, we’ll continue to see growth from him.”

How redshirt freshmen receivers Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb can continue building this offseason

“Man, I think going into the offseason with an open mind. And I say that like going to the offseason with a clean slate, like they gotta go in the offseason feeling like they’re starting from square one. And I’m talking about being gritty, being competitive and fiery and their preparation. Like every branch gotta be like a game rep. You gotta treat everywhere with it mentality and urgency, like the game’s on the line and it’s the fourth quarter. And when you do that, the game slows down. It slows down because my training, my mind sped up, my sense of awareness is heightened that way when I’m in the game.

“Like those things slow down because I put myself in that place mentally so many times that I can’t get off task. And I think that mentality for those guys will help them tremendously this offseason. And they’ve already started to do that and then showing up in one-on-one rep in team practice.” 

Tennessee’s regular-season finale against Vanderbilt 

“I’m looking forward to playing this game this weekend. We know what this game means to our fanbase. It means a lot to our players and we’re gonna come out, we’ll meet all the fans, we’re gonna come out and, and come out the right way.