Ohio State QB Will Howard calls shirtless Tennessee players 'clowns' alongside Jon Gruden
It was part of Gruden's QB Class on Barstool Sports, where the former coach breaks down game film with quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Gruden, who spoke at Tennessee's coaching clinic last week, set up Howard for the punchline by showing him video of UT players running onto the field shirtless during warm-ups for their CFP game against Ohio State on a cold night in Columbus on Dec. 21.
Howard chuckled and ripped the Vols for their stunt amid the 25-degree temperature.
"The funny thing is that they came out with their shirts off, and they ran over to the opposite end zone and immediately put them back on," Howard said. "I was like, 'What the (expletive) are these clowns doing, man?' At that moment, I knew we had them."
Howard was right on both counts. UT's players put their shirts on soon after taking the field, and Ohio State won 42-17 to start a national title run.
But there's some missing context. The Vols put their shirts back on because an NCAA rule requires that players wear shirts that display their jersey number during warm-ups. Nevertheless, they lost the mind game and then the actual game.
TRANSFER PORTAL: Josh Heupel sounds open to Tennessee adding wide receiver
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Ohio State QB Will Howard calls shirtless Tennessee players 'clowns' alongside Jon Gruden
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