How Lance Heard channels criticism from Tennessee football fans to reach his 5-star potential

Yahoo

30-03-2025

Lance Heard saw the criticism from Tennessee football fans, but he felt helpless to stop it.
Most of the complaints were impossible to avoid for the former five-star recruit who didn't play at a five-star level as a left tackle in his Vols debut season.
'It's challenging because sometimes you have no other choice but to see it,' Heard said. 'Somebody else will see it and send it to you, so there's almost no way around it. But you avoid it as much as you can.'
Some fans jeered the 6-foot-6, 330-pound Heard's poor play from the Neyland Stadium stands. Message boards griped about the high-dollar figure in NIL money that Heard was presumably paid.
Social media posts labeled him as a bust after transferring from LSU to UT and then underperforming. And TV broadcasts highlighted his penalties and pass-blocking gaffes.
Much of it was warranted. Heard graded out as UT's poorest performing starter on the offensive line in the 2024 season, according to Pro Football Focus. And he made mistakes in key moments on national TV.
But Heard said there was a big factor that held him back last season: He was always injured.
'I was never 100%. I would say the most that I played at was 75%,' Heard said. 'That hampered my play a lot. I couldn't move like I wanted to, like I know that I can.'
Heard was a five-star recruit for LSU in the 2023 class, but he transferred to UT a year ago. He struggled in adjusting to the Vols' up-tempo offense. Then injuries in preseason practice led to Heard gaining weight and losing mobility.
Heard missed the Kent State and Oklahoma games early in the season. And he suffered another injury against Florida, but he decided to play through it.
'I said to myself, 'I can't continue to sit out. I can't miss that many games,' ' Heard said. 'So I was playing injured the entire year, fighting through it, and that was challenging mentally for me.'
Now in his second spring practice at UT, Heard says he's finally healthy and playing to his potential. He's trimmed down his weight. And coaches say he's delved deep into the offensive scheme.
Heard wants to prove that he's better than that injury-plagued version from last season.
'It motivates me a lot, hearing all the critics and stuff like that,' Heard said. 'But I haven't proven myself yet, so that's what this season is about.'
The Vols need Heard to play at an elite level because they have several questions on the offensive line, where he's the lone returning starter.
Heard will man the left tackle spot. Arizona transfer Wendell Moe and Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton are the frontrunners at guard, but they're competing with young developing linemen. Redshirt freshman William Satterwhite is among the contenders at center.
Larry Johnson, a 2024 backup, and five-star freshman David Sanders are competing at right tackle.
'When we had that first (offensive line) meeting, you're looking at the guys in the room and you're like, 'Man, this is different',' offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said about replacing veterans like All-SEC linemen Cooper Mays and Javontez Spraggins, who are preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Elarbee said he was 'brutally honest' in meetings with every returning offensive lineman after the 2024 season, including Heard.
He praised how he played through injuries, but he wanted Heard to move past that.
'I was honest with him. It hurt you missing fall camp. You had the ankle (injury) but did a phenomenal job battling through it,' Elarbee said. 'That (injury) didn't help you. But we've got to get better.'
Now with better mobility, Heard is working to improve his footwork and fundamentals. And Elarbee has been impressed with how he's reacted to criticism.
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'He was not only agreeing (with criticism), but he was wanting help in how to (improve),' Elarbee said. 'He wanted to know when he could do extra work. He wants to be elite, and he's done everything in his power to be a leader and to be elite.
'He just needs to keep pushing.'
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [e-mail]. 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: Lance Heard channels Tennessee football fan criticism to reach potential