Featured Guests

 FEATURED GUESTS FOR JULY

Erik Ainge QB

Following his senior season Erik Ainge was named all-state, prep star
all-American, and the 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year. During his
senior season Ainge also became one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks
on the west coast receiving offers from schools like Oregon, Arizona State,
UCLA, and Tennessee. He eventually signed with the University of Tennessee.

As a freshman at UT in 2004, Ainge threw 17 touchdown passes in 9 games,
breaking Peyton Manning’s freshman TD record of 15. His 1,452 passing yards
ranked second behind Manning in UT freshman history. Ainge split time for much
of the year with Brent Schaeffer, who later transferred to Ole Miss. After an
injury just before halftime against Notre Dame, Ainge was replaced by former
University of Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen’s brother Rick.

In 2005, his sophomore season, he threw 5 touchdown passes and 7
interceptions. One of his most infamous moments was in a game against LSU where
he was being sacked by LaRon Landry in the end zone, and flung the ball up into
the air just before he was ruled down for a safety. Ainge’s head also hit the goalpost
on the play, tweaking his neck. As a result, Senior QB Rick Clausen took over.
Ainge finished his sophomore season with a strong performance and a win at Kentucky.

As a junior in 2006, Ainge was named the starter heading into spring
practice, and for the first time in his career was able to take all of the
first team reps throughout the preseason. Ainge also had a new position coach
and offensive coordinator when David Cutcliffe replaced Randy Sanders. He led
his team to 7-1 record before being injured in the closing minutes of a game
against South Carolina. He would then miss the majority of the next two losses
for Tennessee before returning to lead his team to season-ending wins against Vanderbilt
and Kentucky. During the season Ainge would set career highs in most
statistical categories and break the Tennessee single-season record for
completion percentage. He now owns a 17-5 record as a starter. The 2007 Outback
Bowl was the first bowl appearance for Ainge. Ainge missed the 2005 Cotton Bowl
Classic due to injury, and the Vols did not qualify for a bowl game following
his sophomore season. On March 8, 2007 it was reported that Ainge would have to
undergo surgery for a torn meniscus. Ainge stated that the injury occurred
during weightlifting exercise. However, he was able to recover in time for the
2007 season.

As a senior in 2007, Ainge passed for 3,522 passing yards and 31 touchdowns
with 10 interceptions. Despite throwing 513 passes his senior year Erik was
only sacked 3 times. He completed 62.6 % of his passes and had a 135.48 QB
rating. Ainge was able to achieve this success despite nagging injuries which
hampered him all season, including a broken pinky finger on his throwing hand
and a shoulder injury on his throwing arm. The strongest statistical game for
Ainge was a 52-50 triple-overtime win over Kentucky in which Ainge threw 7
touchdowns and 397 yards and his Bowl win over Wisconsin (Outback Bowl) in
which Ainge threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns. Erik also lead Tennessee to
a 35-14 victory of Nationally ranked Georgia in which he completed 17 of 22
passes. “My time at Tennessee transformed me from an amateur football
player into somebody everyone knew around the country. I learned a lot, and
loved my 4 years at Tennessee.”

Carl Pickens WR-DB

Carl Pickens born March 23, 1970 in Murphy, North Carolina is a
former wide receiver in the NFL who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas
Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. Before his NFL career, Pickens played college
football for the University of Tennessee from 1988-1991, where he started his
career off as a wide receiver and was named a Freshmen All-American and All-SEC
selection. He then moved to defensive back and then back to wide receiver where
he caught 109 passes for 1,875 yards and 13 touchdowns, and made the College
Football All-America Team as a junior. He did not return to the University of
Tennessee for his senior year.

In 1992 Pickens was named The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated
Press. In 1995, he set a Bengals record for receptions in a single season with
99, and touchdown catches with 17. Pickens later surpassed his own record by
recording 100 receptions in 1996. In his 9 NFL seasons, Pickens recorded 540
receptions for 7,129 yards and 63 touchdowns, while also gaining another 307
yards and 1 touchdown on punt returns. His 63 touchdown receptions were a
franchise record until surpassed by Chad Ochocinco in 2010.

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