​Former Tennessee Volunteers tight end Jason Witten addressed the backlash he faced earlier this year from a small group of UT football supporters. This offseason, Witten, a Tennessee icon, drew criticism from a minority of Vols fans over what some regarded as among the silliest “controversies” of the year. The controversy stemmed from Witten’s appearance on stage with Luke Combs at a concert held at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, while he was serving as the Oklahoma Sooners’ new tight ends coach since January. The sight of the former Vol repping his new employer at a concert did not sit well with some Tennessee fans, especially since Oklahoma is a rival in the Southeastern Conference.
I said it then, and I’ll say it again: it’s unreasonable for any Tennessee fan to take issue with Witten when Tennessee’s current head coach, Josh Heupel, an Oklahoma legend, was the one who represented UT publicly when Combs visited Knoxville the week before. Witten, who was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame just days earlier, was asked about the criticism from Vols fans tied to the Combs concert.
“I learned a long, long time ago playing for Dallas that you’ve got to block out the noise,” Witten said. “I’m sure I did get some backlash — I’m probably not aware of it. But I’m just a big fan of Luke. Obviously, he’s extremely talented, but he’s an even better person. It’s always great to see those stars in the music industry be such humble people. And two, it was amazing. It was a concert there in Oklahoma, and that’s where I’m at now. I saw him the week before, some clips of him in Knoxville, and what an amazing place. But look, I think when you get into the coaching profession, that’s part of it. You move and go, and I’m extremely excited about the challenge of coaching in the SEC, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and where that takes me. But listen, Tennessee’s always going to have a special place in my heart.”
While Witten may coach at Oklahoma now, his ties to Tennessee remain strong. He will almost certainly move through various coaching stops in the years ahead, but he will always be remembered by Vols fans as a Vol for life. The overwhelming majority of Tennessee supporters recognize and honor that sentiment, even if a small, vocal minority occasionally dominates the chatter.
This piece originated on A to Z Sports, with the full article available for readers seeking more context about Witten’s response to the controversy. The story underscores Witten’s willingness to defend his relationships and his continued appreciation for Tennessee, even as he pursues a coaching career elsewhere.