Tennessee player's quote about a UT football assistant coach will have Vols fans ready to run through a brick wall

Tennessee Vols redshirt freshman kicker Max Gilbert met with the media on Tuesday and he was asked what it's like to play for special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler.

Ekeler, who joined the Vols' coaching staff in 2021 when Josh Heupel was hired to replace Jeremy Pruitt, is a high-energy assistant coach who keeps his chili hot 24/7.

"He is the most passionate coach I have ever met in my entire life," said Gilbert when asked about Ekeler. "That's a guy you want to play for. Getting recruited here, he was the main reason I wanted to come here. Nobody cares more about his job and the game of football than him. Win or lose, he's up there every week same attitude, just seven in the morning going nuts. You want to play for a guy like that, it's awesome."

Gilbert also shared a hilarious story about getting "punched" in the chest by Ekeler after making a field goal against NC State this past weekend.

"After the field goal right before the half in Charlotte, he came up and punched me in the chest so hard I lost my breath," said Gilbert. "It definitely keeps me in check because he's always -- he's the same guy every time, make or miss, he's so excited when I come to the sideline. Definitely when you go off the sideline, you gotta brace. I kinda look around at where he's at, try to find him, so he doesn't catch me off guard and punch me. It's definitely an experience."

"It's easy to play for a guy like that when he's that energetic all the time," added Gilbert. "Just every day in the facility, at practice, he's pushing us, challenging us to be the same guy every day. It's really an honor that I get to play for a guy like that that cares that much about the game of football."

Ekeler obviously brings a lot to Tennessee from an X's and O's perspective as a coach. But his energy on the sideline is equally valuable to the Vols' football program.

That kind of energy on the sideline (and at practice) is infectious. And when players (and maybe even other coaches) hit a wall, an energetic coach like Ekeler can help keep the vibes positive and lively.

Ekeler is a perfect coach for the culture that Heupel has established at Tennessee (just make sure to keep him away from Nico Iamaleava on the sideline....the Vols don't need their starting quarterback getting punched in the chest).

Related: Tennessee HC Josh Heupel had an incredible reaction to his viral celebration during NC State game