Tennessee seniors ready for their Neyland Stadium sendoff

They plan to savor every sight, sound and smell of their last experience.

They will reach out to fans along the Vol Walk, take an extra minute to look at the names of the past Tennessee greats in the tunnel and soak in the adoration of the crowd once they reach the field and run through the “T” for a final time.

The Tennessee seniors will be making their last appearance at Neyland Stadium on Saturday (TV: WVLT, 3:30 p.m. EST) when the Vols (7-3, 3-3 SEC) host Missouri (3-7, 1-5).

From a program near the bottom of the standings to a potential SEC Eastern Division champion, the group has played a significant role in the restoration process at Tennessee.

“There is really no place like Neyland,” Tennessee senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs said on Tuesday. “I have been thankful to play in a lot of coliseums across the SEC and there is really nothing like Neyland from the pageantry, the history, how historic the stadium is to just the great fans and the support that we have and just the intensity.”

Tennessee will honor 13 seniors, including 11 scholarships seniors, in a pregame ceremony on senior day. The four-year seniors represent coach Butch Jones’ first recruiting class. The fifth-year seniors remained loyal through the coaching transition from Derek Dooley to Jones after the 2012 season.

Defensive lineman LaTroy Lewis spent the 2012 season as a redshirt freshman and saw the program struggle through its second straight 1-7 season in the SEC. To have endured some of the bumps and witnessed the transformation will make senior day even more rewarding for him.

“I have been soaking it in. It’s kind of surreal, unreal to think it’s been four-and-a-half, five years,” Lewis said. “I think about the first time I ran through the ‘T’ and now it’s about to be my last time, so definitely a bittersweet experience just thinking about it.”

The seniors have watched the Neyland Stadium stands swell with fans throughout their careers.

During the 2012 season, Tennessee played in front of 629,752 fans at home. It was the lowest total attendance for a seven-game home schedule since 1978 (586,502).

The home crowds have increased every season since, from 669,087 in 2013 to 698,276 in 2014 to 704,088 last season. Having already reached 605,764 through six games this season, the Vols will witness another spike if at least 98,325 people show up to send the seniors off on Saturday.

“It’s been exciting to see the fans invest because that is what we do 24/7. We invest, and to see them invest in us - it’s really a payoff for all the work we do,” Lewis said. “It’s exciting to me, too, because I go back and watch all the old games, and I see Neyland rocking, and I see all the past Tennessee teams enjoying each other, having fun, and I see us getting back to that. It’s exciting to see the program get back to where it belongs.”

Tennessee senior defensive end Corey Vereen said the Neyland Stadium experience has been all he imagined when he first committed to the program.

“I mean it’s been everything. Everything I dreamed of, everything I hoped for when I was getting recruited, when I used to watch the Vols when I wasn’t playing here,” Vereen said. “It’s been awesome and it’s been a real gift from God and I am thankful for it.”

Lewis said he believes what makes Neyland so special goes far beyond the physical structure of the 102,455-seat stadium.

“I think it’s like anything else you do in life; it’s not always just the place, it’s the people,” Lewis said. “The people make the place, and to have our fans - even when you look at the Vol Walk and compare to things that go on at other schools - it’s really almost unreal. We have more people outside watching us walk to the stadium than a lot of people even have in their stadium.”

During their first two seasons at Tennessee, the seniors finished 4-3 at Neyland. They were 5-2 at home last season and can top that record this season by beating Missouri to finish 6-1.

“I knew when we came with my class, we were going to be the original bricks laying the foundation and making sure we get the program back on track,” Vereen said. “I feel like we are in the right direction.”

Although Dobbs has tried to remain focused on preparing for Missouri this week, he said he realizes his final home game will be sentimental. He’s eager to provide a proper farewell to the home fans at Neyland and partake in a cherished tradition that he’s missed the past two years because of his team captain responsibilities.

“The last time I ran through the ‘T’ was my sophomore year, so it has been a while since I’ve actually run through the ‘T,’ ” Dobbs said. “I know we run out as individuals as seniors, so it will definitely be an emotional moment.”