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Justin Worley shows support for struggling o-line, friend Kyler Kerbyson
By Jason Hall
Published:
Justin Worley was sacked five times and hurried eight times during Tennessee’s 34-10 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. His offensive line received plenty of criticism for their inability to protect him on passing plays and hindering the Vol offense from seeing any downfield production.
Related: Tennessee’s offensive line must improve to compete in SEC
Still, Worley has been vocal in his support of his teammates in the trenches, particularly offensive tackle Kyler Kerbyson– whom Worley shares a close friendship with.
Through thick and thin I know @KylerGreens77 and the rest of the #OLP have my back. #ONE#TennesseeToughpic.twitter.com/VP5JrO5FCq
— Justin Worley (@WorleyBird_14) September 14, 2014
“Kyler (Kerbyson) and I roomed together last year and we’re really close,” Worley said of the picture and the accompanying tweet. “I just wanted people to know that I have faith in my offensive line. I’m going to get hit regardless of who we’re playing. I’ve got to take pride in what I’m doing and support those guys in front of me.”
Despite a rough outing, Worley’s support for his offensive line remains in tact. If anything, the effort they showed in the face of adversity actually strengthened his faith.
“I know every time we step on the field, they are giving their all,” Worley said. “They knew they had a big test in front of them last week, I knew they did. They fought hard. Unfortunately, there were some miscues during the game, but that’s going to happen. I still have faith in them.”
It was a message he shared with his offensive line in the locker room after the game and one that was underscored with the tweet.
“He said we would learn from it and get past it,” Kerbyson said. “He was a really good leader and showed he still has faith in us.”
The leadership shown by Worley and the response from the team after a disappointing loss paints the perfect example of what head coach Butch Jones hoped to see from his senior quarterback this season.
“Our players rallied around him,” Butch Jones said. “He rallied our players. No one on this football team blinked. That was the great thing. We competed from the end to the start.”
As for Kerbyson, he was extremely appreciative of the kind gesture from his teammate and friend.
“It made me feel good,” Kerbyson said. “He sent me that picture through text before he tweeted it out. He said `Love you bro,’ and I said the same back. Our relationship could never be stronger.”
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
