Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar reveals career he was considering before playing JUCO football
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Tennessee named Joey Aguilar its starting quarterback just two days ago, and the former Appalachian State signal-caller spoke to the media for the first time since the big announcement on Wednesday.
In an interview, Aguilar revealed that when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and his junior college football prospects were in danger, he was prepared to become a firefighter.
“It’s crazy because before I went JUCO, I wanted to be a fireman,” Aguilar said. “COVID happened and football was kinda done at the JUCO level, so I figured that I might as well start taking classes for my firefighting career.”
Football eventually came back into the picture for the Oakley, California native, with Aguilar explaining that people he knew convinced him to give the sport one more chance.
Following a productive career at Diablo Valley College in California, Aguilar received interest from the likes of Arizona State, Coastal Carolina and Liberty, but it was only Appalachian State that extended him a formal offer.
Through two seasons as the Mountaineers’ primary starter, Aguilar accounted for 6,760 passing yards, 452 rushing yards and 61 total touchdowns. But his 24 interceptions–including 14 in 2024–caused some schools to be hesitant in the transfer portal.
It is well-documented that Aguilar eventually landed at UCLA this offseason in a return to the West Coast, but he essentially swapped places with former Vol quarterback Nico Iamaleava in April.
Now, the former aspiring firefighter will lead Tennessee as the program hopes to return to the College Football Playoff in 2025.
Current Missouri student entering my third year of covering Tiger football and basketball. Contributor to The Transfer Portal CFB and overall college athletics enthusiast.
