Darrin Kirkland’s 33-yard interception return for a touchdown on Saturday was his second most significant return this year. His most important for Tennessee was returning to the program.

Kirkland was set to leave the Vols after Jeremy Pruitt was hired as head coach. Who could have blamed him? The linebacker was surely disenchanted with the entire college football scene after multiple injuries, a 4-8 season and what appeared to be a toxic environment under former coach Butch Jones. That wasn’t what Kirkland signed up for.

Then Pruitt, who had never been a head coach, stepped in with a new defensive philosophy. Kirkland wasn’t initially willing to re-up.

“I got my degree from this university in three years, so I just had some options,” Kirkland said during the preseason. “It was a decision that wasn’t (taken) lightly.”

Kirkland decided his team was more important than what could have been at another school. He could have entered the NFL draft, but his lack of production and injuries would have undermined his stock.

“I just focused on what was the most important thing, which is the team,” Kirkland said. “No individual is bigger than the team, so I just tried to stay focused on the goal at hand. That’s winning a championship here.”

Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The 6-1, 234-pound Kirkland could be playing for a national title contender this season as a graduate transfer. Most any school would have taken him. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2015. He is known not only for his physical ability but his photographic memory. However, his pedigree didn’t earn him a guaranteed starting position this season, since he was sidelined during spring practice as he recovered from last season’s knee injury. That’s far from the first ailment Kirkland has endured at UT.

Kirkland suffered a knee injury in preseason camp last year that ended his season before it even began. He suffered an ankle sprain in 2015 that limited him to eight games. On a team full of players who had not lived up to their recruiting billing, Kirkland deserved the most empathy considering his injuries.

Pruitt, however, didn’t feel sorry for Kirkland and didn’t think the linebacker was entitled to anything just because he had a stellar recruiting ranking and a breakout freshman season. Pruitt had leverage. He was trying to build a program, not just rebuild Kirkland’s college career. After missing spring practice, Kirkland had to re-earn his spot. He was listed as a co-starter on Tennessee’s depth chart heading into UT’s season-opening game against West Virginia. Perhaps that was a statement by Pruitt, that offseason work was important — injured or not. Some might have taken that as a slap in the face. Kirkland just kept grinding.

The hard work paid off on Saturday when he scored the first touchdown of his career in the 59-3 win over ETSU. The future has never looked brighter for the Indianapolis native. With a sports management degree in his pocket, Kirkland is the type of linebacker that NFL teams will covet. He’s smart and athletic and has proven he can play and thrive in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Kirkland will leave the Vols after this season. While his career seems longer than it has been, Kirkland is just a junior. Perhaps he has one more return in him.