‘My first job was working at Neyland Stadium’ – Former NFL Pro Bowler explains why he didn’t play for the Tennessee Vols originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
Most elite football players that grow up in East Tennessee end up playing for the Tennessee Vols.
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But that’s not always the case. While the Vols land the majority of SEC-caliber talent in the Knoxville area, there are a few recruits that have slipped through the cracks over the years.
One such player is former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver Randall Cobb, who played high school football at Alcoa, which is just 20 minutes away from Neyland Stadium.
Cobb, who was a quarterback as a high school recruit, ended up playing for the Kentucky Wildcats before spending 13 seasons in the NFL.
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The Tennessee native recently joined That SEC Podcast and he was asked about his decision to play for the Wildcats instead of the Volunteers.
“My first job was working at Neyland Stadium as a 13 year old selling hot dogs,” said Cobb. “So that was my first job. I grew up there. Obviously I wanted to play there. I think that they took that for granted, like it was just a hometown kid, right? Of course he’s going to want to come here — which I did. But with the situation that it was, it was better suited for me, at that time in my life, to go to Kentucky.”
Cobb was a little more candid about what happened with Tennessee back in 2010 when he was still at Kentucky.
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Tennessee, essentially, didn’t put much effort into recruiting Cobb.
“I mean, coach (Phillip) Fulmer practically drove by my house every day on his way to work,” said Cobb to ESPN in 2010.
“They didn’t realize how much heart I play with and how much the game means to me,” added Cobb. “I think they overlooked some of the qualities I have as a player that make me who I am. But that happens. It happens all the time in recruiting. That’s something I can’t control. I don’t know how they feel about it right now at Tennessee. All I can tell you is that I’m excited to be where I am.”
Cobb’s father, Randall Cobb Sr, also made some comments to ESPN in 2010 about his son’s recruiting experience with Tennessee.
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“I was a Tennessee fan and took him to the games when he was little,” said Cobb Sr. “He got a chance to see Tee Martin play, to see Charlie Garner play, to see some of the great players who’ve come through there…..We really didn’t hear anything from Tennessee until right before the state championship game. We received a brochure about their camp, but that’s about it. They never really showed any interest in him until there at the end.”
Cobb was named first-team All-SEC in each of his final two seasons at Kentucky.
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
