Tennessee will wear its Smokey gray uniform in the Music City Bowl against Nebraska to honor the victims of the recent wildfires in Gatlinburg, the team announced via Twitter on Friday afternoon.
The uniforms, which feature the outline of the Smoky Mountains on the helmets, were last worn in Tennessee’s 38-28 win over Florida earlier in the 2016 season – a victory that snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Gators for the Vols.
#SmokeyGrey for @MusicCityBowl 🍊🏈 pic.twitter.com/7dCtCsvkQ9
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 9, 2016
At least 14 people lost their lives in the fires that swept through the Smoky Mountains and into parts of Gatlinburg in late November. In addition to those who lost their lives, many were injured, and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed in Sevier County. Two juveniles have since been charged with starting the deadly flames.
Multiple Tennessee players, including quarterback Joshua Dobbs and offensive lineman Brett Kendrick, have visited the area since the blaze.
The idea for the Vols to honor the victims in the bowl game spread around social media in the days following the fire. Tennessee, which is the home team in the Dec. 30 matchup against the Cornhuskers, appears to have liked the idea.
