What We Learned: Talent Placement Lessons From UT Football And U.S. Ryder Cup Team

Sports are about players making plays. Coaches and managers can break down film, scheme, and motivate all they want. But, when the game is on the line, execution is all that matters. As the ole ball coach said, "It's not about the X's and O's, it's about the Jimmy's and Joe's." This truth was on full display this weekend in two, wholly unrelated sports: college football and ... golf.

On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs hosted the Tennessee Volunteers "between the hedges" in Athens, Georgia, and the last 30 seconds was likely the wildest ending to a sports contest you'll ever see. If you didn't see the game, and have been under a rock all weekend, Georgia threw a 50-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to take the lead, only to have Tennessee throw a 50-yard "Hail Mary" with no time on the clock to win the game. The ending defies all attempts at written description. Do yourself a favor and click the link above, and watch all the videos. (Full disclosure: I am a Tennessee fan. A hopeless, oft-heartbroken Tennessee fan.)

For all the excitement on the gridiron, the story begins and ends with the man who caught the game-winning pass for the Vols, Jauan Jennings. Jennings came to Tennessee in 2015 as a 4-star recruit as a dual-threat quarterback out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jennings also was a two-sport athlete, earning looks from several schools for hoops after he was named MVP of the basketball state tournament in his junior year. Jennings was a promising QB prospect with a solid arm and superior running ability. But, Coach Jones and the UT staff had other ideas, converting Jennings into a wide receiver shortly after he stepped on the practice field in Knoxville. To his credit, however, rather than pout or request a transfer, Jennings took the challenge to become the best wide receiver he could be. Boy, has that decision paid off! Just last week, Jennings burned future NFL draft pick Jalen Tabor for the go-ahead touchdown against the Florida Gators. And now, he basks in the glory of catching the pass that kept Tennessee in the driver's seat for winning the SEC East. For Jennings, it's an inspiring story of trust and commitment. For the coaches, it's a story of knowing your players and putting them in the best position to succeed.

A similar story of placement and execution played out on the links on Sunday, as America recaptured the Ryder Cup over Europe, winning by the biggest margin in more than 30 years. Fittingly, the final...

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