Bartholomew Comments on UT Hire

D1 CEO Will Bartholomew, who played under Phillip Fulmer, is sad to see his former head coach leave his alma mater. The Tennessean caught up with Will regarding Lane Kiffin taking UT's reigns. Click here to read the whole story. Below are Will's quotes.

"No matter who they got, everyone will be comparing him to Phillip Fulmer right out of the gate," said Will Bartholomew, a Nashville native, former UT fullback (1998-2001) and CEO of D1 Sports Training in Franklin. "You hope he comes in and does well from the start. I do know that the staff he hires will be a top-notch staff. He is going to bring some veterans in here that have been in the big games. …

"Hopefully he can get in and get us back to championship form, fast. I know that's what the university wants and what all the fans want."

Bratton Becoming Star

Former D1 Combine athlete and part-time D1 coach Brian Bratton is becoming a star in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes. Although they lost in the Grey Cup, Bratton had a big year. Prior to the Cup, Bratton caught 54 passes for 636 yards and scored seven touchdowns. His best game came at Hamilton in early October, when he made nine receptions for 113 yards.

Advent Advances D1 Brand

Advent, a national experiential marketing firm, recently designed and fabricated branding elements in D1's new Little Rock location. The goal was to clearly define the D1 brand and communicate it through elements such as Stand-off graphics, vinyl application, and ImageWalls custom wallpaper. Click here to see how they did. Thanks Advent.

"The Contender" Contestant to Train at D1

Joell Godfrey, who is a contestant on "The Contender" which premiers on December 5th on the VERSUS network and will be hosted Tony Danza, has begun training at D1 Knoxville and will continue to train until the final results of the show are announced. The show will air on Wednesdays at 10ET. Click here to see Joell's bio on "The Contender" website. D1 wishes Joell the best of luck on the show...knock 'em out!

D1 Helps Build Character

WBIR-Channel 10 in Knoxville, TN recently stopped in to the D1 Knoxville facility to ask head strength and speed coach, Robb Wilson, some questions about young athletes today and pressures they have when playing sports. D1 prides itself on making athletes faster, stronger, and more agile but it also spends time developing character and talking to athletes about effort, responsibility, and courage. D1 coaches try to warn teenagers about trouble and how to stay on the right paths to success. Click here to see the WBIR interview at D1 Knoxville!

D1 Greenville Athletes Sign Letters of Intent

Two D1 Greenville athletes recently signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate sports. William Joseph, a senior at St. Joseph in the Greenville, SC area, signed to play baseball for a Division II institution, Mars Hill College. William is a 6-5, 220 pound pitcher and third baseman who was the 2008 St. Joseph Coach's Award recipient and had a .538 batting average. Jessica Harner, a senior at Eastside in Greenville, SC, signed to play lacrosse for Converse College. D1 wishes these two the best of luck! Train hard!