Tony Vitello draws parallels between a Tennessee baseball player’s quarterback abilities and Vols football coach Josh Heupel.
Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello recently made comparisons between one of his baseball players and UT football coach Josh Heupel, who achieved national championship success as a quarterback at Oklahoma in 2000 and was also a runner-up in the Heisman Trophy race.
Surprisingly, the player with quarterback-like skills isn’t RHP Drew Beam, who was a former high school quarterback known for his throwing abilities. Vitello, speaking on the “In off the Bench” podcast earlier this month, acknowledged that Beam is likely the top quarterback option among the Tennessee baseball team. However, he highlighted first baseman Blake Burke as a player who resembles Heupel’s quarterback style.
When asked if anyone on the baseball team could rival Beam’s quarterback skills, Vitello responded, “I don’t think so.” He mentioned that while RHP AJ Russell possesses strong arm strength, Burke exhibits a similar rhythm and versatility in his throws, reminiscent of Heupel’s style during his playing days. Vitello noted Heupel’s missed Heisman opportunity and highlighted his national championship win. However, he clarified that neither Russell nor Burke would be chosen to start on opening day if football were being played instead of baseball.
This serves as yet another example of how multi-sport athletes often excel in college and beyond.
