Austin Price: Hello everybody and welcome in for another episode of Vol Club Confidential. I'm your host Austin Price of quest.com. Coming up on the show tonight, we have Tennessee Center, Cooper Mays on this Halloween week, Tennessee playing Yukon on Homecoming coming up on Saturday. But before then we bring in volunteer clubs, James Clawson and James. Really a successful turnout for the Keeneland event last Friday up there in Lexington and for the Vol Club tailgate up there on the bluegrass James Clawson: And for the Vols. So yeah, I had a great time at Keeneland on Friday watching the horses run and then great tailgate at Kentucky and then obviously a great night. Getting the wind was big. Austin Price: Your thoughts on the smoke in between the third and fourth quarters? James Clawson: Well, you could hardly see across the stadium, but Austin Price: Being in the press box, it was like being in the plane and you're going through clouds on your way landing or going up James Clawson: The flower. You couldn't see the flower. Austin Price: Yeah, you couldn't see the extra point on that one score. There was so much smoke this weekend. Homecoming Yukon, early game James Clawson: 9:00 AM start for the tailgate. McClung Tower Humanities Plaza. So should be good. We got Gus's Gus's Friday, two chicken out, so it should be a great time before a noon game. Austin Price: Gus has been a big town partner James Clawson: Florida. Yeah, Gus's a great partner. We got locations on Sutherland and then on Level Road. Austin Price: Yeah, brand new location on level road across from Costco. James Clawson: Yeah. Austin Price: What's your go-to Gus's James Clawson: The tenders. Mac and cheese, always good. Mac and cheese. Okra. Okra is a Austin Price: Okra. James Clawson: Okra, yeah. Austin Price: Don't forget, I think it's the fried catfish. That was always when we did the show out there a few years ago, that was always kind of a hidden thing on the menu. You James Clawson: Like catfish? Austin Price: Well, no, I don't. I don't. But I was just saying don't forget that. For those people that don't know, everybody just associates it with chicken. James Clawson: There you go. But Austin Price: There are other options. There are other options. Well, we'll see you out there at the tailgate on Saturday and we'll see you next week as we host Tennessee Titans or a special teams coordinator, Mike Eckler on the show. As for this week, let's turn our attention to Cooper Mays. How are you? Cooper Mays: Good, how are you? Good. When you went in and Austin Price: You found out in the first part of August that you weren't going to be able to go and you're going to have to have triple hernia surgery, having abdominal wall repair, can I ask what's going through your mind at that point? Cooper Mays: Well, really immediately I was pretty bummed out. I'm normally not like that, but for the first little bit there I was extremely bummed out, didn't really know how to process it, but then about a day went by and kind of just sat down and made the decision to get it repaired and everything. And after that I couldn't, I wasn't going to sit there and just ponder over it the whole time. So got up and then just made the best I could with it. Austin Price: How rough was that to come back from? Because it sure sounds painful. Cooper Mays: Yeah, it's painful. I mean the main thing is it's hard to play center in the SEC without being strong in your core. You know what I'm saying? So the pain was one thing. Sometimes you can deal with the pain, but I mean it's hard to do that when you got so much instability in your core. Austin Price: Let's take it all the way back to when you first got to campus. That first year you played a little jumbo, tight end, and then since then you've been the starting center. But kind of what's this journey? What's this ride been like? Cooper Mays: Man, it's really gone by a lot faster than I thought it would, but it is been a really good experience. I came into college and if you would've told me that all the stuff that happened and how it went down, I would've told you you were crazy and that there was no way, but it's ended up being a really, really great experience. I've been really blessed and God's been really good and I've gotten to watch my little brother grow up and I got to play with my older brother, got my first start right beside him, and it's been a really beautiful journey. Austin Price: So you look at those first couple of years, you had Cade here, then you had Darnell. You're kind of like that old vet that's been around, I'm not sure, I'm not saying you're not close with people, but at the same time the guys you were close to have graduated, how different does this year feel just from being an older guy standpoint? It Cooper Mays: Was a really different experience The whole year I've been kind of trying to find my role and I think I struggle with that at first because I've always been the little brother, kind of always my whole life. I've always had K to look up to as my older brother. And then when I got into the oline room here at Tennessee, everybody kind of already knew me in the Oline room and they kind of took me in as their little brother Trey, just Jerome, bk. I mean there's just a number of guys that took me in I was really, really close to. So I was always playing that role as the little brother. And then now I'm the old guy and I struggled at first with it. It was kind of hard to fill that role, but now I've kind of grown to it a lot. I think I've played my role really well. Austin Price: Did you talk to anybody that has been that big brother, older guy to pick their brain on maybe how to morph into that? Cooper Mays: Me and Ellerby talked about it a little bit. We had this night where we had a recruiting night or something and in the off season and we were on top of the stadium and I was just sitting there talking to him about it, how just putting everything into perspective and how far we've come and just everything. And we kind got onto that topic and he just kind of said that everybody kind of goes through that. That gets into that leadership role later in their career as the dynamic changes a little bit and it's just natural and you kind of grow with it and you kind of just feel it out and it works out for the best and it is been a really good experience. Austin Price: Where's your game changed? Where's your game gotten better? Cooper Mays: Man, I've really big this year. I think that's been the difference this year is I've stayed above 300, 305 pounds the whole year, which normally I haven't been able to do. So I've been really happy about that and I think it's showed up a little bit and my strength and everything, which I'm still trying to get kind of back on my feet and get where I want to be and where I need to be and everything. But it's been a good start of the season. I'm pretty happy with where I'm at. Austin Price: Do you think part of that is you didn't go through August and most of September where you get those 95, 95, 95 and you're just practicing every day and you're just dropping weight like crazy? Cooper Mays: Yeah, that definitely has something to do with it. I think I've been able to, I don't know, it's kind of like a double-edged sword. I didn't get to prepare the way I needed to for the season and that hurt me in a sense. But in another sense, I feel way more fresh on the back end of the season this year than I did last year and I've been able to hold my weight and everything. And like I said, it's had good parts and bad parts, but that part's been good about it. Austin Price: You all have had pretty good continuity this year, right? Tackles moved around a little bit. Andre started the year and then he kind of went down and Ollie when you came back just shifted to the left guard, which is where he is kind of played. How big has the health been to kind of have this offensive line be as good as it's been, especially in the running game where you guys continue to lead the league? Cooper Mays: I think we've done a really good job with it. I think just every year somebody's going to go down or a couple people are going to go down. You just don't know when it's going to happen. Football's never going to be injury free for the most part. So I think we've done a good job of putting guys in and them guys filling their roles and especially Ali, I think Ali's done a nice job with the cards. He's been dealt with me going down and everything and I think he's done a good job adjusting. I think our tackles have been a really good spot, whereas we didn't know where that was going to be earlier in the year, and I think it's been a good year. I think we've done really well. I think we've kind of turned the tide a little bit on. We were big on the past heavy last year and everybody thought that we couldn't run and then nowadays everybody likes our running game. Austin Price: You look back to high school, you struggled to put on weight. Your dad kept telling me, Coop's going to get there. I'm not worried about it. I was late, I grew late. I grew late. Then you did. Kevin proved to be totally right in that deal. We don't want to give him too much credit, but at the same time, because we know your mom's where the smarts, the brains and all that really lies, but at the same time he did call that one. When you look back at that kid, what are you most proud of? 14 year old Cooper Mays? Cooper Mays: Oh man. Just the resilience. I think the way I grew up and kind of the guy that I've turned into and kind of always something that's rang true for me is that I'm a guy that just it done. Maybe it doesn't look perfect. I'm not big strong some guys out there, so I'm undersized a little bit, but I just get the job done and I think that's kind of been the story of my life is that I just do the most with kind of the lease in some cases. And I dunno, I found a way to overcome everything that's been thrown at me. Austin Price: What's the best story you have playing football as far as it can be peewee, it could something that just strikes a chord with you. It can be high school, it could be ut. What's that one core memory that you have that just like, man, I love that moment? Oh Cooper Mays: Man, it's hard to say. A lot of people would say Alabama last Austin Price: Night. Sure, I get it. Cooper Mays: That's a given. I mean, that's a big moment. I can't really get better than that, but playing with my brother was no question the best thing that I've really gotten to do in football. And I've done it kind of on every level so far. So man, that's been really beautiful. I think our high school experience, I wish I would've been able to enjoy it more in the moment. Just being young. It's hard to do that. Austin Price: Hard to think big picture when you're 15, 16, Cooper Mays: Man. Yeah, it's hard, but I've grown a lot and I've been able to now and I think I did a good job of it back in the day, but nothing can really make you enjoy it until it's gone kind of thing. But man, what a real blessing and how just good God is that he kind of allowed that to happen. Austin Price: If you look back at your high school career, I mean obviously not really good careers, an offensive lineman at Catholic, but you were really, that's what I was getting ready to go there. See, you're glad we're talking Cooper Mays: About Austin Price: This. You're really underrated defensive lineman. I mean, you literally almost single-handedly beat Central that year in the playoffs and y'all come up short, but at the same time you were wrecking people out there on the D line. Cooper Mays: We always talk about UT football, but this is the good stuff right here. Truly. See, I tell people I could play anything, but not a lot of people probably believe me, but Pruitt and staff, they all reassure me multiple, multiple times that I could play whatever I wanted. Offensive line, defensive line Austin Price: Tied Cooper Mays: In, whatever. They just want to be a football player, which I personally, I think I had more fun on defense. I was better at defense, I was smaller. I think when I've gotten bigger, I think I've honed in a little bit on offensive line, but back in the day I was wrecking folks my junior year. See, okay, I am glad we talked about this. I should have been Mr. Football my junior year. That was a robbery that I wasn't even nominated to be up there. I mean, first of all, it's BS that they do the thing where only quarterbacks are going to get picked nowadays or Austin Price: Yeah, there's no line anymore. I mean, lineman can win it, but they're lumped in with the Cooper Mays: Quarterbacks. Yeah, they have to be like somebody like Cade who's just five star and all that and everybody's going to pick 'em regardless. But I was kind under the radar a little bit. I was Allstate on Oline and I was the region D lineman of the year. I had 90 something tackles over 12 sacks. I mean, I think that's one of the better seasons in east Tennessee, like high school football. It just went unrecognized. I don't know. Austin Price: You think it's better than anything your brother's done? Cooper Mays: I think I was a better high school player than Cade, and I think Cade would tell you the same thing all around as making a difference on an all around game basis. I was doing, I think more, Austin Price: You think it's because you were athletic enough, big enough to play athletic enough to not be too great? I mean, because Key was just so girthy. I mean he was, yeah, Cooper Mays: Key was just huge. I mean, the thing is, key was so big for a high school guy, and when you find kids that big, they don't know how to play football. They don't know how to use their hips and roll their hips and leverage and everything. Austin Price: You heard that Cade, you don't know how to play football? No, Cooper Mays: No, no. Most kids Cade's size, but Cade on the other hand, Cade the Maze boys, they just have a natural way of they know how to play football. So he understood and he was big and strong and everything, so that played out for him. But me, I was like two 40, so the last game of my junior year with all my pads on and everything, I was like 2 43. So really I was probably 2 37. So I was playing at Below two 40 the end of my junior year, and that allowed me to play defense a lot better. I was just killing folks because everybody, I was pretty much bigger than all the old linemen still, even though I was small. So they would think I was going to try to run 'em over, which that was never my thing. I would like to get people to try to kill me and then I'll just make a miss and then I'll be, that was how I played defense. I just jumped gaps and swim moves, all that stuff. Austin Price: What are your memories of Tennessee football as a kid? Is it of being Uncle Michael Frog? Is that kind of the first core memories of Tennessee football? Cooper Mays: Yeah. Yeah, that would probably be the first part. I remember probably not good, but Mount Cody Austin Price: Sure, yeah, Mount Cooper Mays: Cody. That was the one that stood out in my mind. And then I remember always watching Tennessee versus Florida at my grandma's house and we'd be eating ramen noodles and I'd just be watching the game. Just so disappointed. I feel like we could just never, Austin Price: We could never Cooper Mays: Get the big victories, you know what I'm saying? So that was upsetting, but that was where I was at as a young guy. Austin Price: And then you come back and you're here last year and you beat Florida, you beat Alabama. Cooper Mays: You Austin Price: Come up short this year, but at the same time, you've got to start winning those every now and again to start winning them routinely. Right, Cooper Mays: Right. Well, I mean, I think it's a step forward in your programs direction. I think just getting big time victories. I think that back in the day, I think Tennessee struggled with when it was big time games and stuff like that, and it would get to games like overtime and stuff. We would never be able to pull out the long, hard fought games with close higher ranking opponents and stuff. And I think last year we kind of turned the corner a little bit on some of that stuff, and I think we got some big time victories and crucial moments, and I think it was pivotal for our season, like the pit game, I mean us beating them in overtime, that changed the whole trajectory of our season Austin Price: Because that game you were like when you left there, I think people were like, oh man. I mean Pit was on their third string quarterback. I mean, had to protect overtime and who saw, three weeks later you beat Florida and LSU basically and back to back games and then a month later you beat Alabama, right? I mean, who saw that team? Did you see that team? Cooper Mays: Man? I did, but I'm like, I don't know. I'm pretty delusional when it comes to just really any team that I play on. I think we're always going to go out here and whoop everybody's butt. You know what I'm saying? So I don't know. That might be one thing, but I truly, I think the whole team expected to win and that was a pivotal thing for us to win. I think the power of the mind is super, super, super strong. So I mean, if everybody goes out there and has one common goal and everybody expects to win, it is going to change the outcome, especially in today's age with NIL and everything, it is a whole different ball game. Austin Price: What's Tennessee football mean to you, Cooper Mays: Man? I mean, it's hard. I mean, you think you'd be like, oh, just Tennessee just means everything. I just love it through and through and everything. I love my brothers, Tennessee is my home and I love Tennessee and the university, but man, I love going out there with my brothers that are there and then that's what it's about for me. Sweat and bleed for those guys, and that's going to last a long, long time. The bonds that I've created and just everything that we've been through together. Austin Price: We referenced earlier, you're really close with some of those older guys. Obviously your brothers in the NFL Trey's in the NFL, Carvin Darnell. How much do you on Sundays, do you ever have time to go? What's going on with Trey? What's going on with Darnell? Did you watch Sunday night football last night when Darnell was playing? Cooper Mays: Yeah, sometimes I'm not going to revolve my whole day Austin Price: Around. Sure. No, I get it. Cooper Mays: The NFL football, but anytime I'm at home, I usually go home on Sundays and see my family. But anytime I get a chance where I see a game on where it's the Chiefs or the Bears, obviously I watch my brother when he plays and everything, but anytime I see familiar faces that are going to be playing, I always tune in. Austin Price: All right. Let's flip it to your younger brother camp. And by the time this kid gets to high school, he's going to be a folklore legend, right? I mean, you made him an Instagram account when he was like three and Cooper Mays: I need to be more active on it. Austin Price: He is massive. What is he, I like to describe him as Cade reincarnate as far as looks, but you're kind of cerebral mind. Cooper Mays: I would say that's probably accurate. It's pretty on point. Obviously he's bigger than me and Cade, but he's more on the same kind of body type as Cade. But yeah, like you said, the mentality and kind of his, I don't know. He's a little bit quirky, kind of like I was, I'm not as much anymore, but when I was younger I was a weird little guy. So I think he's caught all the same wavelength for sure. Austin Price: What did Young Cooper Mays like to do? Cooper Mays: Oh man. Just chill. You know what I'm saying? If I was anywhere with my mom, if I just had a basket of chicken tenders and fries and I had my mama, I was going to be good for the whole day. You didn't have to worry about me. Austin Price: Best. Chicken tenders are where? Cooper Mays: Oh, Aubrey's. Aubrey's. Unreal. Y'all know about that, do you? Yeah, they do. Aubrey's, it's top notch Austin Price: With honey mustard barbecue. What? You roll with Cooper Mays: Honey mustard, and then you get the ranch and buffalo sauce on the side too. So you got different options. I don't know. See, I'm actually pretty passionate about this. Different chicken tenders need different sauces. You know what I'm saying? Austin Price: Sure. Cooper Mays: You could have some chicken tenders where you're like, yeah, this is better with Honey mustard. There's some chicken tenders that you eat and you're like, these are better with the ranch and hot sauce combo. There's two different styles. I don't know how to explain it. Austin Price: Does it depend on how heavy the breading is? Cooper Mays: That's probably what it is. I didn't really know how to formulate the opinion, but it probably is the breading and the taste of the breading. Austin Price: All right. Halloween this week? Cooper Mays: Yeah. Austin Price: Goat Halloween candies. What? Cooper Mays: Man? It's between Kit Kats and Snickers. I'm going to probably have to say Kit Katt, but I don't know. Snickers is, I had a Snickers earlier before from the meeting. It's pretty serious, man. It's hard to get better than that. For real. It's pretty exhilarating. You know what I'm saying? Austin Price: I don't think you can go wrong. Twix. Reese's. Cooper Mays: Now. See, I had two Twix as well, man. Yeah. Austin Price: Well, no wonder you're staying above 300 pounds. I had a Snickers. I had two Twix. I Cooper Mays: Mean, I'm going to go get some dinner after this too. It's going to be a good Austin Price: Day. He's going to get chicken tenders. Cooper Mays: No, I wish, man. It's a little bit late for that. It's a classy establishment, man. They wear jeans and a blue shirt and everybody wears the same thing. It's pretty top notch, you know what I'm saying? Sorry, I'm being a clown. Okay, let's get back on topic. Austin Price: I don't know if there is. Getting back on topic, when you and Kate are playing video games, how competitive is that? Cooper Mays: Shoot, not as much anymore. We've gotten off the game a little bit. Austin Price: Oh really? Cooper Mays: Yeah, we were on it today, but I mean, it's just not the same man. It doesn't hit the same. Austin Price: Why? Cooper Mays: I don't know, man. That's the question. That's the age old question. I don't really know. Austin Price: It's kind Cooper Mays: Of like everything, man. Is Austin Price: It because you're getting older? Cooper Mays: Yeah, when you get older, man, just something. It's not as colorful. You know what I'm saying? It's like life's a little bit Bleecker. Maybe it's just the day outside. It's a little bit muggy today. Austin Price: Well, the Sun's not came out today. I'll say this. You Cooper Mays: A fan of rainy days? Austin Price: No, I'm not. I'm a fan of Drizzle. If I'm on the coast, you go to Alaska, you go to Maine. Are Cooper Mays: You a lobster guy, like crab cakes or something? Austin Price: No, I just feel like when you're, anybody that knows me will laugh when they hear 'em say that, but I don't know. When you're on those coastal towns, I just think when you're in Maine or in Alaska, I want a little drizzle, want some cloud cover and some drizzle. Cooper Mays: Yeah, you did that. You did that cruise, didn't you? Austin Price: To Alaska this summer? Cooper Mays: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. Yeah. Well, hey, I can rock with, I'm big on the Pacific Northwest, you know what I'm saying? Like that depressing weather. I love that. It's comfort, man. I tell you, what Austin Price: Are you a deep thinker? You ever sit around and contemplate, just you're talking about getting older and I mean, you're only what, 22, maybe 23? You're not that Cooper Mays: Old. Yeah, but mean. Yeah. I'm not old in the grand scheme of things, but you're saying when it comes to playing video games, I'm on the upper end of the spectrum, probably. I don't know. There's some older guys out there, but Austin Price: Hey, man, you got to stay sharp. When I was your age, I was sharp, and then I quit playing, and then my kids decided they want to start playing video games now that I'm 40 and I pick one, one, and it's like, what is this? Cooper Mays: I don't know, man. See, I used to be pretty nasty. See, I just don't see myself getting to a point where I'm like, ah, I can't, can't keep up. You know what I'm saying? But that's maybe just the competitor in me. You know what I'm saying? Austin Price: What's one thing most people don't know about you? Cooper Mays: Oh, man. That's a good question. See, you should have sent me this question. I would've been prepared. People don't know about me. I don't know, man. I'm pretty cultured. I feel like, I don't know if anybody can really pick up on that. I feel like you can put me in any crowd and I'll probably have a good time. I think Kevs a lot like that you probably picked up on that can Austin Price: Talk about a little bit about a lot of things. So you can talk about things Cooper Mays: Like a Renaissance man. I don't know. I mean, well, that too. Yeah, but I don't know. I can just get in where I fit in. Austin Price: History guy. Cooper Mays: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I liked history a lot more than math and science. I wasn't a big Austin Price: Fan of that, Cooper Mays: But history is my thing. I'm a big fan on really any type of history that fallen civilizations, like the Romans, Egyptians, all that stuff. Archeology is pretty certain. What else? I like world wars and Civil War, all that stuff when I was young. I feel like most guys do or most boys do. Austin Price: So you would be comfortable just getting up there and walking around the National Mall in DC and seeing all the different Cooper Mays: Memorials Austin Price: And stuff. Cooper Mays: Yeah, my family did it when we were younger, man, talking about a stressful experience. May's family going around to see the whole monuments with Big Kev. Oh God. We had a whole schedule and everything, dude. Oh my goodness. I'm glad camp wasn't there. Camp wouldn't have made it real deal. He would've made it when we were young. Man camp's, soft camp's. Had a blessed childhood man. Oh my goodness. Austin Price: He really is. I mean, from a standpoint of like, well, he spoiled. I mean, from a standpoint of Cooper Mays: Dude camp, Austin Price: You guys are spoiling because you get to be the big brother. So it is not like your normal big brother where you Cade picked on you. Y'all are so much older. Can't, it'd be not fair to pick on him. Right. Although he could probably pick him back at his size. Cooper Mays: We did raise him up pretty tough. He, he's a tough old kid, but yeah, in the sense of being spoiled and stuff, yeah, he's definitely is spoiled. My parents are getting old, man. They can't lay the law down like they used to, Austin Price: Man. I don't believe that. Cooper Mays: No. Okay. They can probably, big Kev doesn't, big Kev is not as, Austin Price: I think big Kev might be getting solved. Cooper Mays: Not as juicy as he used to be. Austin Price: Your mom isn't getting soft. Cooper Mays: No, no. Melinda will never be soft. Austin Price: She going to breathe fire forever. Cooper Mays: Oh, dude. She's as strong as can be. She's a workhorse man. She's about as good as it gets. They don't make 'em like that nowadays, dude. I don't know how I'm going to find a girl. They don't make women like her nowadays. You know what I'm saying? I Austin Price: Know Cooper Mays: Everybody's worried about their sororities and Lululemon and stuff. Austin Price: My Cooper Mays: Mom was Austin Price: Worried about getting Cooper Mays: A job. You know what I'm saying? Getting that education paid for. Austin Price: It's funny, and I've told a few people know this story the first time I ever, Cooper Mays: Oh yeah, Austin Price: Melinda Mays, I didn't know her name. I started working out at D one with Dunston Kendrick, and it was me and a bunch of house moms that were working out at 6:00 AM and I worked out about three times and I was destroyed. And I mean, these women just kicked my butt. I was way out of shape. I'm still way out of shape, but I remember, so we're going through the, Kate starts getting recruited and he posts the family picture up there, and I'm like, oh my God, that's your mom. I used to work out with her and she kicked my butt, and she loves to laugh about that. Oh Cooper Mays: Dude, she's so competitive. She's probably the no doubt, most competitive in our family. I mean, it's just stupid. The way she sees the lens of life she sees. She definitely saw you and made it a point probably to beat you every single day and you just didn't even know it. Austin Price: Really. Cooper Mays: Everybody in there. She was probably, I mean, I don't know if she was probably first, but she probably wasn't far behind anybody. I promise you that. Austin Price: Oh, my favorite times now with your parents are, I come down from the press box with five minutes to go and I always stop and say hello to 'em. Well, this pass game, let's pass home game for Texas a and m. I need to go and get in there and get my stuff set up. So I was going to walk straight in and then come back out and Dr. That's normally what I do. And Horace McCoy and his wife yelled at me because Brew had just had the surgery and stuff. And so I stopped and then I went on in and I came back out and your mom's like, I got a bone pick with you. You didn't stop speak to me. I was like, I was going to set up because coming back, but the time before that was when camp I went to, I always go see camp, and so land down the groundwork for his commitment video Cooper Mays: In Austin Price: 2032. So afterwards, they're like, it was so funny after you left, he goes, that's the one guy I wanted to see today. He hadn't been to the games you hadn't been playing. I guess it was the South Carolina game when that game happened. Cooper Mays: Yeah, I think so. Austin Price: It's your first game back. He had not been to the games all year because you weren't playing. So great family, very opinionated family, all of them. Cooper Mays: Oh, dude. I mean, we're going to say what we think. Austin Price: Listen, I could be an honorary base for that, as blunt as they come. Cooper Mays: Oh dude. I mean, ain't no time in the life in life to not say what you think. You know what I'm saying? I mean, screw that. No be you every day of the week. Be you consistently. You know what I'm saying? That's how I see it. Austin Price: That's Cooper Mays: How big Mel sees it too. Austin Price: Yeah. What's the best lesson she gave you besides that? Cooper Mays: Oh, man, that's a good question, man. I don't know. My mom's just been such, I don't know, one lesson, my mom's been just been great. Just a great example of how a person should act towards people and to everybody. I mean, treats everybody the same way and just goes through hard stuff in life with such grace and elegance. You know what I'm saying? So I don't know about one lesson, but just no matter what's going on in your life, you can't treat people any type of way differently. You know what I'm saying? She always preaches be the same person every day. And I kind of adopted that, and she is, she's the same person every day. Austin Price: All right, here's something we'll talk about. When Cade went to Georgia and naturally you're going to get a lot of venom out there when the hometown kid, the five star hometown kid goes somewhere else, right? What are you thinking? Because all of a sudden you're about to go through the recruiting process in full swing, and what's your thought process there? I know 7, 8, 9, 10 year old Cooper had dreams of playing here, right? All of a sudden big bro's not here. He had intended to be, because coaching changes and such. What's going through your mind? You have to look at it from a family perspective, but also individually. You're like, wait a minute. Cooper Mays: Yeah. It kind of tore me a different way. I always wanted to play with my brother that came before anything. Austin Price: Sure. Cooper Mays: If K would've went and played at UCLA, I would've been like, let's go Bruins, or whatever they are. You know what I'm saying? Austin Price: Whatever. Cooper Mays: Yeah. So I mean, that flips stuff up for me. So I was kind of like gung ho on let's go Georgia, because Georgia was my second offer after Tennessee. So I got offered the second week of my freshman year by Tennessee, and then right after the season I got offered by Georgia Coach Pittman, and I didn't really even talk to him much after that until Cade went to Georgia and he started coming back to recruit Cade. But just, I really did like Georgia. I was definitely going to go there, but kind of how my recruiting played out, they recruited me pretty hard for about another year or two. I talked to 'em all the time and was kind of dead set on going there. And then right after my junior year, probably of high school, like I said, I was two 40, so it wasn't looking great, Austin Price: Basically Cooper Mays: For a college recruiter that didn't really know me. So they kind of pulled back on me, and Georgia didn't really recruit me for a couple months, and during the couple months that they didn't recruit me, Pruitt and them at Tennessee, like I said, they were telling me I could play whatever. It didn't matter if I was two 40 or two 90, they won a ber MAs on their football team. You know what I'm saying? So that said something for me, just, I don't know, I'm kind of built that way. If you kind of turn on me once, I don't really, it's not my gig, I'll forgive you, but I don't really mess with you after that. So I was kind of turned back to Tennessee. Austin Price: So the night before Cade goes in to tell Kirby he's coming back home. He's coming back home. What's your thought process? Because I'm sure you're probably like, alright. Cooper Mays: Yeah, I mean, I knew it was about to go down. I didn't really know what was going to go down. I didn't know how it was going to be received and everything. I kind of knew that probably Tennessee fans would jump back on the train and I knew the song would probably be like, I don't want any of the Maze Brothers here. I mean, people hated me for it, which I mean whatever. But I mean, I think it's pretty harsh, but some people hopped back on the Maze train and some people didn't. But I think it's turned out well. I mean, truly, as much as people want to be upset, I think we've done pretty well for this university. Austin Price: Oh, a thousand percent. A thousand percent. Again, the place has had so much down the last 15 years. Kate saw it a fraction right there when he came back and you saw it in full bloom last year. So you, you've kind of got to cash in some things. First member of the Mace family to beat to Alabama, Cooper Mays: Boom. Yeah, no, I mean there's definitely been some really good stuff that I, oh, Austin Price: The immediate Mace family. Michael beat Alabama, I believe. Cooper Mays: Did he really? Austin Price: I'm pretty sure. What year did he graduate? Oh Cooper Mays: Man, it was mid two thousands, maybe 2004 to 2007 or something. 2003 Austin Price: Seven. Yeah, because he would've been, yeah, because oh six, they won that game. They won it Cooper Mays: In Austin Price: Oh four. They won in oh three. So yeah, I mean, he was a part of a team that won against Alabama, but the immediate May's family. Cooper Mays: Yeah, that's me Austin Price: Be Kevin. KK Cooper Mays: Didn't even beat him in Georgia. Austin Price: No. Cooper Mays: Yeah, I'm the first one to go to Africa. I mean, I'm a trendsetter, you know what I'm saying? Austin Price: Trendsetter in the May family, trendsetter in Cooper Mays: The May family camp is going to beat me out. He'll do some crazy stuff. Austin Price: You talk about your love of history in fall of civilizations and stuff. Where's the one place in the world you'd like to go that you've not been? Cooper Mays: I'd like to go to Greece, not because of my loving of history, but just because Greece is so beautiful, man. Santorini. You ever peeped it? Austin Price: I have not. Cooper Mays: Oh, man. Go look up some pictures. I don't know. I don't know if my eyes will do it justice, but the pictures do. Austin Price: When you went with all leaders to Rwanda and then you had the picture about that gorilla, that big silver bag, I remember you were scared to death. You're like, Cooper Mays: You're Austin Price: Like from here to you. Cooper Mays: Oh, dude, I was chilling. Gorillas love me. Austin Price: The thing Cooper Mays: Is though, gorillas, people don't know this. Gorillas aren't naturally, they don't just try to Austin Price: You Cooper Mays: Up. You know what I'm saying? So our guides would make calls to them and they would reciprocate the call back, and then you'd know that you could come near. But they tell you before, they never attack you without telling you. They give you a warning sign and then they do what they're going to do now. Thankfully we didn't hear that. So we were good, but that was life-changing. Talk about the, that was better than any football experience, anything. Just overall life experience, best experience in my life going to Africa. Austin Price: When you look at your kind of where you want to go from here, you technically could come back next year. You have another year of eligibility. If you wanted a covid year, you may not. You soaking up these last few games here just because you don't know of your decision at this point. I mean, are you approaching things like Jacob approached it last year, went through senior day, and then is going to go through senior day again this year? I mean, how will you approach things the next few weeks? Cooper Mays: Man, I mean, this is going to really come out as coach speak, and you probably won't think I'm being honest, but really, truly, we've got so much stuff to work on. We're just scratching even close to the surface of our potential as a team, and I'm really trying to spearhead us getting better and finishing out the year. So I haven't even really thought about it that much. And plus it seems like I haven't, don't know. Probably if I would've played the whole year, if I would've played the first few games, the first, what was it? Like five games. If I would've been eight games deep right now, I'd probably be like, oh, this is the end of the season. I probably need. But no, I haven't really thought about it. I've only played four games, so it feels like I'm just getting started. Well, Austin Price: You have to think about it because ultimately it is coming up. Cooper Mays: Yeah, I know. Yeah. I mean, I've started thinking about it. You know what I'm saying? Austin Price: You were a captain at Kentucky, so I mean, Cooper Mays: Yeah, I've been a captain twice Austin Price: Now a few times. Pretty cool, Cooper Mays: Man. Austin Price: Do you like being a captain on the road versus home then you miss going up through the T at home? Cooper Mays: No, I like being a captain anytime I can. I think, dude, that's the ultimate honor sign of people trusting you and everything. I don't know. I love that stuff just because, I don't know, I kind of called it, you know what I'm saying? Or I didn't, but me and my family knew what was going to happen. You know what I'm saying? Like you said, everybody just kind of the way I grew up, everybody counted me out. Even my best friends, a lot of my friends said I would never be able to play at Tennessee. I always be too small. Austin Price: Well, they saw that picture I took of you when you were like, Cooper Mays: Dude, that too. Yeah. I mean, high school coaches didn't think I was going to be able to play here. I mean, but I always knew. I knew, and me and my family have talked about it. My mom, I knew all this was going to happen, but it's just playing out right now. Austin Price: When you guys start going tempo, is that when you're having your most fun? I mean, I think you control the pace as well as anybody. No. Cooper Mays: No, dude. It's not fun. You know how tired you are out there? I mean, think about it. Austin Price: Oh no, I get it. But I mean, you make the offense go at a pace that is really, really quick. Cooper Mays: Yeah, I do take pride in it. I take pride in doing my job at a high level. You know what I'm saying? So anytime I can do my part at a high level and make a difference, I don't know. I love that part of it. I really like being a center. Austin Price: Much better than high school when you weren't a center. Cooper Mays: No, it's just, dude, I don't know. There's something about running the show, you know what I'm saying? Being that guy, I don't know. Austin Price: And on the ball you control it, Cooper Mays: Dude. Just built for it. You know what I'm saying? Just built for it. Austin Price: Are you a talker? Cooper Mays: No. Heck no, dude. That's what I'm saying. You're so tired out there. I don't think I've talked the last time I talked. It was last probably my freshman year. The most I've ever tried. When Austin Price: You were a tight end? Cooper Mays: No, no, no. I started three games at center. Austin Price: Yeah, no, no, I know. But mean it Cooper Mays: Was when I was starting at center at tight end now, but it was only when people like Trey and Cade and Jerome were beside me. You know what I'm saying? Austin Price: It's easy to talk. When you had some bullies beside Cooper Mays: You. Oh, dude, I felt hard. You know what I'm saying? And I knew they were going to protect me. I was a little broke. Jerome and Trey would've fought a circling saw for me. You know what I'm saying? So okay. It was a great experience, but nowadays, dude, I'm so tired out there. You just don't, I don't know, block everything out. I don't have time for that. I've got bigger fish to fry, doing the tempo and all that stuff. You're just so tired. There's no time to talk. Austin Price: Oh, I remember that first game back in South Carolina. You came out of the half and halfway through the first drive of the second half. I look down there and you're like, Cooper Mays: Dude, know my belly. Certain man. Austin Price: I'm like, look at this. Look at Vader down there. Cooper Mays: Yeah, doth Vader, man. I ain't never been called that before. I am. I guess I am. I felt like him. I don't know what he was feeling like, but probably something comparable is what I was feeling. It hurt, man. Austin Price: How much different is it a month later? A lot better. As far as, Cooper Mays: Yeah, I'm finally getting back to the point where I feel back kind of to myself. It's been a process getting back here, but this past game, I'm going to keep getting better. I think I've played my worst ball this year starting out, and I think I've gotten better each game. I think Kentucky was probably my best game this year, so feeling more like myself and super happy about it. But it's a journey for sure. Austin Price: Well, the journey will continue. Yukon coming up Saturday and then of course road game next week at Missouri, before they return home for Georgia and Vanderbilt could be the last few games of this guy's career. We'll see. Only time will tell. We appreciate you coming in. Cooper Mays: Appreciate you man. That was really smooth. You took the journey. Austin Price: It's topnotch. It's called Prof Al, Cooper Mays: Something like that. Better than I Austin Price: Appreciate Cooper.