Austin Price: Hello friends and welcome back in for another episode of Vol Club Confidential here at the friendly confines tonight. Welcome on the show. We have Big O, Omari Thomas will join us the soon-to-be senior defensive lineman for Tennessee as he goes through another spring practice. But first let's bring in Brandon Spurlock with Spyre and Brandon, Big event coming up with the orange and white game, tailgating, just a lot of fun. Brandon Spurlock: All the things right. We're quickly transitioning out of basketball and into baseball season, but we've got spring practice in full force. We saw a pretty cool opportunity here to once again to add value Vol Club members and we reached out to our friends, Kevin and Nicholas out at Advent Electric, spit balled an idea together about how we could have them support via sponsorship and then give our club members the opportunity to go for free since that ticket's a $5 ticket this year. Also extend, take it a step further and extend it to our partner, Emerald Youth, who serves over 3000 youth and families in the Knoxville, greater Knoxville community. So give them the opportunity to offer any of their children and their families to come to the game for free as well. Austin Price: Of course Volunteer Legacy is a tax-deductible way to help Spyre. How much have you seen since Vol Legacy got started, how much have you seen in growth in that side of things? Brandon Spurlock: Yeah, I think the first thing is people ask all the time, how do I get involved with Spyre? How do I give to Spyre? Really there's, you know, Spyre's a separate marketing agency, right? But there's the way you support what we do at Spyre and all across the board is through the Volunteer Club, through the membership. It's a fan experience membership club and then Vol Legacy is the tax-deductible avenue. Since January, we've not only generated, but we've put over a million dollars towards our cause, which is, it's not community service hours or charity work that our athletes are doing. We are not shying away from this. I mean we are leveraging their NIL and compensating them to use their NIL to do good work for charities in this area. So Emerald Youth is one of those partners. East Tennessee Children's Hospital, Second Harvest Food Bank, we're doing a lot of work with now, but the athletes can kind of use their brand to draw attention to those organizations and what they're doing. We're proud to kind of eclipse that million dollar mark of what we've moved through for Legacy at this point. Austin Price: Speaking of those athletes, let's bring in the marquis edition to tonight's show. That being Big O, Omari Thomas. Omari Thomas: How you doing? Austin Price: Good, you? Omari Thomas: Yes sir, I'm doing good. Austin Price: The nickname Big O's kind of self-explanatory, right? I mean your name's Omari. But at what point did you kind of get that size that gave you the name Big O? Were you always just bigger than other kids? Omari Thomas: Yeah, I was pretty much, I was always just kind of bigger than other kids. It was actually my coach, his name is Rodney Newsom. Yeah, he actually is the one who started that name for me it just... We was out there, me and his son, we played, best friends, we played football, basketball together. So we was always just two biggest out there. So that's where I kind of just got it from and it's just been Big O ever since. Austin Price: You're so family oriented. At spring break, you and cousins and aunts and uncles and your mom and dad and your sister and grandma and everybody went down to Disney, Universal. Omari Thomas: Yeah. Austin Price: I imagine that Sunday afternoons after church, home cooked meals. Omari Thomas: Yes, indeed. Austin Price: At grandma's house. Great Grandma's house was just a lot of fun growing up. Omari Thomas: Oh yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. We always just, whether it is us going back to the house cooking or is just all of us going out to eat or something, we always stay over at my grandparents' house late night, Sunday nights, watch Sunday night football, just watch movies, just spending time together. That's like you said, I'm real family oriented. So that's something that we always did no matter knowing, especially growing up. You know you got school on that Monday. We didn't really care about that bedtime that Sunday night because we was always just at my grandparents' house just chilling, having a good time. Whether that's playing games like UNO or different card games, it was just good to always just be around them on them Sunday afternoons. Austin Price: Now, first time I ever met Omari's family was at the Mr. Football Awards down in the Titans' locker room and introduced me to your grandma and then the went to the next lady and it was a great-grandmother. Omari Thomas: Yes I did. Austin Price: I'm like, dang, we're getting several generations here and they all still look like they're really young and just super sweet ladies. Omari Thomas: Yes sir. Austin Price: I know they're just so proud of you and such big fans of you, to have them come to some games to watch you on TV, to be a part of your journey. What's that been like? Omari Thomas: It's been amazing. It's been amazing. Just like, I know everyone doesn't really get a chance to have their grandparents in their life, let alone their great-grandparent. So it's good just to be able to have my grandparents just come to my game sometimes. I know they don't really come that much because it is a lot of walking for them. My great-grandmother, she hasn't been to a game yet. That's why when we played Ole Miss, we was actually hoping it was at Ole Miss because it's not too far from home. She was going to go to that. But it was just good just to really be able to, and I know I talked to her after every game I talk to her either that day or the Sunday after, no matter what. She always just let me know how she watched the game. She's just proud of me. She loves Jabari too, so it is good just to be able to just have her in my life and just be able to talk to her still after games and then I'm spoiled I have to say with my great, with my grandmother, I call her my Burla. So I'm spoiled with her. I'm the only boy, grandson, so she gets me good every time. I love just being around them always. Austin Price: So when you're heading home, do you pick up the phone and go, Hey, I'm like an hour out. Can I get some blank food that you really like that she makes, you know what I mean? Do you call and get your favorites made? Omari Thomas: Yeah, so not even, I won't just call them but they'll know. So this past year for Thanksgiving, we played in Nashville. When they met in Nashville on that Thanksgiving Day, I had went with them down there. So we was like, I was like, yeah, I want this. My grandma brought me my sweet potato pie. That's what I like when she make my sweet potato pie. So that's... She always, she lock in for me every time. She going to get me right. Austin Price: You said that's your Burla? Omari Thomas: That's my Burla. Austin Price: You're her sweet potato pie. Omari Thomas: Yes indeed. Austin Price: You brought up Jabari, you guys have known each other for a hot minute there. You guys really are, I mean about as you ain't blood brothers, but I mean at the same time... Omari Thomas: Might as well be. Austin Price: Might as well be. Omari Thomas: Might as well be. Austin Price: What's that relationship like? Omari Thomas: It's amazing. It is amazing. Like you said, you might as well be blood brothers. We might as well be because everything we do, it's not too, it's not too often where you see us separated from each other. We just always around each other always hanging out and it's never a day where we go by, we're not laughing. We enjoy making each other laugh, just bringing humor to our house, our friend group, everyone else we hang around just that's what we like to do. We like to have fun and we just to have our circle and we know that everybody in our circle, we got each other back. So it's good just to be able to have that. That relationship with Jabari, I've known him the longest here at UT, so it is just amazing. I live with him as my roommate. We go everywhere together like I said. So it's good just to be able to have somebody who has common goals as me. Family oriented just like me, just was raised the same way in aspects. So it's good just to know I got someone like that I can just talk to when I need to talk to them and he can talk to me while he needs to talk to me. Austin Price: Like most brothers or friends... Omari Thomas: Facts. Austin Price: There's going to be some disagreements. What's the most common disagreement you all have and what's it about? Omari Thomas: See, it's not even really a disagree... Austin Price: You're a neat freak and he's a dirty? Omari Thomas: Nah, we both neat freaks. Austin Price: Vice versa? Both neat freaks. Omari Thomas: Both neat freaks, keep the house clean. We do all that. We all on the same page about that. I would say one thing that Jabari that I won't do, I don't know why but Sundays I'll just be at the house chilling all day. I won't eat. But Jabari, he'll eat three times on Sunday and he'll bug me all day. You not trying to eat nothing, you're not trying to go nowhere to eat? I just know, I don't know why I'm just not hungry like that on Sundays. Austin Price: So basically you eat six the first six days of the week big and then you take Sunday off? Omari Thomas: Yeah, honestly. Then what would I say? I just mess with Jabari. I love LeBron but Jabari is over top about LeBron always ready to argue. So I always just argue with him about that just to give him a hard time and just tell him LeBron not good and that just gets his blood flowing and he always love to argue. Austin Price: This is good. This is good ammunition when he walks to the complex for me. Omari Thomas: Yeah. Just tell him when you see him, just be like Jabari, I don't really think LeBron's that good honestly. Watch the look he give you. Austin Price: I love my kids. My youngest comes home from school and she's a second-grader and she'll be like, daddy does LeBron cry? Is LeBron crybaby? The kids in my class say he's a crybaby. Omari Thomas: Say that to Jabari. Austin Price: I just love that they're having love that they're having these conversations in second grade. Omari Thomas: Say that to Jabari. Austin Price: What's this experience been like for you? Omari Thomas: Overall? Overall experience is a true blessing. A true blessing honestly. Because everything is just to see how everything plays out and just to be in the situation that I am, it's crazy honestly. But I wouldn't change nothing. I enjoy everything that happened, everything we've been through as Tennessee. I enjoy it just because it is making us who we are today. So it's good just to be able to go through a tough period, go through a tough time for me, a tough year. Then just to have that change where you got, like I said, that tough year, you know, got covid, you struggling with things, just ready to go home. Not really too interested in football, just really worrying about my health, worrying about your family's health. So you know, battle with that as a freshman and you like, oh I'm just really homesick, I'm ready to go home. But just seeing how we just us as a culture, Tennessee culture, just been able to come together. All sports, honestly. Just supporting each other because I know first when I first got here was people would say, oh we don't really talk to this sport or this sport don't really mess with us. But now it's like everybody. I got some of my best friends play other sports as well. Just the people I talk... Some of the people I talk to everyday play other sports. Austin Price: Everytime I talk to you, you're going to volleyball games. Omari Thomas: That's what I'm saying, volleyball, softball. I just went to the softball game the other day. Baseball. I know they come to support our games when they can. So I try my best to go support when I can. Austin Price: So you thought about leaving after that covid year? Omari Thomas: It was like just when you look at it, I definitely did. Just for the simple fact. I'm like, I don't really know. Austin Price: Because of the change or because it was just a rough year. Omari Thomas: Nah, just because of the change. It's just uncertainty and I just wasn't too really sure who was going to be brought in, what relationships I was going to have with them. Austin Price: Then they hired G so there some familiarity there. Omari Thomas: Yeah, so it's like okay, familiar face. Then I like the approach but I've never been in a situation where I was on the team then got a new coach. My head coach has always been the same. Every school I've been to has always been the same. Nothing's never changed. So when that's changed, that was something that was different for me. Then just being able to see how Coach Heupel came in and the approach he had to us just saying automatically knowing y'all don't trust me, I don't know y'all so let's build that trust. It was a common ground of let's build that. It wasn't him coming in saying, oh I'm him, I do this, I do this, I do this. He wanted to hear from us. He wanted to hear what things we felt could be better in our culture. Of course he came in with the ways he was going to do things. But he's a true players' coach. Everyone asked me whenever I'm out, it was like, you like the new coach? I'm like, I love the new coach. Everybody... He's a true players coach. If you want a prime example of what a coach should look like for your team, it is Coach Heupel. Austin Price: What do I call you? What do I call you? Omari Thomas: The best offensive lineman on the team. Austin Price: Could be. Could be. Although I saw Nathan Robinson the other day in the complex and he's at 280. I was like, how big are you? And he's like 280. I said, could you do me a favor? I said, can you do a kick step? He paused and then he goes, wait, no, no because he realized I was wanted to do an offensive line move. So classic. Omari Thomas: Don't get caught Austin Price: 21. Where's that come from? Is that just what you wanted? Did they just give that to you? Omari Thomas: Nah. So when we was, it was just... Austin Price: You were 58 in high-school? Omari Thomas: No, I... what was I? Austin Price: Right? Omari Thomas: 57. Austin Price: 57. Omari Thomas: 57 in high-school. I wore 58 when I first got here. Austin Price: Okay, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Omari Thomas: Wore 58 when I first got here. 21. I mean it was just like I wanted something different. I was like when they came in, coach Hype was like, I don't really care about Jersey number so anybody can wear any jersey number. So then I was like, oh let me try to get a single digit. I wanted zero just because I feel like it would flow, Big O, like zero. I feel like that would've been pretty cool. Austin Price: That would've been cool. I agree with that. Omari Thomas: Yeah. So I wanted zero but then wasn't able to get zero just because of all the other stuff like numbers and things like that that go into consideration with the numbers. So then, then he was like, we got 21. I was like all cool. I was like, I'm a rock it. Then he was like, I think you a look good in it honestly. I was like, yes sir. So it's just something different. Something different. But I embrace it now. Austin Price: About every episode, well not every episode, but almost every episode. Whether it's been baseball players, basketball players, football players, we talk about the Alabama game. Omari Thomas: Yeah. Austin Price: The atmosphere after the game. Omari Thomas: Got to. Austin Price: You were on the field for the kick because you're on protection. Walk me through what you're thinking. Does the whole thing vividly stick out because you know had the time-out? Yeah, then you go back out, take us through it. Omari Thomas: So you start with the play, you got Hendon and he throw the ball, right there to Bru. Catch. I'm on the sideline. I'm like, okay, let's go. He called the timeout. I'm like not worried at all if someone could have a video of what I was doing before. I'm like kind of just dancing because I wasn't really worried at all because I got faith in Chase and I knew where the ball was. So I was like, we practiced this kick right here all the time in practice because different spot. I was like, but we always hit this spot. I was like Chase going to knock it down. So you know, you got that. So then we go out there, I'm just out there. I'm actually talking to the dude lined up across from me. I'm like, I'm not going to lie bro, game over. The game over. I'm just telling him and then he run off. I take my step and I barely, I got coached up on it afterwards, but I barely took my step because I just had so much faith in our operation time. It was, and that was one of our fastest operating times of the year as a field goal unit. I just had so much... I had faith in I knew Chase was going to hit that. I just kept running. Austin Price: Were you paying attention to the ball when it through the air? Omari Thomas: I didn't look the ball at all, I just kept started running to the student section right out. Right after he kicked, I just started running to the student section. I already knew. Austin Price: Then when you went back and watched the replay, did you see how much it barely made it over? Omari Thomas: Yeah, when I was looking at, I was like man that could have been bad because I didn't look at the ball at all. Austin Price: So you get to the student station here, they come on top of you. How long did it take you to get back to the locker room? Omari Thomas: Man, maybe like 40 minutes and that's being generous. That's being generous just from me trying to find different people myself out there. Austin Price: When did you have your first cigar in the locker room or on the field? Omari Thomas: On the field. On the field. A person gave me one. It was like, I was like it was here you go. Austin Price: Is that the first time you ever smoked a cigar? Omari Thomas: Nah. Austin Price: No. Okay. Omari Thomas: Yeah. Nah, it would be with my dad. Chill, sitting in the backyard, talk. But yeah, they had gave me one. I was like, they was like, here you go. I'm like cool, appreciate that. Austin Price: Is that the best celebration? Omari Thomas: By far. By far. Austin Price: Just because you get to smoke the cigar. Omari Thomas: Yeah, but the Orange Bowl celebration was fun too. Austin Price: Tossing oranges around. Omari Thomas: That was pretty fun. Yeah, got a couple pictures biting into an orange. Can't get... Yeah, that's pretty fun. Austin Price: Better to bite into an orange than a cigar. What's something you want to accomplish that you've not accomplished here? Individually. I think everybody's goal is to win a championship at the team level. But individually, what do you want to do that you've not done? Omari Thomas: What I want to accomplish is just everybody knowing I'm a leader. It's not really being a question whether I'm... Like I'll say people know I'm a leader, but I'm kind of quiet around everybody. I want to be a vocal leader. That's something I really want to accomplish. I've been putting myself in... I put myself in situations, coaches put us in situations for me to grow in that area. But that's something I want to accomplish where I know that I'm solidified as a vocal leader. Austin Price: When you talk to Coach Garner, does he give you any tips on trying to get to that point? Omari Thomas: Yeah, me and coach G, we have a good relationship. So he always just talking to me, just telling me different things. Never get satisfied no matter what. Keep going, keep going. If he talk to me about pad level, but far as off the field, that's where I feel like me and Coach G, we connect a lot because he always, he's just rooting for us to be good men. That's something that he always, my dad always tell me, all the men in my family always told me, whatever you do, being a good man and a good person is going to be bigger than that because a person going to remember who you are. They going to remember how you treated them, everything like that. More so than what you can do for them. They going to remember how you left them feeling. Once I leave here, say I came in rude and different things like that, you going to remember that. But if I leave here I come I gave him a good impression on myself. You're going to remember that. So that's something that Coach G always talks to me about as well. Just leave your mark on people. Let people know that you are a good responsible young man. It is just always good to hear that from Coach G because that's who he is and he try to be the example for us every day. Austin Price: Yeah, I think you've always been that way. I mean date back to high-school. I mean my first impressions were well-mannered kid, even though you wouldn't give me the quotes ahead of time before you committed, you made me come all the way to Memphis. It's okay. Omari Thomas: I want you to see the high-school. Austin Price: Hey you're right. I just wanted to come see grandma. I wanted to come see grandma and great grandma again. Omari Thomas: Yes sir. Austin Price: But you were always super respectful. So I get it. Your dad, how big of a role has he played on ya and the fact that he played in college? Was he a coach of yours growing up? Omari Thomas: Yeah, he was a coach of mines and it's like... Austin Price: Is he still a coach of yours? Omari Thomas: Yeah, he try... He's more so he kind of just sit back and just observe now and see different things and just tell me afterwards. But he's more observer now rather than coaching and just critique me on little things. But growing up it is like if anybody had a parent as their coach, they know. It's not the same. It is way harder than... Austin Price: It is harder. Yeah. Omari Thomas: It's way harder. You know have these times where you never hear what your parents saying to you. Austin Price: Is it harder than playing for Coach Garner though? Omari Thomas: It's about even because you get the same treatment. It's about even because you get to the same treatment, you might get it a little worse from your parent because that's your parent and you not going... What you going to do? Nothing. Austin Price: I can see you coaching one day. Can you see that? Omari Thomas: I'm down with it. Austin Price: After the playing days are over. Omari Thomas: Yeah, I got a couple goals. What I want to do, hopefully I'll put myself in a situation where I can have a chance to make it to the next level. But then I want to either be a coach, do something with sports broadcasting, work with media in that field, or I feel like I could be an AD somewhere too. Austin Price: Look at you. You got big goals man. Omari Thomas: Hey, hey. Austin Price: Hey listen... Omari Thomas: You got to get to it. Austin Price: Dream big baby. Omari Thomas: Got to get to it. Austin Price: Hey, I learned a long time ago and I've been fortunate enough for the last few years to play a lot of high end golf courses, which is my jam. I learned a long time ago. You shoot your shot, you may be told no, you may not get it, but you shoot your shot. You don't, you don't let the clock run out. Omari Thomas: Got to keep shooting. If you don't shoot... Austin Price: You don't score. Omari Thomas: You don't score. Austin Price: What's the best part of being a student athlete at Tennessee? Omari Thomas: The best part is really just walking on campus. People know who you are. But it's funny, it's kind of funny to me where people, they'll just kind of stare at you. Austin Price: How many people go Big O? Omari Thomas: Yeah, a lot of people. A lot of people, like a lot of frat dudes actually. Austin Price: Yeah. What do you do? Omari Thomas: I just be like, what's up? Yeah, what's up? What's up man? How you doing? Austin Price: All right, we're going to go rapid fire for a minute. Tell us about your Minute Made superstition. How'd it start and what's the go-to? Omari Thomas: Minute Maid started back in middle school. Always drink Minute Maid before a game. Just some, got to have it before the game or sometime that day. Austin Price: If you could partner with any brand for an NIL deal, who would it be? Would it be Minute Maid? Omari Thomas: Minute Maid or Big O's Tires. Austin Price: Big O's tires. When you saw that, are you like, yeah. Omari Thomas: I'm like, yeah, come on. Austin Price: On, sign him up, Big O's tires, Minute Maid. Favorite NFL team? Omari Thomas: The Panthers. Austin Price: Why? You grew up a Cam Newton fan? Omari Thomas: I was a Cam Newton fan. Austin Price: I understand. Omari Thomas: I was. Austin Price: Did you fill out a March Madness bracket? Omari Thomas: No, I did not. Austin Price: Yeah, I haven't filled out one in a long time either. Omari Thomas: Yeah, I didn't but kind of glad I didn't either because I would've been upset even more than I was because I watched every game. Austin Price: You've done a lot of charity work, even dating back to high-school. What inspired your philanthropic endeavors? Omari Thomas: Really just knowing there's people less fortunate than me so why not try to help them in any way that you can and just always try to be a light to other people and don't let nobody stop your light. Austin Price: Favorite place you've been and place you want to go to most that you've not been to? Omari Thomas: Rwanda. Rwanda. That was an amazing trip. Austin Price: VOLeaders? Omari Thomas: VOLeaders, yeah. Amazing trip. Amazing trip. A place I would want to go. I want to go to France. Yeah, I want to go to France. Austin Price: Do you speak French? What makes you want to go to France? Omari Thomas: Seem like pretty cool people? Good culture. Austin Price: Best advice that Coach Gardner's given to you here at Tennessee? Omari Thomas: You know you get good advice every day. We have our soap operas. So let me see... Austin Price: Since you brought up soap operas, when you grew up, when you went to grandma's house, was she big into the soap operas? Midday soap operas? Omari Thomas: Yeah, her shows. Austin Price: Young and the Restless, Bold and Beautiful. Omari Thomas: Her stories. Austin Price: Her stories, yes. Yes. That's great. That's my grandmother. Omari Thomas: Her stories. Her stories. Austin Price: That's so awesome. Omari Thomas: I feel like everyone calls them like their stories. Austin Price: Well if you live in the south especially. Omari Thomas: Yeah, I'd have to just go back to what I was saying earlier with Coach G, just him saying don't let your first impression be a bad impression. That's something like no matter what not how ever many times I meet that person. I make sure when I leave they understand. They know who I am, what I do, who am I as a person more than a football player. Austin Price: When you go around Knoxville, are you someone who just sticks around campus or do you like to venture out? Omari Thomas: I venture out. I venture out. I go like Kingston Pike is a long street and what I noticed when I first got here, whatever you need, you can get off of Kingston Pike. That's something I noticed. So I venture out, I've been to the Nike stores in Turkey Creek, different stores out there. The Top Golf, I want to say is out towards that way. You got the mall towards West Town. It's some good food places in east side of Knoxville. So you got to go over there to get some good food too. I venture out, Downtown, Old City, Market Square. Austin Price: Are you more of an ice cream guy or a donut guy or both? Omari Thomas: Donuts. Austin Price: Favorite donut place? Omari Thomas: Gibson's Donuts in Memphis, Tennessee. Austin Price: Gibson's with the shout-out. Omari Thomas: Gibson's. Austin Price: NIL deal. Omari Thomas: Yeah, let's get right. Got to. Austin Price: What's your favorite donut from there? Omari Thomas: So you can't really go wrong. You got the red velvet. Austin Price: Red velvet? Nice. Omari Thomas: Yeah. You got the maple bacon. Definitely can't go wrong with the Maple bacon. You got blueberry. It's just a bunch of options. You cannot go wrong, you cannot go wrong. Austin Price: We'll get you out of here on this one. How, and I know used still have plenty of games to play and I know you've still had a lot to accomplish, but to know where the program was before you got here, after that first year of being here and then where it is now, coming off 11 and two in the Orange Bowl, how proud are you of that? Omari Thomas: Very proud. Very proud. Just from a bunch of different aspects. Just you got me being a Tennessee kid, I'm proud of that. Repping my state. You know, got me being one of the kids that stayed through. Austin Price: Yep. Omari Thomas: I transition. I'm proud of that. Just to show how we can overcome things. I'm proud of everyone just buying into Coach Heupel. I'm proud of, I'm proud everything and like proud just to be on the team while this is actually happening, just to be a part of it. So it's good just to really be in this situation right now. So I'm happy. I'm real happy. Austin Price: Well, you talk about first impressions. If you didn't know Big O before this interview, your impression of him should be that this kid's a good one and a great ambassador for the University of Tennessee. We appreciate you, man. Omari Thomas: Yes sir. Austin Price: Thanks for joining us here on Vol Club Confidential. Omari Thomas: Thank you.