London aims to get Vols rolling
KNOXVILLE – Madre London has been through a preseason camp like this a year ago — just not at Tennessee.
The Vols graduate transfer running back was part of a Michigan State team that went 3-9 two years ago, slumping after a College Football Playoff appearance in 2015. But then he and the Spartans rebounded to have a 10-3 season in 2017.
Now, the senior running back is trying to help the Vols bounce back from a 4-8 season and the first 0-8 SEC slate in school history with that experience in mind.
“I just know the expectation as far as coming off a bad year and going into another year and trying to win it all or do your best,” London said Thursday. “I kind of know what we have to do. Work hard and go through these dog days in camp. We have to stick to the task and communicate and don’t have no days off.”
London completed his degree at Michigan State this summer, coming to Tennessee with one year left to play. He’s one of three graduate transfers on the roster, joining quarterback Keller Chryst (Stanford) and center Brandon Kennedy (Alabama).
The 6-foot-1, 213-pound London described Tennessee as the right fit for a handful of reasons. He liked the offensive approach of playing multiple running backs. He noted the volume of national championships won by the coaching staff. He also got closer to his family in Arkansas, making it possible for them to see him play more often.
The decision “clicked home” fully after conversations with quality control analyst Montario Hardesty turned into talking with more coaches, and the comfort built.
“The main thing was coming in here to make an impact and bond with the team and get this thing rolling,” London said. “I wanted to make sure my last year was the way I wanted it to be, have fun and enjoy it.”
London’s career at Michigan State started well after a redshirt year in 2014. He started the first six games in 2015 — including a 100-yard game against Oregon in Week 2 — but an injury derailed his year. His role shrunk in the following two seasons, reaching a low in 2016 before he started a pair of games in 2017.
London rushed 230 times for 924 yards and eight touchdowns in three years at MSU.
Now, he’s the veteran in a Tennessee backfield that features sophomores Ty Chandler, Trey Coleman and Tim Jordan, as well as freshman Jeremy Banks.
“Madre is very mature,” Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt said Wednesday. “He really fits in nicely with these guys.”
London said the relationships in the running back room are strong, with a competitive desire to be the best group and a culture of accountability established by running backs coach Chris Weinke.
London, who played high school football at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., still is working on learning the UT offense after the first dozen practices. That’s just part of being a transfer, London noted, and he expects to have a grasp on the offense by the time UT opens against West Virginia on Sept. 1 in Charlotte.