Tillman, Jones Jr. & NFL Coaches Share Thoughts On Kelsey Pope Hire

On Monday afternoon, Josh Heupel announced the hire of Kelsey Pope as his wide receiver coach. The young, rising star in the business will inherit a talented

On Monday afternoon, Josh Heupel announced the hire of Kelsey Pope as his wide receiver coach. The young, rising star in the business will inherit a talented room, including returning 1,000 yard wide receiver Cedric Tillman. 

As with any hire there are mixed reactions, but in Pope's case, the returns have mainly been positive, including from several top recruits. 

On Tuesday, Tennessee released statements from a current and former player and two NFL coaches sharing their thoughts on the hire. 

Cedric Tillman- "Coach Pope is someone we can all relate to in our wide receiver room. He knows the game and been a part of it  as a player and a coach. We learn from him, and he pushes us to be be great. I am so happy to see his hard work is paying off. I can't wait to go to battle for him this fall."

Velus Jones Jr.- "You have to be an elite wide receiver at Tennessee WRU. Coach Pope was not only an elite baller at Samford, but he is a hard working student of the game. He's the perfect man for the job and a coach that can relate and understand what his players are going through. I have experienced it firsthand. He is very deserving of this opportunity. Congratulations Coach Pope!"

Kevin Garver (Tampa Bay Bucs WR Coach)- "Kelsey is a student of the game whose enthusiasm makes everyone around him better. He is very detail-oriented and cares greatly about people. It's been fun to watch his growth, and I look forward to seeing him make a major impact in his new role at Tennessee."

Demarcus Covington (New England Patriots Defensive Line Coach)- "Kelsey is a tremendously hard worker. He loves the game of football and is a great teacher of the game. While he has success on the field, his passion to make players better men off the field is second to none. I was privileged to play alongside Kelsey, and I am excited to watch him as he undertakes this deserving new opportunity."

Pope and Covington played together at Samford, while Garver was on the staff at Arizona, where Pope signed as an undrafted free agent after starring at Samford.