"Being a Tennessee fan can transcend into the afterlife": Emotional 3rd generation Volunteers fan shares heartwarming story on College GameDay

College GameDay travels around the country throughout the college football season, highlighting a different game with different teams weekly. This week, the College GameDay crew is in Tennessee for the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Although College GameDay is usually goofy and fun, it often highlights serious topics and heartwarming stories. This week, the team gave a third-generation Tennessee Volunteers fan, Josh Hazelwood, the opportunity to share the story of his late father.

"My Papaw Carroll was one of the biggest fans I've known. He loved everything," Hazelwood said. "Football was his favorite, it's always been that way. Growing up a Tennessee fan is kind of like a family affair, that was our biggest bond. If we didn't watch the games together, which we did a lot, he would call me and we'd talk about it. He was one of those old school Tennessee fans, you know, before the SEC had divisions. It was just Tennesse and Alabama really, and gosh, he couldn't stand them."

"He passed away in the summer of 2021. He had a pretty long battle with cancer, beat it once, and it came back. The way that I found that I could honor him and keep our bond we had over Tennessee athletics alive was to bring the checkerboards to him. The tradition started in 2022. I hated that he wasn't there to watch the game."

Hazelwood also spoke about a game between Tennesee and Alabama that he and his father had gone to watch. The Volunteers won that game with a walk-off field goal. Hazelwood and his father went down to the field after the game and Hazelwood took some of the grass from the checkerboard and later framed it.

Now Hazelwood goes to his father's grave yearly to paint the orange and white checkerboard on the grass. He says a quiet prayer there before watching the game.

"Being a Tennessee fan can transcend into the afterlife. I think we're Vol forever," Hazelwood concluded.

Tennessee vs Alabama kicks off on Saturday on College GameDay

Tennessee vs. Alabama will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. College GameDay has ongoing coverage before what should be one of the most exciting matchups of the week.

The No. 11 Volunteers (5-1) host the No. 7 Crimson Tide (5-1) in a matchup that has huge implications in the Southeastern Conference. The winner will be able to compete for the SEC championship with the current leaders, Texas A&M.