Al Lesar

For The News Sentinel

Social media spikes aren’t always good things for student-athletes.

A couple years ago, Lamonte Turner, a guard with the Tennessee men's basketball team, had a potential game-winning shot blocked against North Carolina.

Immediately after the game, he gained 300 Twitter followers.

The new arrivals were blowing raspberries instead of kisses.

Such is the life of a college athlete in this age of instant technology.

“Being older (now), social media isn’t that important in my life anymore,” said Turner, a 6-foot-2 redshirt junior. “I don’t give it that much attention. Early on, it was a big thing. It bothered me a little bit then.”

Turner was one of four Tennessee athletes on a panel in the College of Communications and Information’s Diversity and Inclusion Week program. He was joined by teammates Grant Williams and John Fulkerson along with Cheridene Green from the Lady Vols basketball team.

“(Social media) can be difficult, but it’s the most popular thing now,” said Williams, a 6-7 junior forward. “If you look at how technology is advancing, social media is just going to keep growing.

“You have to become knowledgeable in the subject. You also have to be knowledgeable in what you can do and can’t do. It’ll help you over time.”

Gaining trust is 'not just a given'

The group fielded questions from students who filled an auditorium. Most focused on the challenges of being a prominent figure on campus, while others touched on the concepts of diversity and inclusion in the microcosm of their teams.

Turner was adamant that a leader is unable to take control without knowing those he is trying to lead.

“My team is very diverse. I’m around different types of people every day,” he said. “Just like it takes time to study for a test, it takes time to get to know somebody. We have two new freshmen (D.J. Burns and Brock Jancek) this year. I have to get them to trust me. I’m learning about them every day. You have to work at it. It’s not just a given.”

“You’ve gotta know people one-on-one before you can truly lead them,” Williams said. “They may (process) things differently. They may have been raised a different way. They may have developed positive feedback to a certain response.

“It’s all about knowing who you’re talking to.”

Williams admits he's a 'nerd' off the court

Williams got a chuckle from his audience loaded with peers when he described himself as a “nerd” when it came to academics. He told a story about the success he enjoyed in a recent accounting class. That “nerd” walked away with the top grade for the semester.

“Being an athlete, people don’t expect you to put the time and the work in (academics),” Williams said. “We’re just like normal students as well. Some of us take our grades seriously.

“Accounting is a difficult course here at UT. Normally, an athlete isn’t going to do a pretty good job. It was a fun class for me.

“I don’t really compete when it comes to (classes). I want everyone to do well. I don’t want to see anyone fail a class. I’d rather everyone just pass with flying colors.”

Which means that Williams breaks the mold and clobbers the stereotype.

“Yeah, but a lot of us do though, especially on this campus,” he said. “A lot of us really care about our life after our sport.”

Al Lesar is a freelance contributor.