![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/3-10-1024x683.png\")
\u201cIt was a lot different. I wondered if this was what I really wanted to do and thought it didn\u2019t seem to fit me, and I knew I\u2019d be a lot more busy. I just wanted to walk with the dog. And looking at it then, I was very uncertain, and I didn\u2019t think I would enjoy it that much. But looking at it now, I think it was one of the best opportunities I\u2019ve ever taken,\u201d said Dotson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dotson, who played sports in high school, appreciates that athletic background as he runs under the weight of the flags. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a lot of running,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the running isn\u2019t the hard part; it\u2019s definitely the flag. When the flag is out and the wind blows, it\u2019s about 40-45 pounds. It gets really heavy and tiring. I do Vol walk, straight into band walk, straight into pregame, and straight into running the team out. After every touchdown, I run the field and wave the flag. So it can get pretty tiring pretty quick,\u201d said Dotson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fridays in the fall mean appearances at Food City spirit events, which draw loads of devoted fans. Food, inflatables, and Vols mascots rally the crowds ahead of Saturday\u2019s games. These events have broadened Dotson\u2019s appreciation for Tennessee fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, \u201cMany at Food City and even at the orange and white game where it costs $5 are a whole different fan base than what you would see at the games. But at the same time, they\u2019re just as much fun. When you can go out and really see how big the fan base is and how amazing it is from every walk of life, it just makes it that much cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Driving between Knoxville and Fayetteville, it\u2019s not lost on Dotson that he travels the Davy Crockett Parkway. The mascot role has naturally caused him to think more about Crockett\u2019s historical impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t expect this many Davy fans. When I thought of Davy before, I thought he was just the guy that ran the flag out. But I see it\u2019s so much more than that. Being from Fayetteville and [the home of] Camp Blount has definitely made me feel closer to the history and heritage of Davy Crockett,\u201d Dotson said. \u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily get to spread the history of Davy Crockett, but you get to hear the history. A lot of history buffs talk to me about it, and I love that, especially at football games. They like that there\u2019s an actual Tennessee-based mascot character at the games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dotson said there\u2019s no better place to raise your kids than Lincoln County. When he thinks about home, the community\u2019s support in times of tragedy immediately comes to mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was really good friends with Tate Tuten. Having a community around you when a tragedy like that hits makes it special. And like when the tornadoes came through, the community immediately came together,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s something I\u2019ve always loved about Lincoln County. No matter who it is or your differences, when [the community needs] to come together, we\u2019re always going to come together.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dotson sees his work as a priceless opportunity even though the mascot role was different from the one he was seeking. He\u2019s learning to take advantage of opportunities as they come without fear of taking a chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was a little voice in the back of my head when I was thinking about doing this that my friends would make fun of me; it would be weird. But I ended up just going for it. You never know what you\u2019ll love or what these opportunities may create,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s good to see a familiar face under that running flag. Ignoring that little discouraging voice gave us that connection and opened the door to priceless experiences for Dotson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s a win we can all get behind. GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AMID A sea of orange and white on a clear, crisp fall Saturday afternoon created for college football, the crowd snaps to its feet as the ball crosses the end zone. The band and the fans launch into Rocky Top as the Tri-Star and Power T flags wave across the field. Davy Crockett carries one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/4-6-1024x683.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/2-11-1024x683.png\")