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TN players want to wear black jerseys for KY game & auction them off for Black Lives Matter

It's just one of many efforts the team is discussing in order to use their platform to make a change in the world

The Tennessee football team is dedicated to using its platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement and may use black jerseys to emphasize it.

In a conference call with the media on Thursday, Coach Jeremy Pruitt said when his players returned to campus in the midst of protests and calls for change across the country, the first thing they did was sit down and talk about it.

He said individual players were able to share their personal experiences and it gave everyone a better understanding. Pruitt and several players took part and spoke out at a protest event in Knoxville earlier this month, and UT issued a statement asking fans to support Black players both on and off the football field.

"Absolutely I want to be an advocate for that, support the players, and use our platform at Tennessee to aid that," he said.

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Pruitt said Assistant Head Coach Tee Martin is leading the team's efforts to make a difference.

One thing Pruitt said the team wants to do is wear black jerseys for the Kentucky game, then auction those jerseys off to raise money for Black Lives Matter.

Tennessee has only worn black jerseys once, in 2009 against South Carolina in a game played on Halloween under Coach Lane Kiffin. 

There's been a lot of debate among fans on whether they like the black jerseys, but it sounds like the players, and at least one coach, are in favor.

There's still a lot of uncertainty about what college football could look like this year.

Players are back on campus and doing voluntary weight training right now. The NCAA has approved a modified pre-season that includes walk-throughs and film studies, though no announcement has been made about games.

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