KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In October 2022, the Vols snapped a 16-year losing streak to Alabama's Crimson Tide. Neyland Stadium erupted, fans rushed the field and the goalposts came down and were carried away.
After the Vols ended their more-than-decade-long losing streak, fans ripped down one goalpost, marched it across Cumberland Avenue and tossed it into the river. One year later, WBIR wanted to know where the goalpost is now.
The library on the University of Tennessee's campus created a display of Alabama vs. Tennessee memorabilia, including a piece of the goalpost that was given to them by an unnamed donor. The university has been working on tracking a piece of it down for a year.
"Part of the conversation was, 'Okay, who do we know that has a piece of this?' And we began looking and were eventually lucky enough to have an unnamed donor gift us with it," said Lola Alapo, the Director of Communications at UT Libraries.
Hayden Sewell has been coming to UT football games since he was a kid. He was one of the students who swarmed the field, and he still remembers the scene under the Neyland Stadium lights that night.
"Just a swarm of people. People of all ages climbing up the goalpost, falling, and crying. It was insane," said Hayden.
At that moment, Hayden says he didn't remember those 16 years of losses to Alabama. Instead, they made that moment feel that much better.
"Me and my buddy were crying, we hugged and broke our glasses. Storming that field was probably the best moment of my life," said Hayden.