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Tony Vitello drops hilarious and accurate quote about Tennessee Vols LHP Liam Doyle ahead of Super Regional against Arkansas
Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Vols head coach Tony Vitello described UT LHP Liam Doyle this week via one of the most Tony Vitello-ish quotes you'll ever hear. 

Vitello was asked on Thursday about Doyle's intense in-game mentality and how it impacts the rest of Tennessee's roster. 

"I think you take on the personality of your leaders and who has the ball in that particular moment," said Vitello. "The way he (Doyle) treats the game, it’s almost like he’s in a bar fight. I don’t know if that’s the best way to say it. Or, the intensity that was with that hockey game last night to start the Stanley Cup. It’s incredibly intense. So, you’re way out of whack if you’re not intense in the dugout and intense in the field. So, me surveying all this is to make sure it’s the right kind of intensity or the right level."

"He's also matured a lot, that is Liam, and he’s got a level of composure that comes with that intensity that I think is a unique combination," added Vitello. "And again, that’s something our guys follow.”

The bar fight reference is a perfect way to describe the competitiveness that we've seen from Doyle in big games. And I'm sure that's what fans will see from Doyle this weekend in Fayetteville during the Vols' matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Super Regional. 

But while Vitello's "bar fight" comment is what stands out from his quote on Doyle, it's not the most important thing that was said about Tennessee's ace on Thursday. 

Vitello was quick to point out that Doyle has a unique level of composure to go along with his intensity -- which I think is incredibly important. 

Anyone can be intense in big moments. But it's the ability to stay composed and focus on the job at hand that makes Doyle such a unique player. He's not out there trying to be theatrical. Instead, he's displaying laser focus on completing the task at hand, and the emotion is something that comes out as a result. 

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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