NASHVILE, Tenn. – Most college football fans have heard of Miami’s famous turnover chain–but a turnover guitar and cowboy hat? That’s a new one.
The mastermind behind this new tradition is former Vanderbilt safety, and now assistant cornerbacks coach, Justin Harris. As a Commodore football alumnus himself, Harris understood the importance of rewarding hard work on the defensive side of the ball.
“Taking away the ball is such a big thing on the defensive side, and so we always want to reward those guys for it,” Harris said.
It was something he said he had been wanting to do for a while.
It didn’t take much convincing to get Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea or the players to agree that the team needed something to celebrate turnovers. The question was what. Lea and Harris agreed they didn’t want to do a chain; they wanted to do something new.
After some brainstorming, defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach Nick Lezynski was the one who suggested a guitar as a nod to Vanderbilt’s home in Music City. Harris had been looking for something to reward and motivate the guys on the field, and with some help from the football coaching staff, he had found it.
An homage to Music City, Harris unveiled the guitar and accompanying cowboy hat to the team Friday night before the season opener versus Virginia Tech. Freshman defensive lineman Glenn Seabrooks III recalled not totally knowing what to expect but feeling excited, and a little bit scared because “[the guitar] looked really expensive.”
Seabrooks became the first to be presented with the hat and guitar when he grabbed his first career interception off a Virginia Tech pass tipped by teammate Bryan Longwell, a sophomore linebacker. The turnover was a welcome surprise, and the celebration was the cherry on top.
BIG MAN INT#SCTop10 | #AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/oL5sS0eUJl
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) August 31, 2024
“At that moment, I can say not too much was going through my mind,” Seabrooks said, remembering the play. “I remember getting rushed to the sideline and [Harris] handing me the hat and guitar, and it all kind of just clicked in my head, like ‘yeah, I’m going to celebrate, get some good pictures.’ But to have the guitar in my hand, the hat and everybody around me, it was awesome.”
The word Harris used to describe the energy on the bench after Seabrooks’ turnover versus the Hokies was elite.
“It was elite. It was amazing. We didn’t know what to expect because it was the first time doing it. You can’t match that. It was elite. It was so fun,” he recalled. Seabrooks remembered Harris being the most excited about handing him the hat and guitar.
After that first celebration, the team was hooked. “They’re looking forward to getting that guitar every time they get the turnover,” Harris stated. “Now, that’s the first thing they look for on the sidelines.”
“As soon as we get the turnover, I’m running to go find the guitar and the hat,” he continued.
Recycling positive energy, one of Lea’s covenants, is a result of bringing out the guitar and hat on turnovers. Harris believes that the positive energy generated on the bench by celebrating turnovers will translate to on-field results.
“I think it will continue to bring that positive energy that we talk so much about in this program, and it’ll continue to keep them looking forward to getting turnovers and attaching the ball,” Harris said, especially now that they have the extra motivation of donning the guitar and cowboy had on the sidelines.
The ensemble has now made three appearances in Vandy’s wins over Virginia Tech and Alcorn State, and Harris will be looking forward to seeing its debut on the road.
“Wherever we go, it’ll go there, and we hopefully, will bring it out three to five times every game,” he said.
Harris and the Commodores are back in action Saturday as Vandy hits the road for the first time this season, meeting Georgia State in Atlanta for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff. Coverage is available on ESPN+ and 102.5 The Game.
