Current Tennessee Vol Tommy Winton’s life took a tragic turn when he came home from college during Thanksgiving break.
Knoxville, Tenn. – Tommy Winton returned to Knoxville for Thanksgiving break to visit family.
That Sunday, the freshman football player at East Tennessee State was heading back to Johnson City, so he drove to his parents’ house to say goodbye.
He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. No answer.
He called his Mom’s cell phone. No answer. He called again. No answer. He called again, and his six-year-old sister, Demiyah, answered the phone, having gone into her Mom’s bedroom when she heard the ringing.
Winton asked her to come unlock the door. She did.
Then Winton discovered the unimaginable. His stepdad had shot his Mom, then turned the gun on himself.
It was a murder-suicide.
Winton escorted his sister to her bedroom to stay with her younger sister and told them not to come out until he came to get them.
He cleaned the scene, then called another sister, Envy, a freshman at the University of Tennessee, then 911, then some close friends.
Winton’s life changed forever on that day: Nov. 27, 2022.
“It was honestly like something out of a movie,’’ Winton said in a recent interview on The Rewind. “It was a little shocking, I guess you could say. Honestly, probably to this day, it hasn’t registered completely, but it was a graphic scene, for sure.’’
The teenager had to grow up fast.
“I basically become like a dad and (supporting) brother all in one day,’’ he said. “It was a crazy trip. I guess you could say a traumatic event in my life.’’
Winton would serve for a brief time as a father figure for his younger sisters. He would be without his Mom. He would be forced to make grownup decisions that shouldn’t befall a teenager.
Thankfully, Winton had a support system with another family.
Enter Jeff and Yarelis Potts. They served as a guardian to Winton since he was 8 years old.
Winton grew up best friends with their son, Jordyn Potts, a quarterback who led Powell High School to a state championship in 2021. Winton had lived much of his youth with the Potts family when Winton’s father did jail time.
The Potts family came to the rescue again, adopting the two younger girls and freeing Winton of the responsibility of being their guardian.
“They’ve allowed me to have a brother role and not necessarily have to completely step up and be like a father figure,’’ Winton said. “They do a great job of giving (my sisters) a family structure.’’
Winton had to overcome multiple obstacles before the deaths of his parents.
When he was a sophomore at Catholic High School, Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt offered him a scholarship. When Pruitt was fired, the offer vanished.
Winton wound up going to ETSU as a wide receiver/defensive back.
But after ETSU coach George Quarles was fired, the ensuing staff cut Winton.
Winton had an offer from Bowling Green, but before he boarded a plane for his official visit, the coaching staff called to say don’t come. They had a commitment from another receiver.
Through a happenstance meeting with Gordon Heins, who hired Winton to work at AGHeins Company, and UT recruiting coordinator Brandon Lawson, Winton would up as a preferred walk-on at Tennessee.
It’s definitely something I took as an honor,’’ said Winton, a redshirt sophomore.
Winton had endured a nightmare. Now he was living a dream.
He ran through the T for the first time Aug. 31.
“It was definitely exciting,’’ Winton said. “Having teammates from high school do it, then doing it myself, I took a minute and looked around.’’
He covered 12 kickoffs that day as the Vols routed Chattanooga 69-3. He was named UT’s co-special teams player of the week for being the first Vol downfield each time.
“It’s nice to see the work no one else sees be recognized,’’ he said.
Winton, who plays on multiple special teams, would one day like to work his way into Tennessee’s rotation at receiver or running back.
For now, he’s content to help Tennessee in any way he can on special teams. And he loves wearing that Tennessee uniform.
“It’s exciting,’’ he said. “I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s something I look forward to. Honestly, I didn’t know how much it would mean to me until I did it.’’
While it’s been almost two years since Winton’s stepdad and mom passed, he can’t completely erase the moment from his mind.
He said there was no indication his stepdad would take such measures, but he did remember “a few moments’’ when his stepdad had apparent temper tantrums.
“In high school, I got an offer from Virginia Tech,’’ Winton recalled. “I’m excited, wanting to tell my friends. And when I got home I’m dealing with my stepdad having a whole episode, going crazy. I’m coming home excited to tell my Mom (about the Virginia Tech offer). And I can’t even do that.’’
Winton’s younger sisters undergo therapy. Winton has declined.
“I’ve been relying on myself to get through,’’ he said. “I just stay to myself about my feelings.”
’’In the beginning, it was kind of tough. It was a graphic scene. I’d wake up out of my sleep probably in the beginning sometimes.
“Even to this day, I probably don’t sleep through the night. I (sometimes) wake up at four o’clock in the morning, just random. But it’s not frantic like, `What’s going on?’’’
Winton appreciates the support he gets from the Potts family. He appreciates being on the UT team. He appreciates his teammates and coaches.
It helps him cope.
“I try to go to the next day,’’ Winton said, “and keep bettering myself and not focus on the past.’’