Explore the history of the "Rock" on the University of Tennessee's campus

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- The "Rock" on the University of Tennessee's campus has a long history for students and sports fans alike, and while many have seen it, not many know the history behind it.

The rock is a 97.5 ton bit of Knox dolomite, and experts said it is approximately five hundred million years old.

Williams interviewed Bud Ford, former UT Media Relations Director, who was a student at UT from 1962 to 1966.

"Couple of times we used it for a brochure cover that we had with Dale Jones and Johnny Majors,"

Ford said of the rock.

"We've used it in a unique way,"

he continued,

"Rocky Top is part of that."

Ford was around UT in the days when the rock was recovered and put in 1996.

"Back during that time this was a residential area through here ... On the corner across the street from where the rock ... was Calvary Baptist Church and this rock was part of the landscape,"

Ford said.

"When they moved it here, they had to use two or three cranes, and they had to bring a truck in from LaFollette to haul it across the street to the present location."

Even in this age of smartphones, Instagram and Twitter, this iconic part of UT remains the biggest method of expression.