Tears Flow for Joey Aguilar’s Mother as She Loses Her Voice After Big Tennessee Debut Update

Tennessee’s QB situation looked ugly on paper, but it turned surprisingly steady against Syracuse. But how? Look, with Nico Iamaleava gone, the Vols handed the reins to Joey Aguilar, a transfer who had bounced from Appalachian State to UCLA before landing in Knoxville. On top of that, he didn’t even get spring practice, just a crash course in the offense over summer and fall camp. So, analysts, including Paul Finebaum, doubted he could survive the SEC stage. But on game day, Aguilar proved them wrong.

Yes, Joey Aguilar’s debut in orange was everything Tennessee fans hoped for, and more. He led the Vols to a 45-26 win over Syracuse, throwing for 247 yards and three TDs. Early on, there were a few misfires and some costly drops, but he never lost his poise. His arm talent shone, capped by a 73-yard bomb to Braylon Staley, a play fans will be replaying until kickoff next weekend. So, by the end of the night, Aguilar wasn’t just Tennessee’s new QB; he was their new spark. And watching her son’s big Tennessee debut, Joey’s mother, Lydia Aguilar, couldn’t hold back an emotional reaction.

On September 1, Lydia Aguilar took to X to share her heart. “Made it home to Cali, here for a couple of days to turn around and do it again. Had an amazing weekend with family, lost my voice, shed some tears and, most of all, hugged my boy.” The proud mom wasn’t done there. She added, “Thank you, Vol Nation, for all the love🧡. I see all your posts and appreciate them all.” So, a weekend of football turned into a memory she’ll never forget. But that’s not all.

Referring to Joey’s performance, his mom shouted it aloud on X: “THAT’S MY BABY!!!!!!!! #6 #VamosVols.” Although her pride matched the moment, Joey’s arrival in Knoxville was no ordinary story. It felt like a swap: he came from UCLA in December just as Nico Iamaleava bolted for the Bruins. And once on Rocky Top, Aguilar wasted no time. He battled through camp and beat out Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre to claim the starting job. Now, with his debut, he proved why the Vols put their trust in him. But it wasn’t all perfect for Aguilar.

He had his shaky moments: some off-target throws and even a lost fumble. Still, it was enough to calm the storm around head coach Josh Heupel, who had faced heavy heat after the April fiasco. So, for now, the pressure eases. But the real measuring stick? That comes in Week 3. Now, as Joey Aguilar and the Vols gear up for bigger battles, an early storyline is already taking shape around QB1.

Joey Aguilar’s road to Vols began at a California train station

Back in 2019, long before he became Tennessee’s QB1, Joey Aguilar was just a kid waiting alone at a train station in Antioch, California. Because his mom, Lydia, worked 12-hour shifts as an ER unit secretary, sneaking away on late-night breaks to pick him up at 9 p.m. and drive him home. And by 5 a.m., she was back behind the wheel, dropping Joey off to catch a 90-minute train ride to San Francisco for another grueling day of classes, workouts, and practice. But the grind was crushing.

Look, Aguilar had signed with City College of San Francisco, hoping to compete for the starting job. Instead, he sat redshirting as a third-stringer, watching transfers take the reps. “That was my lowest point,” Joey said to Knox News. “I was solo. That train would get delayed at stops. And I would be sitting there second-guessing if I really wanted to do this.” Then on weekends, he washed cars at his dad’s business, sometimes wondering if firefighter school was a better path. But quitting wasn’t an option in the Aguilar household.

“I told him I’d go broke before I let him quit football,” said his father, Jose. And his mom, Lydia, echoed it, saying, “Nothing is going to be given to you. You have to sacrifice to get where you want to be.” That mindset carried Joey through the doubts, from under-recruited JUCO QB to Division I backup, and now, at 24, to Tennessee’s starter. And what’s most striking is that on Aug. 30, inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, he finally stepped onto the stage he’d dreamed of, proof that every struggle was worth it.