A Tennessee soccer star and her dog: the story of Mackenzie George and Rocky

Mackenzie George prefers the company of dogs over people sometimes.

One of those times is when she puts herself through torturous offseason workouts that most of her Tennessee soccer teammates wouldn’t join her for even if she asked. But ever since the fifth-year senior transferred to UT her sophomore year, she has had a shadow following her: an Australian Shepherd-Border Collie named Rocky.

If George is running sprints on the practice field, Rocky is running by her side. If she’s doing one of her insane lifting workouts that have made her popular on TikTok, Rocky is bringing her a water bottle between sets. If she’s doing drills, Rocky is probably destroying her cones.

“It’s literally the greatest thing ever,” George said of her four-legged workout partner. “For something for me that seems a little bit sucky and not fun, he’s having a blast and kind of just keeps me going. … It keeps it light, and it makes it way more enjoyable that he's there.”

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Rocky is unsurprisingly popular on TikTok, too – George's most popular video of Rocky this summer has 4.6 million views. George always said she wasn't going to be "that TikTok person," but she was doing all the workouts she posts anyway, so why not?

"I didn't realize how much people actually paid attention and enjoyed it," George said. "It gives me like a sense of pride and I really appreciate it ... and I've always known (Rocky) was pretty special. He does things that dogs don't do, so finally people get to see him and I think it's super fun."

'She's innately competitive'

Rocky’s ability to keep things light is much needed for George’s workouts, which George herself called ridiculous.

The forward is known for her speed and strength on the ball and from the workouts George posts on her TikTok account. It's no wonder why: She started working out intensely when she transferred but said last summer she took it to another level and got “a little crazy with it.”

Just one example of her workouts includes: a 2-mile run to the fields, a sprint workout, a lift, getting shots on goal and then 2 miles back home for the cooldown.

Tennessee coach Joe Kirt called the All-SEC forward an enigma who is pure energy for the team.

“She’s got some qualities that you can’t coach, and she’s innately competitive,” Kirt said. “She’s an amazing young woman who’s very passionate about what she does on the field and off the field. Not many like her.”

George’s competitiveness was cultivated in sibling rivalry with a younger brother and twin sister who both also ended up playing Division I soccer. Her sister, Cassidy, was always on George’s team – It was one thing to not start over a teammate, but for George the idea of not starting over her own twin was “a bit mentally crippling.”

That competitiveness has led to George being a starter all three seasons at UT. She had her best season yet as a senior in 2021 with a team-leading 10 assists along with six goals of her own – accounting for 26.7% of the team’s goals.

“I’ve always had this sense of unselfishness when it comes to passing the ball in the attacking third," George said. "My teammates’ abilities to play off the ball, be in the box and be in good positions is really kind of what did it.”

When Mackenzie met Rocky

Besides her ability to muscle through pressure and open up the field for her teammates, George is a big contributor to the team’s culture. Having her dog be adopted by the team is a locker-room booster, too.

George called Rocky the most loyal dog she has ever met – and she has seven at home in Lincoln, California, which which to compare him. Once she realized Rocky would sit next to her locker the entire practice, his attendance became a daily occurrence.

“I've just found a way to mold him into my life, as busy as it is … we just do it together now,” George said. “At first I was stressed, especially with the dog that's as energetic as he is, they have a lot of energy – but so do I. So, it works.”

She brought Rocky home as a puppy the summer after her freshman year at Cal Poly, where she earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors. It was also the summer George transferred across the country to Tennessee.

She struggled that first year away from home, having to restart college while making the jump from mid-major to SEC competition. But Rocky was by her side for all of it.

“If I wouldn't have had (Rocky), I would have just been glued to my bed,” George said. “In between practice, I think I would have just been in my apartment. I didn't have a lot of friends at the time. I didn't have a car really to get anywhere, and he got me out and around. … He has helped me build this whole home-feel in Tennessee, and it's been amazing.”

Cora Hall: Covering UT women's athletics
Twitter | cora.hall@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Mackenzie George's dog is important to her success with UT soccer