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Mattingly: Fulmer beat a hot trail on a cold day in 1993
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In 1993, in another life, I took a two-day trip with Phillip Fulmer, who was fresh off a Hall of Fame Bowl victory over Boston College in his first official game as head coach for Tennessee. We went to Chattanooga for appearances Thursday afternoon and evening and Friday morning.
Never mind that it was snowing and weather conditions weren’t favorable, much the way they were this past Thursday south of Knoxville. Off we went. Fulmer wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“I made a commitment to go, and I’m going,” he said. “They’re counting on me.”
Departure was at 9:30, and the trip took about two hours, hindered only by a jackknifed truck near Sweetwater.
The first stop was the Chattanooga Country Club, where the Chattanooga Manufacturers Association was presenting its first annual “Team Building, Leadership, and Coaching Clinic” luncheon.
Ray Childress, a 1960 Vol manager, was our host. “Until today, my fondest recollection of Tennessee football was in 1958 when my job was to drive Gen. Neyland back and forth from Hudson Field,” he said. “Today, I’ve surpassed that. I’m getting to introduce Phil Fulmer.”
In response, Fulmer wonders if he’s ready to be compared with Neyland. He bases his remarks on teamwork, something he says is “important to me every day of my life.”
He told the group about “making yourself part of the organization and making the organization part of you.” He also discussed the meaning of one of his favorite phrases. “ ‘We’ makes ‘me’ stronger,” he said. “That’s something we try to get across to our players.”
His question-and-answer session lasts longer than his remarks, and, after that, it’s off to radio station WGOW for an interview session with radio personalities Jerre and Gary Haskew, known respectively as the “Music Man” and “Dr. Basketball, the clairvoyant godfather of sports, the greatest of all time.”
The interview appeared to be going smoothly, with John Ward’s call of the fourth-down pass from Heath Shuler to Ronald Davis in the 1992 Georgia game serving as the lead-in. Jerre was poised for the show’s opening, when the engineer tapped on the window and indicated that there was some type of equipment malfunction.
He fixed the problem, and it was onward and upward. As Jerre was introducing Fulmer, “Dr. Basketball” was heard in the background, saying, “Chill bumps. I’ve got chill bumps.”
“We’re lucky to have coach Phillip Fulmer in the booth with us on a very snowy and icy day,” Jerre said. “Why is this guy successful? I’ll use the word commitment. He makes a commitment to come down here to speak to a variety of groups. This is just a small part of what he’s doing.”
When the interview was over, we were off to the Comfort Hotel for a Big Orange Club meeting, where Fulmer made brief remarks and fielded questions from the 150 or so in attendance.
Signs on the wall proclaimed his appearance: “Phil Fulmer: A New Tennessee Tradition” and “Tennessee: FULL-mer Speed Ahead.”
“It may be off-season,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean anyone is off. The coaches are working extremely hard preparing for spring practice. We’re out telling what Tennessee is really about.”
Later that evening, the Association of General Contractors welcomed Fulmer to their meeting. Phillip mentioned Shuler, referring to him not as a “diamond in the rough,” but as a “diamond,” someone to build an offense around.
When someone asked if either Georgia or Florida were the first critical game of the season, Fulmer did not hesitate: “Louisiana Tech.”
The next morning, it was off to the “Breakfast of Champions” at the Orange Grove Center. Fulmer was the keynote speaker for the event, introduced by Roy Exum, who made a not-so-subtle reference to a national championship in the near future.
Phillip’s remarks were low-key, but appropriate to the occasion, touching again on teamwork, commitment, dedication, and leadership, as well as what makes people unique.
“As you look at it, we are all special people,” he said. “One of the things I try to get across to our players is that we are all special because we are all different. This group should certainly understand and realize that. We have to maintain our uniqueness.
“I make the point that when you make other people better, it’s like a boomerang. It comes back to you, and it’s going to pay dividends.”
When he finished, the line waiting for autographs stretched down the hall and around the corner. The children continued to flock to his side.
There was one thing for certain, based on the events of the past 24 hours or so. Despite all the hoopla, Phillip still had a lot of Franklin County and Winchester in him.
That’s the way things appeared on a snowy couple of days in the winter of 1993.
Tom Mattingly is the author of “The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006” (2006), to be published in second edition in 2008, and “Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years” (1998). He may be reached at tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called “The Vol Historian.”
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by AllVol on January 19, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope he enjoyed the game, and Bruce sure appreciates his support, but why ain't he out beatin' a trail today?
Posted by murrayvol on January 19, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Because there's nobody left AllVol.
Posted by jim_bell on January 19, 2008 at 7:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think there are nine recruits on campus this weekend is probally the reason he's not out beatin' a trail, think?
Posted by bordenride on January 19, 2008 at 8:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Our Basketball's recent sucess and exposure should help our football recruiting, should it not?
I mean if I am a recruit and see all the excitment on the court and on campus,well, that just adds to the allure and package. Just wandering out loud....
Posted by orangebass on January 20, 2008 at 1:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
coach fulmer worked a lot harder in 93, has anybody noticed his waistline lately? his lack of personal and professional disclipline over the last 10 years is obvious !
Posted by steve22043 on January 20, 2008 at 1:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
EVERYONE notices his waistline, especially my co-workers. It's an embarassment! How can you inspire young athletes when you can't inspire yourself to even moderate physical fitness? And he doesn't wear his fat well like Mangione or whatever his name is. Mangione's a cartoon character--Fulmer's just plain ugly in his fatness
Posted by john on January 20, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Steve and Justin, you guys are idiots, coach Fullmer works harder than the two of you put together. I guess you would prefer he spend all his time in the gym instead of trying to make UT Football a consistent winner. Just tell me, outside of General Neyland who has done it better for longer than Big Phil? My dad told me once when I was a college athlete and spent an inordinant amount of time working out, he wished he had more time to devote to personal fitness. The reason he didn't; he was bustin his a$$ to provide for his family. Lay off the coach and take care of your own business.
Posted by txsvol on January 20, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
FWIW, according to Department of HHS and NIH data, about 2/3 of adult Americans are overweight (BMI 25-29.9), and 1/3 are obese (BMI > 30). Those with a BMI > 35 with comorbid conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, etc, or with a BMI > 40, are defined as morbidly obese. So, Phil reflects modern America in that regard. Most of you guys do, too, just going by the probabilities. Would you prefer that he spend eight hours a day in the gym or on the golf course, or coaching and being the main administrator for the UT Vol football team? I'm concerned about his health, and surprised that he hasn't had a heart attack. He's OUR coach for the forseeable future, so let's get off his case! Go Vols! Beat the Gators and Ala-dam-bama this year! SAVol
Posted by Oenoboy on January 20, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by steve22043 on January 20, 2008 at 1:13 a.m.
EVERYONE notices his waistline, especially my co-workers. It's an embarassment! How can you inspire young athletes when you can't inspire yourself to even moderate physical fitness? And he doesn't wear his fat well like Mangione or whatever his name is. Mangione's a cartoon character--Fulmer's just plain ugly in his fatness
________________________________
Awww, poor Steve. His coworkers are as shallow as he is. His life is perfect in every way except the coach of the football team he pulls for is overweight. How brave of him to even show his face in public considering the embarrassment of the situation.
Steve, people come in all shapes and sizes. You call Fulmer ugly in his fatness. Well sir, you are a truly ugly person in your judgmental shallowness.
Posted by AllVol on January 20, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't know how this turned into being about Phil's size, which doesn't bother me a bit. I just wish we'd hear SOMETHING good about recruiting! Anything!
Posted by romevol on January 20, 2008 at 3:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Go Fulmer - Go Vols
Posted by vol_in_lsu_land on January 20, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coach Fulmer is really NOT THAT FAT in the grand scheme of things.
But even making the argument that he is, can anyone on here please tell me what difference it makes? Phil doesn't have to block anymore. Phil doesn't have to open lanes for running backs or provide pass protection for a QB. Phil coaches. And besides that, has anyone ever considered the WEIGHT GAIN that coach Fulmer underwent as a college player (OLineman) for the good of the Tennessee Vols, and how his body type (big, gains weight easily) was a benefit when he was young?
The obsession with his weight on this forum is indicative that there is a LOT of lard-butts sitting at computers with nothing else to do but insult coach Fulmer.
Posted by TommyJack on January 20, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
vol_in_lsu: Ouch! lol
Posted by tjmshm on January 20, 2008 at 5:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And what is the connection of all this to this particular story?
Posted by vscebail on January 22, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It never ceases to amaze me how people turn general criticism into personal attacks on Coach Fulmer. If you want to address his coaching flaws - fine ... have at it. If you're trying to attack his character - you've got the wrong guy ... Fulmer is a class act. And if you want to attack his appearance ... well, that's just dumb. Did you ever think that the never-ending demands of his head coaching job might prevent him from getting more exercize on the treadmill? Maybe we should just hire Ron Zook -- Somebody told me that he's a fitness freak ... and he was such an excellent coach in the SEC!
Posted by hiresanders on January 23, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Did he take time in 1993 to pull the knife out of John Majors back?
Posted by gregorsamsa2 on January 23, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Defintion of pathetic = Vol "fans" who still hold to the false myth that Fulmer stabbed Majors in the back. Majors had a heart attack. No one caused it. Also, Majors could not beat Bama. It was Majors time to go. I love Johnny Majors and always will. But it was Majors own lack of success that led to his exit, not some sort of stabbing in the back by Phil Fulmer.
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