The Tennessee Sports Writers Association honored the top college football and basketball players as well as the top college basketball coaches in the state on Wednesday night.
The annual awards presentation took place in Hermitage at the TSSAA headquarters during the TSWA convention.
Wide receiver Earl Bennett of Vanderbilt was named College Football Player of the Year and Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee was selected College Football Coach of the Year in a vote after the season by TSWA members.
It was a clean sweep for Memphis in men's basketball and Tennessee in women's basketball for the top coaches and players.
Memphis coach John Calipari was named men's Coach of The Year and Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis was named men's Player of the Year.
Pat Summitt of the Lady Vols was named women's Coach of the Year and Candace Parker was named women's Player of the Year.
Bennett, a junior, became the Southeastern Conference's all-time leading receiver with 236 career receptions. He finished the season with 75 receptions for 830 yards and five touchdowns despite facing double team and special coverage packages by opposing teams. He was named First Team All-SEC by both the coaches and the Associated Press.
Bennett decided to skip his senior and enter the NFL draft. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round and has already signed a contract.
Bennett, who was unable to attend the ceremonies along with the other winners, was delighted upon receiving word that he was receiving the award.
"That's a tremendous honor, especially considering all the great college players in Tennessee," Bennett said. "I greatly appreciate all the writers across Tennessee that voted. I also want to take time to thank all of my teammates and coaches at Vanderbilt for making me the best I could be. All I can say is hopefully next year, the writers will be presenting this award to another Commodore."
Fulmer guided the Vols to a 10-4 record and the SEC Championship Game for the fifth time in 11 years. The Eastern Division champions found the road to the title game a challenging journey as three of their last four conference wins either were achieved in overtime (South Carolina and Kentucky) or boiled down to a final field goal try deciding the outcome (Vanderbilt).
The Vols lost to LSU 21-14 in the SEC title game. UT defeated Wisconsin 21-17 in the Outback Bowl.
"Thank you very much to the sportswriters of Tennessee for this honor," said Fulmer. "Those of you who cover our football team on a regular basis do a great job, and we appreciate the publicity generated for our university by your interest.
"I especially appreciate your efforts in this time of great change in your industry, and I look forward to working with you to help both of us continue to do our jobs in the most professional manner.
"Enjoy your convention and we will see many of you at our annual golf outing next week, at SEC Media Days in Birmingham, or on our practice field in just a few short weeks."
Calipari guided the Tigers to a 38-2 record and the national championship game. Memphis lost 75-68 in overtime to Kansas.
Douglas-Roberts, a junior guard, was an Associated Press first-team All-American, scored a team-leading 18.1 points per game, and was Conference USA's Player of the Year.
"First, I wish Chris and I both could be in attendance to accept these honors, but the professions of coaching and playing basketball doesn’t seem to end," Calipari said. "I am in Philadelphia this week recruiting and will be recruiting the entire month, while Chris has started his professional playing career with the New Jersey Nets in the NBA summer league.
"We both are honored to be selected for these awards. I realize that these awards are tough choices each year, but I would not have liked to be a member of the panel that made the decisions for this past season. I know we had a phenomenal year, and with that, came honors like these, but what a year for basketball in the state of Tennessee.
"We won an NCAA record 38 games and made it to the NCAA title game. Tennessee and Vanderbilt both had outstanding years and carried the SEC banner into NCAA Tournament. And what about Belmont and the job Coach Byrd is doing there, and coming within a basket of upsetting Duke in the NCAA Tournament. How about Tennessee-Martin’s Lester Hudson? He came into FedExForum for the season opener and poured in over 30 points against us. I could go on and on about the high quality of basketball in this state, but we would be here all night.
"The bottom line – and I have said this all year long – is this: some tremendous basketball is being played in the state of Tennessee. And, that is something all basketball fans – no matter what college or high school you cheer for – can and should be proud of.
"Again, Chris and I thank you for these awards, and I look forward to another outstanding season of hoops in the state of Tennessee in 2008-09."
Summitt guided the Lady Vols to a 36-2 record and their second consecutive national championship and eighth overall.
"You don't get an award like that unless you have a successful team," said Summitt, "The players are responsible for bringing this type of recognition to the coach. It also reflects on all the other coaches in the staff. We're a team just like they're a team. Not only the players, but the assistant coaches deserve a lot of credit."
Parker averaged 21.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. She won numerous awards including Associated Press player of the year and was the No. 1 in the WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
"It's a well-deserved recognition for what Candace brought to our basketball team," Summitt said. "Improvement in her game set her apart. It's been pretty amazing watching her through the 2007-08 season until now as a WNBA player having a major impact."
More information about TSWA available at myspace.com/thetswa
Phillip Fulmer through the years
Barbara Dooley and Pat Summitt Go Red…
Tyler Summitt through the years
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 39
CoverOrange writes:
Were the only contenders for awards the players and coaches from UT, Vandy and Memphis? Sounds a bit contrived.
39 days, 10 hours, 27 minutes since John Adams last published a column.
Bigger_Al writes:
Coach is graceful about this, but this doesn't mean a whole lot given UT's position in the state relative to the other schools.
Sorta like Adams winning the State award for Sports Writing every ten years or so. Knoxville has the 3rd largest population in the state, and they can't award it to Memphis and Nashville every year. So, give it to whomever is the KNS Sports Editor every once in a while...
knoxtenor writes:
Pbbbbbbbbbbbt! Calipari.
richvol writes:
The men from Memphis deserve these awards and I thought it was gracious of Calipari to include UT, Vandy and Belmont in his comments.
The three state region of Tennessee,North Carolina and Kentucky is a tight concentration of basketball power in a large country like America.
tigervol9802 writes:
Well, as Fulmer "overachieved" this year by finishing 10-4 and brought the team back from those embarassing losses to Florida and Bama by a total of 100-39 and then somehow managed to parlay that into a massive raise, I'd have to say he deserves some award.
CoverOrange writes:
Geo, the last column I could find attributed to him was published at 10:34 pm June 1.
I'm not surprised that KNS writers take long vacations during the doldrum months to make up for the 7 days a week they work during fall, winter and spring. But this is sabbatical territory.
VolGraduate writes:
he could've been fired or on a leave of absence. pregnant wife or family illness or way too much vacation time built up? either way i'm glad i'm not reading his articles
VolGraduate writes:
john adams work #: 865-342-6284
rusty_shackleford writes:
Wonder how Tuscaloosa John voted?
GerryOP writes:
Last article 6/23/08:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jun...
He stopped posting on GVX. Too many mamas calling KNS complaining about the "bad words" their kids were reading in comments by GVX posters. Plus, he used too many words 6 letters and longer. A lot of GVX posters do not ... well ... you know.
VolGraduate writes:
gerry: did he really quit putting his articles online?
CoverOrange writes:
Apparently JA lost interest in UT athletics or is just vacationing in San Diego and came across a human interest story he could get paid for.
GoVol writes:
JA has run out of writing material since we haven't had an arrest for quite some time.....and, Fulmer hasn't lost a game since the SEC Champ game. No material...no article from John Adams perspective!!
warriorman86#667191 writes:
volgraduate: no john is still posting online but this site is for UT Sports. Why would they put a Jarrod Lyle story on GVX?
VolGraduate writes:
warrior: what are you talking about? who is jarrod lyle?
VolGraduate writes:
it's actually all robots at KNS....no more human employees
VolGraduate writes:
Here's a hypothetical combining yesterdays conversation and john adams' disppearance:
If anyone can be a fan of any university/college then why is the fact that john adams went to lsu proof that he is not a vol fan?
VolGraduate writes:
never thought about it but overachieving is an oxymoron
rusty_shackleford writes:
If Tuscaloosa John quit/was ordered to stop writing about THE BIGGEST SPORTS FRANCHISE IN TOWN, that tells me tons!
volnbig11land writes:
Since I'm sure kns does monitor the site I'll chime in, send johnny marching home.
or anywhere other than here for that matter....
Volfan1 writes:
Glad Tuscaloosa Johnny is gone. No article on GVX since June 1. Hope he NEVER comes back. He is a plague, the bane of KNS' existence, and a hypocritical boil in the armpit of life.
Now get me mad, and I'll really tell you how I feel. :-)
volnbig11land writes:
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it interesting or amusing that kns has their #5 prospect as the "lead" instead of recognizing the accomplishments of our coaches? hmmmmm
invisiblekid writes:
"Were the only contenders for awards the players and coaches from UT, Vandy and Memphis? Sounds a bit contrived."
I agree Turbofan.
For somebody that everyone hates so much, there sure is a lot of concern about Adams. I say we dig out the ground-penetrating radar for him and Pennington.
Volfan1 writes:
If your radar finds Johnny, set a land mine for him.
volnbig11land writes:
Instead of looking for him, how about we just let sleeping "dawgs" lie...
CoverOrange writes:
Ikid, "concern"...no. Wariness? Yes.
It's either complain about JA or "whosnotafan".
VolGraduate writes:
bvillevol:
then why is the fact that JAdams went to LSU proof that he is not a Vol fan?
about the attending the university to be a fan comment from yesterday (and yes i beat dead horses)-
i just think going to a university AND being a fan creates a type of loyalty and respect for the school AND the sports programs that cannot and does not come from being raised a fan, growing up in an area or converting after a game experience.
VolGraduate writes:
If the business school at UT lost its accreditation who would care more a UT grad with a business degree or someone who never attended the university and their allegiance comes from watching football games or being raised in a certain area of the country?
orangebloodgmc writes:
I bet Adams "called in sick" during that ceremony.
AuburnFan writes:
UT has a football and basketball program??
rusty_shackleford writes:
An Auburn fan who can spell "basketball"? Thank goodness for spell check!
utwick writes:
Adams will come back to write about Travis Henry testing positive for MJ. Oh well, at least he didn't rape anybody while stoned. He doesn't need any more mouths to feed.
utwick writes:
General, how 'bout pity?
Volomatic writes:
Its kinda funny how no one likes JA's article but everyone wants to know where he is. As long as he's not here lets enjoy it.
volfan73120#211815 writes:
AuburnFan-How about giving us some jokes on paroleing Alabama.
ballewville6 writes:
i dont see why calipari and douglas roberts won pearl done just as well leading tennessee to their first sec tital in forever and winning more than 30 games while chris loften had fought cancer throghout the summer which affected his play well into january,if he hadn,t had chemo treatments and the cancer he would probally averaged more than last season and been 1 team all american and sec player of year,and shan foster had an outstanding year at vandy
98reax writes:
You know what? You people are such whiners. These folks who won these awards are so deserving of them and you folks who are negative about it deserve the Big Zero Award, Thats the accolade which goes to the ones having absolutely NOTHING to contribute to the well-being of this world. You are like a cancer. You simply consume all that you touch because of your jealousy and selfishness. Congratulations. You know who you are, maybe.
philfan writes:
Well said 98reax on 7-12-2008 at 2:42 p.m., but a little bit over the edge. I think many of the so called whiners are so very hungry for an SEC trophy or at least a BCS bid, that many are striking out at the world. Now is the time to win the SEC and go to a BCS bowl!
I do think that Fulmer deserved this award. To have come back after losing so many of the early games and to have played for the SEC trophy were absolutely remarkable. I give Fulmer an A plus for some very close and exciting games that went down to the wire.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Somewhere in Wyoming a Clydesdale is complaining.
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