PIGEON FORGE - You can't say Bill Bates has forgotten his roots.
Bates was born in Knoxville in 1961 and played football at Farragut High School. He became an All-SEC safety for Tennessee before a 15-year NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys.
So when Carson-Newman coach Ken Sparks called him to speak at the 21st annual Championship Coaching Clinic, Bates was more than happy to oblige.
That's because Bates' playing career was inspired many years ago when Sparks was the coach at Farragut.
"Not only is (Sparks) a great football coach, but he's an even better leader of men," Bates said before speaking Saturday at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center. "He changed my life not just as a football player, but as a person."
Bates is a motivational speaker giving many of the same messages he learned from Sparks. Bates also is an assistant coach at Ponte Vedra (Fla.) High, where the youngest of his five children is an eighth grader and budding football star.
Of course, Bates can still talk plenty of football, but his messages go beyond what he's learned from studying playbooks for years at UT and the NFL.
"That's what is so great about being able to coach is that sure, the Xs and Os and winning, all that stuff is important," Bates said, "but being able to change a kid's life in maybe a positive way and give them hopes and dreams of playing football, playing professional football, or getting married, or whatever the dreams might be, you try to give them a path to reach their dreams."
Bates, who played for the Cowboys 1983-97, spent five years as an assistant with the Cowboys before a one-year stint as an assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After leaving the NFL, Bates marketed football equipment before getting into high school coaching at Nease (Fla.) High, where he coached the secondary. Two of his sons played on the Nease team, whose quarterback was former Florida star Tim Tebow.
"I've been very blessed with my five children," Bates said.
Bates has continued to follow UT football through the years. His take on Lane Kiffin's sudden exit after one year as coach is similar to many others.
"It's just very frustrating to see Lane bolt the way he did, but we've overcome a lot worse things, so I'm excited about the direction of the program," Bates said. "Coaching is important but you've got to have the football players. You've got to be able to recruit and have the players. I think that's happening and I'm excited to see it going forward."
Bates played at UT when Phillip Fulmer was offensive line coach. Fulmer later became head coach before being ousted toward the end of the 2008 season.
"I love Coach Fulmer," Bates said. "The further you get up in college and pro football, it truly becomes a year-to-year situation. Coach Fulmer's year-to-year situation lasted a long time. I know he would still love to be coaching here (at UT), probably the same as anybody would love to be coaching at the University of Tennessee."
Dave Link is a freelance contributor.
© 2010, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 38
utvolfan16 writes:
GBO
TNPilgrim writes:
I can still remember Bill Bates' most memorable moment as a Vol football player - being trampled by a GA Bulldog freshman named Herschel Walker on the way to his first collegiate touchdown. Fortunately, Bates pro career was more remarkable than his college experience.
allvol32 writes:
Billy Bates was always one of my favorite Vols. Loved watching him play for the Cowboys all those years too.
Congratulations on being somebody that everyone can look up to Mr. Bates!
FWBVol writes:
That moment might be your most memorable moment of the career of Bill Bates, but I'm sure he as many others such as being fortunate enough to former Volunteer cheerleader Denis Conrad Bates. I'd say playing for the Dallas Cowboys under Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson might be more memorable for Bates as well as winning the Super Bowl.
There's no doubt the play when Walker ran over Bates set the tone for his career as one of the great running backs in the history of the college football, and is one of the most famous plays in the history of the SEC, but too many people use that play to define the career of Bill Bates.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Maybe you forgot that Heschel outweighed Bates by about 40-50 pounds and had a full head of steam up. Bates was by far not the LAST opponent Walker ran over in his career and I am sure Bates would take that blow any number of times in return for a 15-year NFL career.
pomp_and_circumstance writes:
"but too many people use that play to define the career of Bill Bates"
Very true. I saw that live, and saw what Johnny Majors saw. Post game, Majors said "wait a minute! Bates is not one that gets knocked flat and stepped on!", and went on to say that feat was all about the power of Walker.
Bloodrunzorange writes:
Nice update on Bates! Thanks Dave! Hope BB makes it back to Knoxville! GBO!!
TNPilgrim writes:
My seats that year were right in front of that play, and Bates got knocked flat and stepped on. We've all seen that play replayed many times. He had an insignificant collegiate career at TN but went on to do quite well in the pros.
AtLeastMyTeamHasPerfectSeasons writes:
SO this says his son in 8th grade is a budding football star. Maybe he will follow dad's footsteps and come to The Hill!
daniellovesutfootball writes:
I'm sick and tired of these wanna be Vol fans bashing people who have or do play for our team. I might get kicked for this, but guess what, it's worth it! All you fake fans, get a dang life and get the "f" off our boards!
GO BIG ORANGE
TN VOL TILL THE DAY I DIE!
SouthDakotaBob writes:
Well said. GBO!!!
IBleedOrange71 writes:
You are just sick and wrong!!! The epitome of troll dung! I bet you licked Mr. Walkers Toes!! Get back under your rock!!!
volsoutwest writes:
I've said it before and it bears repeating: Bill Bates stuck his head in to stop a full head of steam raging toward him. How does that take anything away from him? One play should not define his UT career but if it does it only shows his heart. Ellison(Naffy), you sir ore not a true Vol fan but in reality only a troll looking to get a rise which you generally get. This will be my last acknowledgement of you or any of your posts.
KingsportsGoat (Inactive) writes:
Bill Bates was no match for TDTN!
rockyspringstn1volfan writes:
Bates opened the gate.....And closed it quicker!
shaymous writes:
It's not like Walker was your average back...I choose to remember Bates as the Vol through and through that he was then and still is today....
Vols7Twins writes:
I think Bill Bates was a great Tennessee Vol, and I get tired of hearing about Walker running over him. If I remember right, Our Parade ALL-AMERICAN Glenn Ford fumbled the ball on the 1 yard line with about 1 min. to go in the game. If he had scored that touchdown, We would hear very little about Walker running over Bates.
TurboFan writes:
Bill Bates was one of the best players on several bad teams. Yes, Herschel (the freshman) had a full head of steam and Bates (the sophomore) had very bad form on that play. Go look through the archives and you can find several times where Eric Berry whiffed badly on tackles. That one played defined Walker's collegiate career. It didn't define Bill Bates.
VolGrad writes:
Walker may have gotten the best of Bates on that one play, but Bates had, by far, the longest and most successful NFL career of the two.
Go Vols!
CroKev writes:
OK, I was a year ahead of Bates and also in sports at UT and I remember the guys used to razz Bates about that play and he took it a lot better than a lot of you guys on this post! Bates was an OK college athlete but an All-Pro professional athlete - Go figure! The guy was an animal in the weight room and was one of those high-energy guys on the field. That's why guys like Landry and John Madden loved him. His play and attitude inspired the rest of the guys on the team. And Dallas loved him! After Denise gave birth to the triplets Bill and his family became celebrities and his on-the-field heroics added to that fame. If there ever was a model for the kind of athlete you wanted to bring into a program, his would have been the mold. Finally, no offense to Herschel but he was the opposite of Bates - a GREAT college athlete but a so-so professional athlete. Jimmy Johnson knew what he was doing when he traded Walker away to the Vikings.
hueypilot writes:
I played golf with Bill in a Big Orange Caravan event a few years ago and he talks freely about "the play." He also tells a funny story about a helmet-and-shorts drill with the Cowboys when they had just signed Herschel. In the no contact run through Herschel flashed through the hole and Bill said he hit him as hard as he could. Jimmy Johnson came running up and thought a fight would break out, but Herschel slapped Bill on the butt, said "nice tackle."
Bill is not a very big guy to have played 15 years who first came to Madden's attention and was the first special teamer named All Pro when he would be the first guy down on kickoffs and punts. He is one tough customer and I don't think he ever weighed over 180 no matter what the program says.
He has five great children and a wife that looks like a super model, lives near the beach in Ponte Vedra and has gotten over the Herschel Walker thing very well thanks.
darandkat writes:
It spoke more to the type of person BB was and that he never backed down from a challenge (hitting it head on) and he always---always, got up!
givim6 writes:
Bill Bates and I moved to Dallas the same year. I watched him for 11 of those years as a season ticket holder. I remember Jimmy Johnson saying that he "tried to run Bates off every year, but in the end, Bates always beat my expectations for such a small player".
I saw him make huge stops on special teams and as a DB against some of the best backs, tight ends, and receivers in the game. John Madden was right, "pound for pound, Bates was the toughest player in the game during his playing days. You guys can talk about the Walker play all you want, I saw him for 15+ years, college and pro, he got a lot of payback for that one play.
naffy writes:
Sept. 6th 1980 ...That's what Bill Bates is all about.
Melveen writes:
Your comment contains multiple inaccuracies:
"He ran in the Olympics and won gold on the relay"....Herschel Walker nearly made the Olympic sprint relay team, but did not. The only Olympics he competed in were the 1992 Winter Olympics where he placed 7th in the 2 man bobsled.
"Donald Trump gave Hershall Millions to leave Ga and go to the USFL, where he had over 5000 yards in one season."....Herschel gained over 4000 yards in total offense in 1985, but he never gained over 5000 yards in a season.
To mention Bill Bates in the same breath as "Hershal" (sic) Walker is no less comical than the bogus stats in your comment.
littlec195360#215853 writes:
Bates did not make the tackle but that did not lose the game and that one play does not define his career, it is just what we remember. The Ford fumble was really heart breaking also. I was there and saw it and I will say that I thought we had the game won. But that is what can happen when you traffic with horses, women and SEC football games.
VOLINTN64 writes:
3 Superbowl Rings for Bill Bates
0 Superbowl Rings ror Hershel Walker
ENUF SAID
cybervol writes:
"This is a public board, you do not own or control any part of it. Luckily the US Constitution allows us free speech so wanna be tirants cant control every word we say, or every thought we express. If you dont like a post thats your freedom, but you sir have no power or right over anyone on this board. If you are tired of it, maybe you should leave. Many Vol fans also have thoughts that dont always agree with the current situation, just as many of you trashed Fulmer. With this being said, your words are childish and everything our country's soldiers fought to prevent. Freedom is a great thing. If you wish to censor all comments, start your own Chat Board and become the moderator. As far as this article, Bates was a great competitor. He played hard on every play. As far as atheletic ability, I think nobody will argue Hershal Walker was years ahead of his time."
If you disagree, you hate the troops, right?
Get a life
1Volunteer writes:
"...insignificant collegiate career at TN but went on to do quite well in the pros."
No one chosen All-SEC in the sport of football has an insignificant college career.
DarthWilson writes:
TO TNPilgrim AND Biggunzz44
a serious question.
Do the two of you just not like Bill Bates?
I am not criticizing either post I just don't understand why.
easleychuck writes:
One (TP)is patheticly envious that someone made a career for himself by just flat out working bigger, faster athletes and the other (BG) is doing some heavy duty, serious jock sniffing.
To each his own.... HW tremendous high school phenom. HW one of the all time great college football players. HW average, uneven NFL career whose main claim to fame was the number of draft picks that Jimmy Johnson got for him from Minnesota and the subsequent solid players that Dallas picked up in the draft, leading to 3 super bowl wins.
Bill Bates local kid who played hard for UT and became known as a tireless special teams star in the NFL over a long NFL career.
Don't give a rats arse about HW. Bill Bates is all Vol and always will be.
Ayres_Hall writes:
Professional football player 1983-1997. Husband, father of 5 and entreprenuer.
There are few in this world who can claim such success. Nice resume for an undersized, slow white guy.
txsvol#372416 writes:
I remember that incident well, too, because it was the last UT game I watched with my dad, who died 2 months later. And, Bill Bates played for the Dallas Cowboys in the pre-Jerry Jones era, when I could pull for him (and them) wholeheartedly. Thanks for the update on a great Tennessee Volunteer. Go Vols! SAVol
naffy writes:
September 6, 1980
sm1 writes:
Very good comments! Bill Bates was an undrafted free agent. IMO He earned and maintained his spot on the cowboys' roster because of his work ethic and his hustle and his hard hitting on special teams. I think many of today's players could learn alot from Bates' example.
DRORANGELOVE writes:
In my opinion, Bill Bates and Peyton Manning both represent exactly the qualities aand characteristics I would want in my son. They have always played with heart, played cleanly, and conducted themselves with class , character, and have always shown loyalty and appreciation to UT for the privilege of playing at UT and the opportunities it provided for them in the NFL. They have always been wonderful good will ambassadors for both the UT and for the game of football itself. Personally, I would"nt mind seeing Bill Bates on our UT coaching staff, I can assure you he would conduct himself with more class, integrity, and loyalty than most of the coaches did from our previous coaching staff.
volsn3 writes:
I think of Gorilla in the same breath as Hershal Walker....Heck they even look alike.
naffy writes:
To mention Bates in any sentence with ANY NFL player is comical !
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