There was no need to look at the film. The diplomas were proof they had worked like heck.
Even though Phillip Fulmer didn't use any of his trademark sayings, the former Tennessee football coach was plenty recognizable when he spoke to graduates and their families attending commencement ceremonies at Thompson-Boling Arena on Wednesday.
Fulmer, who was the commencement speaker for the College of Communication and Information spring commencement, garnered several strong rounds of applause.
"I've had an opportunity to coach in most of the greatest venues in college football with millions of people watching," Fulmer said. "I am honored and humbled and, truthfully, more nervous as I share this graduation day with you. It is an important day."
Fulmer, who was coach at UT from 1992-2008, still has plenty of connections to UT. Namely, two of his daughters, who were involved in Wednesday's commencement.
"This day is also really special for my wife, Vickie, and I because we share it with two of our daughters," Fulmer said.
Allison Fulmer received her undergraduate degree in public relations. Brittany Fulmer received a graduate degree in communications.
Fulmer's oldest daughter, Courtney, previously graduated from the college of communications.
"You could certainly say we are a very proud Tennessee family," Fulmer said.
Fulmer also directly addressed the handful of UT football players he coached that received degrees on Wednesday.
"There are also some wonderful young men here who I brought to Tennessee and had the pleasure to coach," Fulmer said. "Congratulations to my guys. You'll always be my guys. Loyalty means so much to me and thank you for your loyalty."
Fulmer's speech lasted just over 10 minutes, which gave him enough time to recall his own commencement.
"I remember sitting where you are, hoping the speaker was not going to be long and boring," he joked. "And I'll try not to be either today."
Fulmer recalled a sense of confidence with some trepidation when he graduated.
"The world was my canvas and it was up to me to paint my future," Fulmer said. "Now of course, 40 years later, I didn't have all the answers then. If you doubt that, just listen to the sports call-in shows or some sarcastic and negative-minded newspaper editor."
Fulmer spiced up his speech with sports analogies, a natural for the coach who led UT to a national championship in 1998 and won 152 games.
"To use a football analogy, you're at the beginning of a new season," he said. "You've done the work to be prepared. Some of you have really studied the playbook. Some of you have looked at it a couple of times before heading to meet with your friends on the Strip."
All joking aside, Fulmer encouraged graduates to be their own referees of their moral code.
"I encourage you to put your family, your faith and your respect of others above yourselves," Fulmer said. "Keep your word to strangers and friends alike. Do the right thing when it might not be the popular thing to do."
Fulmer closed his speech with a piece of inspirational advice an unidentified person gave him when he was young.
"Sometimes we fail to realize it takes valleys to make mountains," he said. "It takes rain to make rainbows. It takes losing to truly appreciate winning. It takes being sick to truly appreciate good health.
"But through it all, our climb back to the top of the mountain after being knocked down is what makes us strong."
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Comments » 118
CLEMSONVOL716WASBANNED writes:
Good advice and inspiration from a man who has seen both the good times and bad times.
Good coach or bad coach, you can't deny the orange blood that runs through his veins.
He is correct in that he did not have all the answers and that ultimately cost him his job. Thanks for the great years at UT.
CPF....a real Volunteer!
ResilientVol writes:
negative minded newspaper editor????? no way
FWBVol writes:
Thanks Coach Fulmer for everything you have contributed to the University of Tennessee.
CoverOrange writes:
"some sarcastic and negative-minded newspaper editor"
To paraphrase Howard Cosell: "Down goes Adams! Down goes Adams!"
ThaiVolFan writes:
I will always respect CPF. He was a good coach, a good man, and a good leader for the young kids that came through his system.
bspurlingcac#225603 writes:
Fulmer always a class act!!!
Observer43 writes:
Very well said. Let the man enjoy his retirement from coaching. Lets just all hope John Adams gets the message and quits his bashing. Its time to move on...be it good or bad. Whether John Adams likes it or not it Phillip Fulmer is a true member of the Volunteer Family! He will be rememberd as one of the great coaches of a storied program.
Thank you Phillip.
BradleyJKinkaid writes:
EXCELLENT COMMENTS! My sentiments exactly!
Go Big Orange!!!
PMC2726 writes:
I don't get why readers get so upset at the writers and editors of this newspaper. Perhaps you guys live in East Tennessee and are used to getting lots of Vols coverage. Not me....I take every grain of info I can get. GROW UP and enjoy the articles for what they are -- none of it means anything until the Vols hit the field anyway. And at the end of the day, until we start winning games again, I'd rather not be served orange punch by the reporters.
orangecountyvols writes:
Ah hem ! Wonder who that sarcastic and negative-minded newspaper editor might be? We can sit here and mention names among ourselves, yet Phillip was able to more easily do this himself where the voice could be heard.
Said it once and will say it again, to put Adams on the sideline at the O&W game was like allowing the fox to set up shop in the hen house, especially after the many sarcastic articles he has been known to write.
Hooker is not too far in the rear view mirror either.
Fact is, we just don't have the quality media personnel we once had. So many are like some of the athletes around, attention getting and all about me etc. There have been very good writers at the KNS such as Lundy, West, and Siler. However, much of what we now read is a lot of show biz, and what you read is supposed to be gospel. Thank goodness we can decide for ourselves that which is believable. ( Some of it is, and the rest.....sells newspapers. )
orangeman1 writes:
My sentiments exactly, except I wish he would've been given another year. He surely would have done as good as..... Nevermind, It sounds like Fulmer and his family are doing well and I'm sure he's proud of them and all that he did for the university he loves.
CrankE writes:
That's pretty good stuff from the big guy.
As for Adams, I'm reminded of a Bill Clinton quote to Juanita Broadrick, "You might want to put some ice on that." Beyotch slapped!
worldwideturd writes:
Not a Fulmer hater - I appreciate what he did. But his ship had clearly sailed. When Cutcliffe bolted for Duke, the disciplinary issues returned en masse just like they had before Cut started his second stint in 2006. Adams called him out on it, and all of you sheep got your panties in a wad. Clearly, if Fulmer had any class he could have gotten through his commencement speach without referecnces to "call in shows & sarcastic sports editors". He is more thin skinned than Johnny.
volsoutwest writes:
Why you old Braves homer, finally something we agree on. Well said.
TommyJack writes:
Brought tears to me eyes, it did.
volsfaninkpt writes:
all yall haters of the fulmer era, or any other era that keep spewing all of this venom from your so called mouth just need to get the fudge out!! i am sick and tired of it! we have a new coach to support that is representing our BIG ORANGE!!! do work - hink
TommyJack writes:
Now there's a rock-solid post. I'm with you, pal.
VOLinAthensGA writes:
You'll always be my coach.
Class of '94.
Go Big Orange.
FWBVol writes:
I have to disagree with you on that point. I don't recall Adams or any other member of the KNS staff still taking pot shots at Johnny 18 months after he was canned as John Adams did with his last column.
I don't recall Phillip Fulmer ever bad mouthing the University of Tennessee, but even as a member of the media myself, I can understand why Fulmer has had enough.
LargeOrange writes:
Absolutely right on target, Biggun. I am glad he took a shot at Adams, but I don't think the idiot JA deserves the notice from some one with the status of Coach Fulmer, a true Vol and a Tennessee Legend as opposed to a hack that can't even win the best sports writer in his own state of Tennessee let alone the best in the entire Nation like Phil has been.
VolinCalif writes:
No BS about it, Phil was a great coach and a great
vol. But time moves along and Phil was just not a young administrator as he once was. He like Joe Pa could have put things back in order if given time. But Phil looked for a new system, one that was working almost everywhere. The things he needed to make it work wasn't in place and it was going to take time to get there. Was it better to leave and let new blood take over? yes I think it was, there was going to be 4 down years if you wanted the change and Fan were yelling for change. Phil would be ready to retire by the time things got hot again and then a new coach would have to start all over again. I think this was the correct way for UT to go but Phil was a great coach. Most all of Tenn coaches have been very good. Go Vols lets help DD get this ball rolling again.
volzcrushm writes:
CPF for assist. AD?
ozoney#235138 writes:
here, here.
dvhill100 writes:
Majors hates Fulmer, Fulmer hates Adams (et al), everyone hates zz. Don't be hatin'. Can't we all just get along? :)
537081 writes:
Thank You Phil for your years of service to the Fans of UT,and to the young men, who will be forever changed by knowing a man like yourself.
tnbigg writes:
Good.
shipperman#280095 writes:
Phil was a good coach with Cut by his side. The game passed him by, but he is a true Big Orange just as Majors is. They both went out kicking and screaming, so one is as bad as the other. But thank you Phil and Johnny for many great years, and Mr Dooley, bring us back to elite status. GO BIG ORANGE
gnm53108 writes:
A big orange congrats to Phill,Vickie,Allison and Brittney!
gnm53108 writes:
Good post.
For a wacky little reptile.
stevefrommemphis writes:
Football coach at commencement speaker -- very appropriate for a school which forces former contributors to academic departments who want football tickets to make contributions to the athletic-dept. controlled Tennessee Fund -- which I suppose will use the contributions to reimburse academics for tutors for their "student" athletes.
This is not at all a criticism of Fulmer, whom I like and appreciate. Rather, it is a criticism of the new U.T. fundraising model which further deemphasizes the importance of academics at a school which didn't have much of a reputation for academics to begin with.
Willis writes:
1st Class
dvols writes:
good job coach!
TommyJack writes:
Nope. They got it right.
Greyback_Vol writes:
How many other fired coaches do you see sticking around at the school that showed them the door?
I'm sure glad Fulmer is still involved at UT. Yes, it was time for him to go, but he is showing his true colors now. The man is all orange.
Greyback_Vol writes:
Loved his quote at the end: "But through it all, our climb back to the top of the mountain after being knocked down is what makes us strong."
This will help make the 2010 season a little easier to handle.
Volunatic writes:
Adams definitely had that one coming after the column yesterday. That column was way out of line. I hope Adams can drop his vendetta against Fulmer someday. It is unprofessional.
always_vol (Inactive) writes:
"sarcastic and negative-minded newspaper editor"
John Adams???
Maybe now he should sign off as
John Adams, SANMNE
Southland writes:
Years from now, when those who only are old enough to know the Fulmer years and got spoied beating Bama and Georgia like no one else in history has done, can gain some objectivity, then we will realize that coach Fulmer stands second only to General Neyland as a great coach. Was he great in x' and o'? Not really. Was he a great recruited and did he depend on great assistants? Yes but a president or CEO is always graded by who he surrounds himself with and how they did. I feel Coach Fulmer needed to step down as did most of you. But for the 90's and the early part of the first decade of the 21st century he was awesome. He never embarrased UT and always knew how to act. He should be the next AD. Not assistant-the man.
GerryOP writes:
C'mon Phil, well past time to move on. Your legend will not be complete until you do.
gnm53108 writes:
Agree wholeheartitly up until that last about the ad.
Not disagreeing but just not sure thats the best course of action for all parties involved....including Phil.
Although I would love to see mr adams face if it did occur.
BigBadVol writes:
Coach Fulmer has always been a class act. A good coach, great recruiter, and overall nice guy. I will never forget when Florida ran the score up on us and a reporter asked Fulmer about Spurrier. He asked if it was unsportsmanlike of Spurrier to play in such a manner. His said it wasn't coach Spurrier's job to pull his players back but TN's job to stop them. I have respected him ever since. No excuses. That's how it is done.
secsecsec writes:
+1 to your comment. Fulmer did not show class for his "call in shows and sarcastic sports editors" comment. No matter how good it felt for him to say it- it displayed a loss of personal control.
GOJO writes:
***
Phil has moved on very well with his life, & is still a UT supporter. Why don't you move on with your petty little epistles?
TommyJack writes:
Bingo.
GerryOP writes:
C'mon Phil, well past time to move on
Volunatic writes:
When I graduated, they had the dean of libraries as commencement speaker. I realize she was very good at her job, but the speech was a total snoozer. I would have much rather heard a former UT football coach speak.
NoMoreWooAfterGoodOleRockyTop writes:
How much of the 6 million that he stole did he return to the University during this latest visit???
volboy81 writes:
forget the assist....make it AD! Fulmer and his family are 100% class. 100% Tennessee. Id take him over our current AD any day, any time.
MusicCityVol writes:
Did you see Adams column yesterday? Talk about loss of personal control. He used his platform to completely get away from anything sports related and take personal cheap shots at Fulmer. Adams is still smarting from the response article Fulmer wrote putting him in his place. Fulmer standing up for himself and defending his good name is not losing personal control. Adams using his column in an attempt to humiliate a man that hasn't been a coach in a year and a half clearly demonstrates a loss of personal control.
gnm53108 writes:
I'm with ya there MusicCity.
Get thru the flood ok?
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