Rich Talks Sports

As Phillip Fulmer jogs out on the field at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, it will be one of the most emotional trots that he has ever had. Fulmer holds a lot of history for the University of Tennessee . The biggest might be that he is the 20th head coach to hold the reins on this once SEC powerhouse. In 1980, Fulmer started a run that would span 3 decades. He took an assistant coaches position under Johnny Majors who was the head coach at UT. Johnny took over in 1977 and ran the team until the end of the 1992 season. Phillip Fulmer will hold onto the same amount of time with the exception that he has the 13 previous years with the Vols as an assistant.

It is said that when Phil bleeds, his blood is orange. On Saturday, when Phil cries, I believe that his tears will also be orange. The one thing that no one can take from this man, this myth, this legend, is his love for the University of Tennessee football program, it’s athletic department as a whole, it’s student body, it’s faculty, and the school as a whole. The day that the “agreement” was reach, Phillip Fulmer was an emotional wreck. However, win or lose, this Saturday will hold more emotion for the much loved, much appreciated football deity that we all have grown to know as Phillip Fulmer.

This weekend the players, the alumni, and the fans will stand many times to give a resounding ovation to the man that has led them through many battles on this field. This Saturday does not belong to the University of Tennessee, to the city of Knoxville, or to the state of Tennessee. No, this day belongs to Phillip Fulmer.

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