Former University of Tennessee Head Coach Phillip Fulmer can now say he is a Hall of Famer. It is a well deserved honor. I will let his record speak for itself. I know there are some who want to focus on the negative things of his time at Tennessee. Everyone is entiled to their opinion. Positive or negative is not the point of this post.
Jayson Swain (@JaysonSwain) posted to twitter this morning and posed the question of what is your favorite Fulmer memory. I replied with Fulmer's last game. I was honored to be in the stands for his last home game. I loved how the players respected the man enough to hoist him over their heads and carry him off the field. To me that says something about his character as coach and as a man. But that isn't my favorite memory. It's the memeory that is less than 140 characters.
My favorite memory is passion he showed for the game, the school, and the players.
Growing up in East Tennessee you can become numb to all the orange and the hype. I really didn't start enjoying football till about 8th grade. I was a band geek and knew I needed to know what was going to happen every Friday night from August to December. It was during this time I saw Coach Majors leave and Coach Fulmer arrive. I can honestly say Coach Fulmer is the reason I love Tennessee football. He made me want to watch. I'm not proud that it took me till his last season to see a game in person but I'm glad I got to see most of his last season at Neyland.
So, Mr. Swain there's your answer. Coach Fulmer is my favorite memory Coah Fulmer memory. He got to coach for a program he loved at a school he loved. And it showed!
Congratulations Coach Fulmer! It is a well deserved honor!
