Synopsis
Phillip Fulmer arrived at the University of Tennesssee in 1968 amid a resurgence of the Volunteers football program. As a player, he became a starting offensive lineman and a team captain for the Vols. When Fulmer returned to the university in 1980 as an assistant coach, he helped shepherd the team through another return to prominence. He took over the reins as head coach in 1992, and he completed the ascendancy of Tennessee football by leading the team to a perfect season and a national championship in 1998. With this accomplishment, Fulmer continued the winning tradition of a proud football program, a tradition begun by General Robert Neyland in the 1920s and carried on by coaches like Doug Dickey, Bill Battle, and Johnny Majors.
What It Means to Be a Volunteer gathers together in one volume the legends that distinguish Tennessee as one of the most dominant programs in college football history. Over the years, the Volunteers have been blessed with some of the game's greatest names--from linemen Doug Atkins, John Henderson, and Reggie White, to wide receivers Stanley Morgan, Willie Gault, and Joey Kent, to quarterbacks Heath Shuler and Peyton Manning--and this book tells their stories. In their own words, Tennessee standouts explain how they came to the school; reveal their struggles to contribute to the team; and share their stories about succeeding as Volunteers players and in life after college.
Learn about many of Tennessee's cherished football traditions--including running through the T, the Bol Walk, "Rocky Top," the checkerboard end zones, the Volunteer Navy, and the Last Tackle Drill. Read about the stifling defense of the Neyland teams, including the amazing 1939 squad that shut out every one of its regular-season opponents. Listen to star tailback Hank Lauricella describe the miraculous 1950 and 1951 season, which culminated in Tennessee's first national championship. Hear how Outland Trophy winner Steve DeLong initially butted heads with new coach Doug Dickey but later came to respect him. Learn how Lester McClain became the first African American football player at Tennessee in 1967--and how Richmond Flowers, son of "the most hated white man in Alabama" (for his fight to integrate the state), rejected the Crimson Tide in favor of the Vols. Discover how Tee Martin filled the shoes of Peyton Manning and led Tennessee to its second national championship.
While some Vils would go on to NFL stardom, others found success in other ventures--but all credit the lessons learned and the challenges overcome playing football at the University of Tennessee as the foundation for their future triumphs.
For anyone who wants to learn of just reminisce about what it means to be a Volunteer, this book is a must-have addition to your library.