Filed for intro on 02/04/99 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 35 By Fraley A RESOLUTION to honor Coach Phillip Fulmer and the 1998 University of Tennessee Football Team on winning the NCAA National Championship. WHEREAS, steeped in a tradition of gridiron excellence, with the strains of "Rocky Top" ringing triumphantly in their delighted ears, our beloved Tennessee Volunteers have fulfilled their long time goal of winning the NCAA National Championship; and WHEREAS, on one of the most historic days in state history, January 4, 1999, this quest for college football superiority was achieved, much to the joy of Tennessee faithful throughout Orange Land, as Coach Fulmer and the University of Tennessee Volunteers defeated the tough Florida State University Seminoles to become 1998 NCAA National Champions; and WHEREAS, ranked 10th in the nation at the beginning of the season, this Orange-clad cast of players quickly established themselves as a team of destiny with an exciting come-from- behind 34-33 victory on the road against the Syracuse Orangemen; behind the running of Jamal Lewis and Tee Martin the Vols emerged victorious as Winchester native Jeff Hall kicked a last- second 27-yard field goal in a thrilling game; and WHEREAS, Hall was one of many heroes for the Vols in the second game against Florida as they won a titanic battle with the Gators, 20-17; a Shawn Bryson 57-yard touchdown dash, Tee Martin-to-Peerless Price touchdown pass, and swarming defense, led by linebacker HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 35 001763 -1- Al Wilson sealed the Vols' overtime win over the Gators and a speechless Steve Spurrier in one of the nation's most anticipated rivalries; and WHEREAS, after the game students and fans alike stormed the field, tore down the goalposts and ripped up sections of sod at hallowed Shield's Watkins Field in scenes reminiscent of the postgame celebration of the Vols' victory over Alabama in 1982; and WHEREAS, on September 26, the Houston Cougars came calling on the Vols at Neyland Stadium, only to be dispatched by a hungry band of Tennessee defenders; Tee Martin turned in a career performance, completing 14 of 19 passes for 234 yards, and Jamal Lewis rumbled 59 yards for a score as the Vols cruised, 42-7; and WHEREAS, the next invitee to the "Vols Victory Tour" was Auburn University; Shaun Ellis opened the scoring for the 5th-ranked Volunteers when he picked off an errant Auburn pass and, with a wall of teammates riding escort, scampered 90 "long" yards for a score; and WHEREAS, Coach John Chavis and his tenacious Tennessee defense played a key role in the win as it launched a barrage of vicious hits on the Tigers, who failed in four attempts to reach the end zone from the six inch line; the 17-9 win was not without cost for the Vols, however, as Jamal Lewis was lost for the season with an injury; and WHEREAS, in a showdown "between the hedges" at Georgia, Travis Stephens picked up the slack for the injured Lewis, rushing for 107 yards to lead the Vols; Tennessee's defense stifled the 7th-ranked Bulldogs and Tee Martin passed for two scoring strikes as the Vols cruised to their eighth straight win over Georgia, firmly establishing themselves as the team to beat for the SEC East title; and WHEREAS, Tennessee struggled two weeks later against a tough Alabama team until Peerless Price shook off would-be tacklers on a kickoff return and galloped 100 yards to the land of orange and white checkerboards; Vol fans from Mountain City to Memphis could hear John Ward's magical countdown of "5-4-3-2-1…give him six…touchdown Big Orange" ringing in their ears at the end of Price's epic run; and - 2 - 00176326 WHEREAS, the win was Tennessee's fourth consecutive against Alabama as the Vol defense "rolled" the Tide, holding their fifth consecutive opponent to under 20 points; Travis Henry, one-half of the lethal "TNT" combination stepped up for the Vols on the ground as he blasted his way for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries; and WHEREAS, in their 49-14 thrashing of the South Carolina Gamecocks on Halloween, the Vols and Tee Martin did their best Grim Reaper impersonation as "Mr. Consistent" played a nearly flawless game, completing an NCAA record 23 consecutive passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns, with Price and Jermaine Copeland being the beneficiaries of Martin's efforts; and WHEREAS, the Orange Crush defense, led by Al Wilson, again set the tone for Tennessee's November 7th clash with the University of Alabama-Birmingham as the Blazers were held to 71 passing yards; the 37-31 win propelled UT to a No. 1 ranking, the first time in 42 years the Vols have ascended to such dizzying heights; and set the stage for a crucial SEC clash with undefeated and No. 9 ranked Arkansas; and WHEREAS, Tennessee's rousing 28-24 comeback win against the Razorbacks was one for the ages. Arkansas led 24-22 and was on the verge of running out the clock when the Vols' Billy Ratliff recovered a Hog fumble; minutes later Travis Henry thundered into the end zone on a one-yard run for the lead in one of Tennessee's biggest victories in school history; and WHEREAS, the Big Orange Express rolled on, one week later, to a declawing of the Kentucky Wildcats. Scoring early and often en route to a 59-21 dismantling of Tim Couch & Company, Tennessee clinched its second consecutive SEC East title and lifted its record to 10- 0 for the first time since the 1956 season; and WHEREAS, on November 28, Tennessee fans flocked to Nashville and Vanderbilt's "Little Neyland Stadium" to see Travis Henry, Tee Martin and Peerless Price light up the scoreboard in a 41-0 "sinking" of the Commodores; linebacker Eric Westmorland's devastating hit on a Vandy running back reverberated all the way to the State Capitol; and - 3 - 00176326 WHEREAS, in the SEC Championship game against Mississippi State, Coach Fulmer's charges locked up a berth in the Fiesta Bowl and a shot at the national championship by rallying for a 24-14 victory over the Bulldogs; responding like a true champion, the Vols vaunted defense yielded a meager 65 yards rushing and 84 yards in the air as Tee Martin orchestrated two touchdown drives in less than a minute, sending the 'Dogs whimpering back to Starkville; and WHEREAS, this victory marked their second consecutive Southeastern Conference championship; and WHEREAS, in the Final Bowl Championship Series Poll, the Volunteers were ranked number one and thus won the right to play Florida State University, ranked number two, in the Fiesta Bowl, in Tempe, Arizona, for the undisputed National Championship; and WHEREAS, thousands of Big Orange faithful filled the stands in Sun Devil Stadium and millions more around the world gathered to watch the “Delirium in the Desert” as their beloved Vols took on Coach Bobby Bowden and Florida State; this Tennessee team of destiny was not to be denied; and WHEREAS, Tennessee beat Florida State 23-16, scoring on a 4-yard Tee Martin to Shawn Bryson pass and a 54-yard Dwayne Goodrich interception return in the second quarter; and a 79-yard Martin to Price pass and a Jeff Hall field goal in the fourth quarter; and WHEREAS, so complete was Tennessee's defensive domination that Florida State's superb receiver, Peter Warrick, had one catch for seven yards, and quarterback Marcus Outzen was intercepted twice and sacked four times; and WHEREAS, never have the melodious tones of Rocky Top sounded so sweet as Coach Fulmer and his team accepted the prestigious Sears Trophy, given annually to college football's national champion; and WHEREAS, the Tennessee Volunteers achieved the distinct honor of being named the consensus National Champion, with number-one rankings in the final Bowl Championship - 4 - 00176326 Series Poll with a 3.47 ranking; and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, with 1,550 points; the ESPN/Collegiate Football Top 25 Fan Poll, with 35,265 total points and 11,182 first-place votes; and the Associated Press Top 25 Poll; and WHEREAS, this was the Volunteers' fifth National Championship, with the other titles coming in 1938, 1940, 1950, and 1951; and WHEREAS, Coach Phillip Fulmer has done a marvelous job of blending the natural talent of the team into championship caliber, the season was truly a team effort; and WHEREAS, Coach Fulmer was honored with the Eddie Robinson Award and as the National Coach of the Year; the Sporting News National Coach of the Year Award; the George Munger Award from the Maxwell Football Club; and the Associated Press Coaches SEC Coach of the Year; and WHEREAS, his able Assistant Coaches were: Mike Barry and Mark Bradley, Offensive Line; Dan Brooks, Defensive Line; Steve Caldwell, Defensive Ends; John Chavis, Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers; David Cutcliffe, Offense and Quarterbacks; Kevin Ramsey, Defensive Backs; Randy Sanders, Recruiting Coordinator and Running Backs; and Pat Washington, Receivers; and WHEREAS, the powerful offense, which scored a phenomenal 431 points with an average of 33.15 points per game, included: starter seniors Peerless Price, Mercedes Hamilton, Jarvis Reado, Jermaine Copeland, and Shawn Bryson; juniors Tee Martin, Chad Clifton, and Spencer Riley; sophomores Cosey Coleman and Travis Henry and freshman John Finlayson; and substitute seniors Diron Robinson, juniors Eric Diogu, Josh Tucker, and Phillip Crosby; sophomores Neil Johnson, Toby Champion, Bernard Gooden, David Martin, Cedrick Wilson, and Travis Stephens and freshmen Will Ofenheusle, Bobby Graham, Kevin Taylor, Eric Parker, Burney Veazey, Joey Mathews, and Will Bartholomew; and WHEREAS, the stingy defense, which only allowed