KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer considered retiring when he was on top of college football. Now his time with the Volunteers is winding down and his team is simply playing out the string.
Fulmer said he mulled retirement after the Vols' 1998 national championship season and in 2001, when they nearly played for another national title.
“We played for the (Southeastern Conference) championship five out of the last 11 years. So it isn't like we just had reason to be looking to retire,” Fulmer told The Associated Press.
Fulmer's being forced to leave his job after 17 years. This year, the Vols have lost seven games for only the second time in history. It's only Fulmer's second losing season, though both have come in the last four years.
But Fulmer he doesn't regret the decision to stick around.
Fulmer was urged by his wife, Vicky, to quit after the '98 season. He acknowledges that Vicky and his children, now grown, paid a huge price for the amount of work he's put in as coach.
They talked about it again when the Vols were one game away from playing in the title game in '01 after a 10-1 regular season, but lost in the SEC championship game and played in the Fiesta Bowl instead.
Florida State players arrested in campus fight
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two Florida State freshman wide receivers were arrested Wednesday on misdemeanor battery charges stemming from a fight in the student union two weeks ago.
Bert Reed and Cameron Wade, both 20, turned themselves in at the Leon County Jail and were released after posting bond, university officials said. Both were at football practice later in the day.
They were suspended for Florida State's Nov. 15 game against Boston College, a 27-17 loss, along with three other players, also receivers, who participated in the Nov. 12 fight with members of a fraternity.
Coach Bobby Bowden said he expected no more suspensions for the 23rd-ranked Seminoles' regular season finale Saturday. Florida State hosts intrastate rival and No. 2 Florida.
“They're going to be available,” Bowden said. “They've been disciplined.”
The pair, though, could received further discipline from the university. The school's Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will review the case to determine if they violated the Student Code of Conduct.
Neither player is a starter, but Reed has become one of Florida State's leading offensive threats. He has caught 16 passes for 253 yards and scored three touchdowns. Reed also has returned punts and kickoffs and been used as a running back.
Campus police said they are still investigating. There may be additional charges if investigators can identify who threw a chair that hit a female bystander in the face. She was taken to a Tallahassee hospital where she was treated and released.
The other players who sat out the Boston College game are Taiwan Easterling, Corey Surrency and Richard Goodman.
It was the third suspension in a month for Reed and the second for Surrency, a 24-year-old junior college transfer. Reed's first suspension was for skipping classes. The other suspensions for Reed and Surrency were for unspecified violations of team rules.
“We played for the (Southeastern Conference) championship five out of the last 11 years. So it isn't like we just had reason to be looking to retire,” Fulmer told The Associated Press.
Fulmer's being forced to leave his job after 17 years. This year, the Vols have lost seven games for only the second time in history. It's only Fulmer's second losing season, though both have come in the last four years.
But Fulmer he doesn't regret the decision to stick around.
Fulmer was urged by his wife, Vicky, to quit after the '98 season. He acknowledges that Vicky and his children, now grown, paid a huge price for the amount of work he's put in as coach.
They talked about it again when the Vols were one game away from playing in the title game in '01 after a 10-1 regular season, but lost in the SEC championship game and played in the Fiesta Bowl instead.
Florida State players arrested in campus fight
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two Florida State freshman wide receivers were arrested Wednesday on misdemeanor battery charges stemming from a fight in the student union two weeks ago.
Bert Reed and Cameron Wade, both 20, turned themselves in at the Leon County Jail and were released after posting bond, university officials said. Both were at football practice later in the day.
They were suspended for Florida State's Nov. 15 game against Boston College, a 27-17 loss, along with three other players, also receivers, who participated in the Nov. 12 fight with members of a fraternity.
Coach Bobby Bowden said he expected no more suspensions for the 23rd-ranked Seminoles' regular season finale Saturday. Florida State hosts intrastate rival and No. 2 Florida.
“They're going to be available,” Bowden said. “They've been disciplined.”
The pair, though, could received further discipline from the university. The school's Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will review the case to determine if they violated the Student Code of Conduct.
Neither player is a starter, but Reed has become one of Florida State's leading offensive threats. He has caught 16 passes for 253 yards and scored three touchdowns. Reed also has returned punts and kickoffs and been used as a running back.
Campus police said they are still investigating. There may be additional charges if investigators can identify who threw a chair that hit a female bystander in the face. She was taken to a Tallahassee hospital where she was treated and released.
The other players who sat out the Boston College game are Taiwan Easterling, Corey Surrency and Richard Goodman.
It was the third suspension in a month for Reed and the second for Surrency, a 24-year-old junior college transfer. Reed's first suspension was for skipping classes. The other suspensions for Reed and Surrency were for unspecified violations of team rules.
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