[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2686-H2687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF WES RUCKER

  (Mr. BURCHETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURCHETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of Wes Rucker, who tragically lost his life on February 19.
  Wes was an award-winning journalist covering athletics at the 
University of Tennessee beginning in 2000 for, I believe, The Daily 
Beacon at UT.
  Wes began his career freelancing across East Tennessee, covering the 
Vols and other professional sports. In 2011, he joined ``CBS Sports'' 
as a senior writer and also hosted two radio shows on ESPN Radio 
Knoxville. Wes also hosted multiple podcasts, was a Heisman Trophy 
voter, an AP football and basketball poll voter, and a contributor to 
the AP All-American Team and All-SEC selections.
  Most recently, Wes joined WBIR in August of 2025 as a guest columnist 
and began hosting a weekday sports show in November of 2025.
  Wes' legacy will live on through Knoxville and the University of 
Tennessee. He was known as a wonderful guy who loved every second of 
his job and being with the UT family every day.
  I ask that if you get a second today to please say a prayer for his 
wonderful wife, his young son, and his unborn

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baby. His wife lost her husband, and his son and unborn baby lost their 
daddy. I can't even imagine the hurt that that would cause, so please 
say a prayer for them.

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