    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [August 17, 1999]
    [Pages 1456-1457]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1456]]

    Remarks to the NCAA Football Champion University of Tennessee Volunteers
    August 17, 1999

        The President. Well, chancellor and
    Coach Fulmer,
    Tee, Mercedes--this is the most disgusting
    pander I've ever seen. [Laughter] You know, Coach Fulmer came up 48
    hours ago, and he and Al practiced all this
    15 times. [Laughter] We're going to be cited by the Federal Election
    Commission for this event. [Laughter]
        Let me tell you--you know, I'm not running for anything. I can tell
    you the whole story about this--[laughter]--this Tennessee-Arkansas
    deal. Everything he said is true. And for all of you who are covering
    this who aren't from one of the two States, let me--the game was an
    unbelievable game, and Arkansas was ahead at the end.
        And there was only a minute and a half to go, and we seemed to have
    an insurmountable lead. And our quarterback
    was trying to kill the clock, a little of the clock. And the Tennessee
    line broke through the Arkansas offensive line and tackled him behind
    the line. And he fell, not with his free hand but with the hand on the
    ball, which squirted out into the arms of Tennessee. And the rest is
    history.
        Who's responsible for that over there? [Laughter] Raise your hand,
    there. Give him a hand over there. [Applause]
    Bring that guy up here. Get him up here. Come on.
        And what you really don't--what Al
    couldn't tell you, because he's not like me; I'm not running for
    anything--[laughter]--is that I was actually watching this game as this
    foreign policy crisis was unfolding. [Laughter] And I was talking on the
    phone, injecting things, and they thought, you know, I was being tougher
    on what was happening on the phone, and I was really just reacting to
    the ballgame. [Laughter]
        But to be fair, to be perfectly fair to Tennessee, I think that you
    had over 40 yards still to go----
        Coach Fulmer. Forty-six.
        The President. ----for a touchdown, right? Forty-six. [Laughter] So
    it wasn't like he fumbled on the goal line.
    And they rolled down there like there was nobody there. And they won the
    game, and they went on to the national championship.
        And I paid off my bet, and----
        The Vice President. I'll get you some
    ribs. [Laughter]
        The President. ----and we've had a lot of laughs about it.
        But I do want to say, you know, I was the first President from my
    home State ever elected. I owe a lot to Tennessee; if it hadn't been for
    the Vice President joining the ticket, I
    might not have won the first time, almost certainly wouldn't have won
    the second time, because we made all the record we made together. And so
    I feel deeply indebted.
        And all I can say is, we're even now. [Laughter]
        Actually, I was very impressed. I like teams, and people, who don't
    quit, who never say die, and who stick together.
        I like the fact that this team had a lot of stars, at different
    times during the year, but won as a team. You had--Peerless Price caught a, what, a 76- and a 79-yard touchdown pass
    in the Fiesta Bowl, but he wouldn't have been there to catch those
    passes if this guy--[laughter]--hadn't broken
    through the line, somebody else hadn't kicked a field goal, and if all
    the guys in the line who never get their names called on television
    didn't show up for every play and play like crazy.
        And I think it's important. And I think it's a real tribute to these
    young men, and to their fine coach. And I
    think it should be obvious to anybody who knows anything about college
    football, and anything about this coach, anything about this program,
    that this is a program, and a team, founded not just on strength and
    speed and talent but also on thinking and effort and courage and good
    values.
        And in that sense, in winning the national championship and in
    winning it the way they did, in a highly competitive season, they
    reflected credit on the entire United States of America.
        And every--every--person in America should be proud of them. I
    certainly am, and I wish you well in getting back next year.
        Thank you.

    [[Page 1457]]

    Note: The President spoke at 6:40 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to University of Tennessee President
    J. Wade Gilley, Coach Phillip Fulmer, and Volunteers team members Tee
    Martin, Mercedes Hamilton, Travis Henry, and Peerless Price; and
    University of Arkansas quarterback Clint Stoerner.