[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.