The Tennessee Volunteers' 1998 National Championship

In 1998, the Tennessee Volunteers' football teamto be back-to-back SEC Champions.
opened their season with a win against Syracuse.What set the Vols apart in 1998 was not their
UT fans celebrated, but at that time, no oneundefeated record, although it was quite a feat. It
realized that this would be the year thewas that they played the game like it should be
Volunteers would become the "Team of Destiny",played. They were a unique team that was able
and make history by completing the season withto play as a whole on both sides of the ball with a
a perfect 13 wins and 0 losses record, winning thefierce determination and an unstoppable attitude.
NCAA Division IA National Championship.The final game was played at the Fiesta Bowl in
In fact, many fans were concerned. Their goldenTempe, Arizona against the Florida State
quarterback, Peyton Manning, was off to (one ofUniversity Seminoles on January 4, 1999.
the best young careers in) the NFL. How couldOffensive MVP Peerless Price made two
they possibly come back from the loss of such atouchdowns, a 76-yard pass and a 79-yard pass.
leader?The other Big Orange touchdown came from
Head Coach Phillip Fulmer, who's been in thatDwayne Goodrich's 54-yard interception return.
position since 1993, thought he had an answer toWhile most fans wrote off the team's chances
the fans' concerns. Fulmer believes in recruitingfor an amazing season due to the loss of major
good players, working them hard and winningplayers like Payton Manning, Fulmer saw it as a
football games, and he was confident his youngchance to bring up the younger players on the
team could have a great season.team and test their skills. His belief in his young
With the loss of quarterback Peyton Manning, Teeteam created history, and Fulmer was honored
Martin stepped up to the role of startingwith the National and SEC Coach of the Year
quarterback. Other offensive players includedaward.
Travis Henry, a.k.a. "Block of Cheese", TravisThe National Championship earned Fulmer a six
Stephens, Peerless Price, and Cedrick Wilson.year contract renewal, and many of the starting
The equally-talented defense included Al Wilson,players went on to join their former team mate
Shaun Ellis, Eric Westmoreland, and DerrickPayton Manning in the NFL.
Edmonds, among others.Watching the University of Tennessee Volunteers
During the 1998 football season, the unanimousplay football has long been a favorite pastime of
national champ Volunteers were also theEast Tennesseans, and will continue to be so long
Southeastern Conference football champions,into the future. But the fall of 1998 will live long in
where the Vols held an 8-0 record. They won themany college football fans' memories as the
SEC championship against the Mississippi Statemagical year of the Team of Destiny.
University Bulldogs, 24-14, which allowed the Vols