An alleged $50,000 line of credit for Nashville's John Henderson while he was playing for the Vols. $30,000 to Henderson teammate Travis Henry. $2,200 handed to Lineman Fred Weary.
These are allegations made by Alabama-based attorney Thomas Gallion. Gallion claims to have documents proving Vol head man Phillip Fulmer signed a $50,000 line of credit for Henderson at a Nashville SunTrust Bank, clearly an NCAA violation. He claims to have a sworn affidavit from a former Vol walk-on stating former players received improper benefits while still members of the team.
Former Vol and Cincinnati Bengal wideout and now Henderson's agent, Tim McGee, told the Knoxville News-Sentinel this week that, "Most of the information has some truth ... but when you don't represent the proper time and proper date, it looks illegal. The Western Union transfers were sent for payroll and recruiting expenses. But I didn't have any contract agreement with the players."
The former walk-on apparently served as a "runner" to deliver funds from McGee to Henderson and maybe others, is thought to be Rommie Hawkins. McGee said he has wired money to Hawkins in the past, but not with the intent to give to Vol players still on the team.
Money was sent, but McGee does not claim to know whose pockets it landed in. McGee also claims the line of credit was set up on January 3, 2002, just after the Vols participation in the Citrus Bowl which ended Henderson's college eligibility. Gallion claims he started an account for Henderson, but after the Citrus Bowl game. "And I have all the documents to prove it", says McGee.
New Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton has initiated an internal investigation. "Any time there is anything of this nature, even if it is Internet rumors, we check out anything in relation to our athletic department," Hamilton said.
Gallion said he planned to turn his findings over to the NCAA, but Hamilton said Wednesday the NCAA has not contacted him.
October 24:
Rommie Hawkins, the former Tennessee walk-on who was said to be providing money to UT players with coach Phillip Fulmer's knowledge, denied any wrong doing in a statement released Thursday.
"Contrary to what has been reported, at no time did I sign or swear to an affidavit; nor did I give a sworn oral ststement. I did not take a polygraph or lie detector test," Hawkins wrote. "Absolutely at no time did I claim, or even remotely suggest that coach Phillip Fulmer was in any way involved in obtaining money for John Henderson. Furthermore, I do not have any knowledge of any transaction between Coach Fulmer and John Henderson."
Last week, Alabama attorney Tommy Gallion appeared on Paul Finebaum's radio show in Alabama and read an affidavit he said was obtained from an investigator present at a meeting involving Hawkins, Hawkins' attorney and Memphis attorney Phillip Shanks.
Gallion said Hawkins told Fulmer about an improper $50,000 bank account setup for then UT defensive tackle John Henderson. Gallion also claims former running back Travis Henry received extra benefits.
Folks, when one wallows with the hogs, one gets stink on himself. Anyone who believes college athletics at the highest level is squeeky clean and without payola, then one has his head in the sand. The name of the game is big bucks. The players play for the future bucks. The coaches have million dollar contracts, schools like Tennessee get millions in TV money and conference money. And everyone wants a piece of the action.
Coaches have less personal contact with players than they once did, and it's probably a good thing as they would learn more than they want to know. The John Hendersons of the college world are playing for the NFL draft. Agents are willing to take chances in order to sign top draftees and if that means a little under the table before their college playing days are over, it is worth the risk.
Tell us one thing in which so much money changes hands as it does in big time college football and basketball, that organized crime has not gotten involved in. People like Hawkins, Gallion and Shanks are mobsters. They are looking to feather their own nests and most present-day athletes are not smart enough to figure out they are being used and abused. They can't figure it out because someone is continually greasing their palms and that's all they care about. Too many sports agents fit right in with the Don King's of the world who would sell his mom if the money was right.
Fulmer is clean, but he sometimes has to hurry home and take a shower. Why in the world would he risk so much so that a John Henderson can buy a car and gold necklaces. He is a hell of a lot smarter that the whole batch of the Hawkins, Gallion and crew. Gallion and his buddy Shanks are two-bit, blood-sucking parsites who have played Rommie Hawkins for the fool. -- Charlie
January 20, 2004
Tennessee Football getting lots of criticism
The home folks aren't real happy with another lackluster bowl performance by the talented Vols. Clemson put the hurt on them in this year's Peach Bowl the same as Maryland did last year in the same bowl game.
Tennessee is a team with as much talent as anyone in the nation, but still struggles in the big games. The Vols have too many "me" players and too many from out of state.
Most observers will agree that the mental attitude of the Vols does not match their physical talent. In fact they are not even physically tough. Clemson certainly out-toughed them in Atlanta just as Maryland did last year. After the 2002 Peach Bowl coach Phillip Fullmer pledged a change in attitude and toughness in 2003. Well it never happened. Instead the Vols belly-ached about their Peach invitation and played accordingly. Why they would think they deserved a better bowl bid, is beyond us. The Vols ended the season as a mediocre football team as compared to the best in the land.
They have great talent but a bad attitude and they are soft. They don't practce hard, but some of them sure talk a good game.
If one looks at the list of recruits by SEC teams, you see that 22 of 28 on Alabama's list are from the state of Alabama. Same song for LSU, Georgia, Auburn, Kentucky and Mississippi. Tennessee list five of 26 home-state high school players. We assume that Tennessee high school football is not very good.
We still say that a talented player from New Jersey who comes to play for Tennessee is a "me" player and has no strong loyalty to anyone but himself and his NFL aspirations. In fact Tennessee really sells to recruits the number of former Vols playing in the NFL. We Tennessee fans don't give a hoot about that. We want a team that fights and scratches for four quarters every Saturday. If we are destined for mediocrity, then let us be so with our own Tennessee boys.
Let us have loyalty and less big mouth showboaters who aren't even sure how many 'e's or s's are in Tennessee.
What about loyalty and accountability? I have followed the Vols since 1956. I remember as an 8th-grader being glued to the radio listening to the great Tennessee - Georgia Tech game that year. Or how about the thrilling UCLA game played in Memphis?
Those years produced humble stars from the small Tennessee towns like Huntland, Lenoir City, Murfreesboro and the cities of Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga. Those Vol players were one of us. We raised them. They had to face us when they were home for holidays. They were held accountable and they were admired. They were our heros, whether we were 16 or 60. They may not have been as talented as today's Vols, but they would fight for us every Saturday. They had respect, because they earned it.
The football volunteers represent me and every Tennessean. I don't think they know that. They have a responsibility to carry on the tradition of all those Tennessee players of the past who established Tennessee as a national power. They have a responsibility to honor, respect and carry on that tradition.
Tennessee has become a team of "me's" - what are you doing for me today? No loyalty, no accountability, and as far as we are concerned, no respect. You don't represent me anymore. You have too many prima donnas whose only loyalty is to themselves.
You care nothing for Tennessee tradition. You are here to get drafted by the NFL which means you are concerned more about your "touches" or your sacks than you are about beating Alabama or Florida.
You shoot your mouth off to the press and then you don't back it up. You showboat instead of concentrating on your job. Why do you want to celebrate what you practice everyday to do? Hey, look at me, look at me.
You Vols represent me and all of Tennessee. I do not like the way you are presently doing it. As far as we are concerned, you hotshots can do back to New Jersey, California and Florida. We want Tennessee boys who will get in the trenches and fight for us every Saturday. We want discipline and toughness. We want Tennessee pride and Tennessee loyalty. To hell with the NFL draft. We don't care about that.
Please Coach Fullmer, get the foreign showboaters out of Neyland Stadium.
