University of Tennessee Athletics
Four Football Captains Among 12 Student-Athletes Graduating Sunday
December 13, 2003 | Football
Dec. 13, 2003
Head football coach Phillip Fulmer had to be happy when he saw the graduation list for the university's December commencement. Eight of his University of Tennessee football players were on the 12-man list, including four of his captains.
They will be part of graduation ceremonies Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena (3 p.m.).
Among the captains are quarterback Casey Clausen (sociology), offensive tackle Michael Munoz (political science), defensive end Constantin Ritzmann (sport management) and center Scott Wells (history), who was also a first-team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches.
"These guys have been great leaders for us, both on and off the field," Fulmer said. "They have taken this team on their backs to a 10-2 record and a berth in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They helped us overcome a couple of tough early season losses and led this team to a six-game winning streak.
"I'm proud of them for that and I'm equally proud of their performance in the classroom. This is something they'll remember fondly about their time at Tennessee."
UT captains have, nearly to a man, gone on to accomplish great things, serving their communities well. There's more to being a captain than going to the center of the field for the coin toss or looking to the sidelines for instructions on what to do about a penalty on the opposing team.
There's a responsibility for leadership on and off the field. These young men have done just that, rising to the occasion when their number was called.
Joining the four captains in the commencement ceremonies are defensive back/wide receiver Mark Jones, offensive guard Anthony Herrera, linebacker Robert Peace and placekicker Philip Newman. Linebacker and captain Kevin Burnett graduated in sport management last spring and currently is working on a master's degree in sport management, while defensive back and captain Rashad Baker, majoring in psychology, is expected to graduate in December 2004.
Dr. Ruth Darling, Associate Provost and Director of the Thornton Center, said this group has represented themselves and their families in a positive fashion during their time at the university.
"This is an exceptional group of graduates, one that has achieved great
things in the classroom in addition to what they do so well on the field," Dr. Darling said. "I'm delighted to see each of them doing so well."
Graduates from other sports are Andrew Clemmons (basketball, sport management), Steve Klein (track and field, logistics and transportation), Matt Sternberg (baseball, arts and sciences) and Chris Stewart (swimming and diving, economics).
The graduates and their families will be honored at a 1 p.m. Sunday brunch at Gibbs Hall.
Dr. Jeffrey Wadsworth, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and President and CEO of UT-Battelle, is slated to be the commencement speaker.
| 2003 December Graduates | ||
| PLAYER | SPORT | MAJOR |
| Casey Clausen | Football | Sociology |
| Drew Clemmons | Basketball | Sport Management |
| Anthony Herrera | Football | Sociology |
| Mark Jones | Football | Psychology |
| Steve Klein | Track and Field | Logistics & Transportation |
| Michael Munoz | Football | Political Science |
| Philip Newman | Football | Sport Management |
| Robert Peace | Football | General Business |
| Constantin Ritzmann | Football | Sport Management |
| Matt Sternberg | Baseball | Arts & Sciences |
| Chris Stewart | Swimming | Economics |
| Scott Wells | Football | History |
?
