University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Name Permanent Team Captains
October 17, 2008 | Football
Oct. 17, 2008
Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer announced Friday the election of four seniors, one junior and one sophomore as permanent team captains for the remainder of the 2008 football season.
Seniors named were defensive end Robert Ayers, offensive tackle Ramon Foster, wide receiver Lucas Taylor and linebacker Ellix Wilson. Junior tailback Montario Hardesty and sophomore safety Eric Berry rounded out the group as voted on by the team.
"We have been having game captains this year and going back into last season, but it has become obvious who was emerging as leaders for this football team," Fulmer said after Friday's walk-through at Neyland Stadium. "I felt like it was a good time to do it.
"I relayed to the team how honored I was to have these six individuals as captains. I also told them that of all the things I have been through and been able to accomplish during my playing and coaching careers at Tennessee, nothing tops being named a captain or co-captain by your teammates."
The Vols host Mississippi State in a 7 p.m. Eastern time kickoff Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
UT-MSU WELCOMING SON OF FORMER VOLS CENTER KILLED IN WWII
Mike Sanders, the son of former Tennessee center Willis Tucker and himself a one-time Mississippi State track and football performer from the 1960s, is attending Saturday night's UT-MSU game.
Tucker lettered for the 1940 Vols and then was killed in World War II. He is one of four UT footballers killed in that war whose numbers are retired and on display in the southeast upper deck façade of Neyland Stadium. Tucker's No. 61 originally was retired in 1946 along with Bill Nowling (32), Rudy Klarer (49) and Clyde Fuson (62).
