The Other Side of Phil Fulmer - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Phil Fulmer, if he wasn't already, should be added to your internal "High Quality Individual" category. Fulmer has long been active in the Knoxville community, but his contributions to the Jason Foundation showcase just what a class act he really is.

ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski picked up the story when he interviewed Clark Flatt, whose son Jason committed suicide in 1997. Devastated, Flatt started the Jason Foundation and, on a whimsical suggestion from one of his teenaged volunteers, wrote a letter to Phil Fulmer asking for his support.

Fulmer came through in a big way. From ESPN:

Flatt rehearsed his pitch during the three-hour drive. Ninety seconds into the speech, Fulmer stopped him. Fulmer didn't want to lend his name to the Jason Foundation. No, he wanted to lend everything -- his name, his time, his support, his fundraising muscle, even his own money -- to the cause. Otherwise, no deal.

Now, most of us who follow college athletics understand just how demanding the pursuit of excellence can be. Everyone involved, particularly the coaching staff, work their tails off. A tireless work ethic is nothing more than a basic prerequisite of the job. Therefore a coach's time is his most precious possession. That's why it stuns me that Fulmer is able to do this:

If Flatt asked Fulmer to call a kid who was struggling with depression, the only question was, "What's the phone number?" And he didn't hesitate when Flatt asked him to talk with parents who had lost a son or daughter to teenage suicide.

And of course, Fulmer doesn't want any credit for his efforts.

I mentioned this to Fulmer several days later. He fidgeted on his office couch and stared at his shoes. "I'm not looking for attention," he said.

Fulmer joins Mark Richt as one of the SEC's top coaches when it comes to matters of the heart. Phil Fulmer, in the dog days of summer, as we look forward to another exciting season of SEC football, we salute you for reminding us of what really matters.