This morning, the Knoxville News-Sentinel has this follow-up to the story from June 1, 2006 about football coach John Fulkerson. I have received numerous phone calls and emails asking me to weigh in on this case, to report what I know. I have refrained, as it is an ongoing case. When the case is concluded, you can expect me to post again.
Students and persons close to the case have communicated to me their version of what happened. Out of respect and protection for them. I am not reporting, what I know.
Students and persons close to the case have communicated to me their version of what happened. Out of respect and protection for them. I am not reporting, what I know.
However, let's go back to to the early 1980's at Carter High School in Knox County, there was a young guy that had attended Carson Newman College and was at Carter. He assisted the track team and was on staff. He was part of the FCA program and even spoke at several churches in the community, including St. Paul East United Methodist Church. The guy is a committed Christian and an excellent coach and super teacher. His name is John Fulkerson.
Fast forward a few years ago, he left Farragut High School as a teacher and assistant football coach to be a teacher and Head football coach at Karns. I asked him why? He said, I am really excited about it. I said, well. o.k. If you remember, Karns beat A.E. (Austin East) last year and I posted my congratulations on this my blog. They had an excellent year, John Fulkerson's stamp is on the team and it's success. Athletic success is not always shared by administrator's that focus solely on "academics". Athletics is not for everybody, but for some it creates the well rounded student that they become.
Cathy Torrence, a mother of a Karns High School football player, came to the Knox County school board meeting Wednesday evening to lobby for Coach John Fulkerson's return to the field.
Cathy Torrence summed it up in her remarks to the board last night that were not reported in the article. "Before John Fulkerson, Karns had a football team so that the band could perform."
Keep Coach in your thoughts and prayers. It is difficult to know that your fate is not in your hands, but in the hands of people that do not know you.
Having been a grauate of Karns High School and playing for John Fulkerson for 3 years on the football team I will be the first to say that he was an outstanding coach, teach, and friend. However, I cannot deny that some of his methods were a little over the top. He is an outspoke Christian who is very firm about his beliefs and is not afraid to voice his opinions even if it offends others. He helped me get into college on a full football scholarship and completely turned the moral of both the school and football team. I don't know what happened to him after he left Karns. Whatever he's doing I wish im the best of luck and its unfortunate that things had to play out the way they did.
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