‘98 Vols team celebrates 25th anniversary of championship

The team got together in downtown Knoxville to celebrate their championship season as a part of “Champions Weekend”.
The team got together in downtown Knoxville to celebrate their championship season as a part of “Champions Weekend”.
Published: Sep. 29, 2023 at 10:24 PM EDT
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - It’s been 25 years since the Vols won it all taking home the BCS National Championship after a win over Florida State.

To celebrate the occasion, members of that 1998 team got together in downtown Knoxville to catch up and remember their big win.

“People weren’t expecting us to be good and they made people wrong. It was really fun to be a part of to see them grow especially on offense, on defense, we were darn good,” said head coach Phillip Fulmer.

Fulmer said the team rallied around the underdog mentality, which helped them win close games against Arkansas and Florida.

“I hadn’t made no tackles or anything the whole game it was the only play I made the whole game,” said defensive tackle Billy Ratliff who forced the fumble in the Arkansas game that allowed the offense to go on a game-winning drive.

Several members from that team getting to catch up for the first time in decades, while others keep in touch often.

On Champions Weekend in Tennessee, the players on this team still feel beloved by the fans.

“Well, it’s awesome to see that these people still remember what we did 25 years ago so it’s just an awesome feeling.”

The Vols will honor the ‘98 team and other past champions at the university on Saturday ahead of the South Carolina game.