FULMER EMBRACES ROLE FIGHTING YOUTH SUICIDE
Jan. 20, 2006
By Elizabeth A. Davis
Associated Press
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
Clark Flatt started a youth suicide awareness organization in 1997 after his 16-year-old son Jason shot and killed himself.
But Flatt's teenage advisers, some of whom were friend of Jason, suggested that the group might be more effective with a national spokesman.
They suggested Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer.
Eight years later, there are 37 college coaches and two NFL coaches involved in The Jason Foundation to help prevent youth suicide - a tragedy that hit the coaching ranks last month with the death of Tony Dungy's son James.
After the teenagers wrote Fulmer a letter, he invited Flatt for a visit.
"He let me get into about two minutes of my prepared speech about why he should do this, and he stopped me," Flatt said. "He said, 'Clark, I didn't invite you up here to sell me on this. I invited you up here to say if you think I can help save one young person's life, tell me how I can do it and I want to work with you.'"
Fulmer has been the national spokesman since 1998.
"Being a parent yourself, it's always something that's a concern," he said. "Being around basically children, young men, all my life under pressure from lots of different environments, it's always something that I was... concerned about."
He has convinced the other 11 coaches in the Southeastern Conference and 25 others around the country, including Notre Dame's Charlie Weis and Southern California's Pete Carroll, to be foundation ambassadors in their states. The Titan's Jeff Fisher and Dolphins' Nick Saban also are ambassadors.
The foundation held training sessions at the American Football Coaches Association convention this past week.
"Jason would be and is, I'm sure, very proud these coaches have taken his tragedy and helped so many other young people through that," Flatt said.
Fulmer's involvement ranges from keeping tabs on the budget to hosting an annual golf tournament to raise money. He makes calls and speaks on behalf of the foundation.
