Eddie Courtney occasionally had Adam Fulton accompany the linebackers during practice.
“'I'm a quarterback,'” Courtney recalled Fulton saying incredulously while playing football at Farragh from 2013 to 2017.
Courtney used these examples to help the starting quarterback continue to get tougher as a player. This was one of the countless ways Fulton served as a leader and ultimately led Farragut to its first and only state championship in 2016.
“That kid gave it his all for four years,” Courtney said. He gave his all to our program. I mean, I have a lot of stories like that. ”
Since first being hired as an assistant coach at Farragut in 1977 and taking over the program in 1996, Courtney has witnessed the same transformation in numerous players.
Courtney, a two-time cancer survivor, realized he had given his all as Farragut's coach and announced his retirement on Wednesday.
“The 12-, 13-hour days were starting to add up little by little, and I knew it was time for a change,” Courtney, 70, told Knox News. “It’s a great program, a great community, everything about it is great. I’ve been lucky enough to be in a great place, and someone has added some new things to it and added some new things to the program. It’s time to give it more energy.”
famous soccer coach
Courtney finished his career with 204 wins, which ranks fifth among active coaches in the state. He won 28 games in the playoffs and was named Area Coach of the Year four times.
He was named PrepXtra Coach of the Year in 2016 and received the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame Pat Summitt Ignite Award in 2017.
In December 2021, Courtney was inducted into the Tennessee Football Coaches Association's Class of 2020 Hall of Fame. He has coached over 200 college signees, 47 All-State players, 6 Mr. He Football finalists, and 6 Mr. He NFL players.
In the final game, Farragut defeated Maryville 13-10 with the game-winning field goal.
Prior to joining Farragut, he worked as a university employee at Mars Hill, East Tennessee. He had never gone to coach another high school football program.
Courtney's football accolades aren't what made him the Knoxville football figure people looked up to.
“I've never counted the number of wins or how many guys played college football,” Courtney said. “Relationships meant more to me than anything else.”
Courtney said he appreciates being heard when former players get married or have success in their professional lives. He enjoys explaining to his wife how he remembers former players' names and jersey numbers as they come up. Courtney's athletic victories are satisfying, but they don't outweigh the human element.
“With wins like that, the championship is coming,” Courtney said. “When you start looking at those things instead of looking at humans and individual people, it becomes less interesting because it doesn't matter to you.
“When I see them succeed, that makes me happy.”
Twice Cancer Survivor
The job of a high school coach is not always simple. Courtneys was in a difficult situation with a tragedy with his players and their parents. Courtney himself has faced two different battles with cancer and has two victories greater than any in football.
He battled Hodgkin's disease in 2005, but never missed a game or practice. In 2020, he continued to coach after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, rejoining the team four days after surgery.
“I feel very lucky to be a two-time cancer survivor, but I never take that for granted,” Courtney said.
He said his perseverance is rooted in what is most important to him: his faith, his family and, finally, his passion for football.
“It was a challenge,” Courtney said. “Football was something that gave me a reason to get up every morning. Even when I was going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. It was the kind of thing that got me through it. And God I think they tried to use that as an example to encourage other people who might be going through the same thing or something similar, medically or otherwise.”
what's next
Courtney's retirement does not mean he is no longer present in the Farragut community. Besides spending more time with his family, he still has goals.
“No. 1 is trying to spend more time with family and friends,” Courtney said. “But I'm going to continue to give to this school, and I can't walk away from this even after all these years. I'm going to move into some kind of position, maybe director of football operations or relations.” .”
He said there are several major projects, such as facility renovations, that he would like to help bring to fruition. He also plans to enjoy his time away from the sidelines, experiencing Farragut football as a fan and spending time with his former players and friends.
Courtney said he will continue to be a willing resource for coaches who need advice or help in any way.
“That part of me wants to be around the game, but it's time for me to no longer be on the sidelines,” Courtney said.
March 22 is the day Farragut will announce its next coach before spring practice begins.
Courtney's advice: “Be who you are and add energy to this program. This program is about leading boys to greatness and helping them become who they want to be.”
Toyroy Brown III is a sports reporter for Knox News. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. Previously on X, he was on Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
