HONORING FARRAGUT HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH EDDIE COURTNEY UPON RECEIVING THE INAUGURAL
COURTNEY COURAGE AWARD
February 14, 2006
U.S. House of Representatives
Mr. Speaker, on January 18th of this year, Farragut High School Head
Football Coach Eddie Courtney was named the first recipient of the
Eddie Courtney Courage Award named in his honor.
This ceremony took place at the end of a grueling and testing season
for Coach Courtney and his Admiral football team. Coach Courtney was
diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease last spring and despite months of
radiation and chemotherapy, he guided the Admirals to the Class 5A
quarterfinals and an 11-3 record. Throughout his intensive
treatment, he never missed a team function, including summer
conditioning workouts, cutting the grass and lining the field before
games and scrimmages.
Mr. Speaker, I ask the readers of the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD and my
fellow colleagues to join me in honoring the courage, strength and
leadership of Farragut High School Head Football Coach Eddie
Courtney. I also include the following news article printed in the
Knoxville News-Sentinel. [From the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Jan. 19,
2006]
COURTNEY AWARD STANDS FOR COURAGE
(By Drew Edwards)
Farragut High School football coach Eddie Courtney was named the
first recipient and namesake of the Courage Award at the PrepXtra
football awards banquet Wednesday night in the Wolf Kaplan Center
inside Neyland Stadium.
Courtney was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease last spring and guided
the Admirals to the Class 5A quarterfinals and an 11-3 record.
Throughout months of radiation and chemotherapy, the 52-year-old
coach never missed a team function, including summer conditioning
workouts.
He continued to perform his other duties, including cutting the
grass and lining the field.
``It started with (my faith) and having great friends,'' Courtney
said. ``And I'm here because of the game of football. As a player,
it was always just suck-it-up and go.''
Farragut linebacker Nick Reveiz said Courtney's attitude rubbed off
on the team.
``He's a man, and that's the true definition of a man,'' Reveiz told
the News Sentinel in November. ``He takes what life gives him. He
doesn't whine about anything. That's one person that no matter what
comes his way, no matter how unfair it is, no matter what happens,
he's not going to complain about anything. He's going to take what's
given and make the best out of it.''
Courtney finished his radiation treatments last month and will visit
doctors once every two months for the next year.
The Eddie Courtney Courage Award will be given each year to a
player, coach or contributor to local high school football who has
shown the spirit to face fear or danger with confidence, resolution
and dignity.
|