Friends, family, former players, the basketball community, the University of Tennessee and Knoxville communities, and the public at large gathered on Thursday at Thompson-Boling Arena to honor the life and legacy of Pat Summitt.
The service was hosted by ABC’s Robin Roberts, a close friend of Summit’s.
Among those who gave speeches at the service was Shelly Sexton-Collier, currently the head coach at Webb School of Knoxville of the girls’ basketball team. She played for Summitt’s Lady Vols from 1983 to 1987—including the ’87 National Championship team.
Look at the person beside you, at this very moment and decide that you are going to make an impact in a powerful and positive way—because that’s what Pat did for everyone.
–Shelley Sexton-Collier
She also told a story of how she was overly critical of herself and how Summitt told her she had to stop being so hard on herself and focus more about encouraging and uplifting her teammates.
Tamika Catchings told a story of how in the eighth grade, she was changing channels, stopped to watch a game that Summitt was coaching and was enthralled with her as a coach and hoped she would be good enough to play for her. She was part of two of Summitt’s Lady Vols national championship teams in the late 90’s.
To our leader, our mentor, our mother, our friend, our inspiration, our angel—thank you for being a faithful servant in all that you did and allowing us to walk the walk of life with you. This is not a goodbye, but an ‘until we meet again.’
–Tamika Catchings
Mickie DeMoss was once an assistant coach under Summitt at the University of Tennessee. She talked about how Summitt acknowledged that the success she had throughout her career did not come without help from many people along the way.
This is one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do—is to speak about Pat in the past tense, because she meant so much to me, to you, and to the world. Because Pat was our friend, she was our coach, and she was our family—and what a family she created. An unbelievable family like no other. And it was built on love and loyalty.
–Mickie DeMoss
Also among the attendees was Holly Warlick—another one of Summitt’s former assistants and the current head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. One of the lighter moments came when she spoke of how she loved to drive her car fast and get out of speeding tickets.
Warlick also got to sing the “Rocky Top” fight song to a video of Summitt, in a Tennessee cheerleaders’ outfit, also singing said song on the floor of the Thompson-Boling Arena at a Volunteers’ men’s basketball game.
“Pat, I love you. You’ll always be in my heart. We are going to keep your spirit alive here at the University of Tennessee. And as Pat always said to me, ‘once a Lady Vol, always a Lady Vol.’”
–Holly Warlick
The service also included words from Summitt’s son, Tyler, who talked about how much of an influence she, as a mother, had on him. He also remarked on how much Summitt had, as he described it, “a heart for others.”
Tennessee football quarterback Peyton Manning spoke as well and he urged those in attendance to support the Pat Summitt Foundation which aims to fund research in the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease. He also remarked that he, as a former football player, would have loved to have been coached by Summitt.
