Butler's Respect for Summitt Runs Much Deeper Than "We Back Pat" Initiative
Thursday, January 19, 2012 | Women's Basketball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The “We Back Pat” T-shirts have been a huge hit in Knoxville and other parts of Tennessee. So have the wristbands inscribed with “FIERCE COURAGE.”
The woman responsible was recently named Sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. There's not much left for Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt to accomplish as one of the game's most decorated leaders.
She has led the Lady Vols to eight national titles, 15 SEC Tournament titles and 29 NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over the program six weeks shy of her 22nd birthday in 1974.
Summitt is closing in on the 1,100th win of her Hall of Fame career, but in August she shared with the world a more important challenge: raising awareness and money to help fight early-onset dementia, Alzheimer's type.
Summitt was diagnosed with the disease last spring. She continues to coach the Lady Volunteers but has cut back her appearances and media availability to focus on her health and spread the message through her eponymous foundation.
The SEC is providing an assist this week with its “We Back Pat'' initiative, a movement to bring awareness and recognition to the Pat Summitt Foundation Fund in its fight against Alzheimer's disease.
The Gators are doing their part on Thursday when they host Alabama at the O'Connell Center. They will warm up in the purple “We Back Pat” T-shirts and the coaches will wear them throughout the game.
“It has really touched me in a very positive way,'' Summitt said of the initiative on a conference call last week. “It speaks volumes to what everyone is telling me all the time — that we are going to back you. I think it is something that has really gone throughout the league. I can tell you again that it touches my heart and means a lot to me and my son, Tyler, and our staff.''
Florida coach Amanda Butler grew up a couple of hours away from Tennessee's campus in tiny Mt. Juliet, which is a little east of Nashville. Summitt grew up in tiny Henrietta, a little west of Nashville.
Twelve years after Summitt took over the Lady Vols, she led them to their first national title in 1987. She made women's basketball in Tennessee bigger than the men's game. Summitt won her first national championship during Butler's freshman year of high school. By that time Butler was already well aware of the woman in the orange dress suits who spoke with the same middle-Tennessee twang as she did.
“Even if you're not a basketball fan, her name is so popular and so known throughout the state, even more than the elected officials,'' Butler said. “But Pat Summitt, you know who she is at a very, very young age.
“It's kind of something that you just grow up with, and then if you are a little girl and you think you want to play basketball it's like learning how to read. This is Step 1: Who is Pat Summitt? This is not who invented basketball, but certainly who defined what basketball means in that state. I'm proud to be from Tennessee and that being part of my basketball upbringing.”
Butler attended Summitt's basketball camps growing up and later competed against her Tennessee teams as a player at Florida. The Gators went 0-4 against the Lady Vols during Butler's playing career.
Since taking over as head coach, Butler hasn't fared much better against her coaching idol. The Gators are 1-8 against the Lady Vols during Butler's tenure, the victory coming in the 2008-09 season in the game after Summitt recorded her 1,000th career win.
The lack of success against Summitt hasn't turned Butler bitter toward the Tennessee treasure. More than anything it has deepened a respect that was already there well before the two became opponents and SEC colleagues.
“I think she is the best basketball coach who has ever been. Maybe I would feel differently if I had known John Wooden or someone personally, but I just think she is incredible,'' Butler said. “I think it's even more amazing that she is using her basketball platform in such a positive way while enduring such a personal struggle. She is willing to put her personal struggle aside and say, 'Here is an opportunity to draw attention and raise funds and raise awareness and use women's basketball to do that.' I just think that's incredible.”
Summitt's basketball legacy has been secure for more than two decades. But the 59-year-old's willingness to battle such a devastating disease in public view has won her over new fans and admirers.
Her story has received significant national exposure and moved people not normally interested in women's basketball to get involved.
“It's just been a huge impact,'' said Janice Wade Whitehead, executive director of Alzheimer's Tennessee, Inc. “She has always been a game-changer. And that's what we are seeing now. We've had calls like never before.''
More than 45,000 of the “We Back Pat” T-shirts have reportedly been sold to help raise money for the cause.
Danielle Donehew is Summitt's former director of basketball operations at Tennessee. She is now associate commissioner of Big East women's basketball and heavily involved in Summitt's foundation.
Donehew told SECSports.com earlier this week that Summitt is approaching her latest goal with the same mindset she has used to win 1,086 career games.
“Pat wants to make a difference in this fight and bring her best to the table,'' Donehew said. “Her vision [and mine] is to be authentic to who she is and who she has always been. Pat has always surrounded herself with talented people. Her Foundation Fund is no different. We are building a talented team with the goal of helping find a cure.”
Gators senior guard Jordan Jones will play her final regular-season game for the Gators on Feb. 26 at Tennessee. When she looks at the opposing bench and sees Summitt, she will know she is looking a perhaps the most important person in the history of women's college basketball.
“It seems like every little girl who plays basketball is either a UConn fan or a Tennessee fan,'' Jones said. “I was a Tennessee fan. I loved Pat Summitt. She is the face of women's basketball. She really provides this opportunity we have now by making a name for the game. Definitely my thoughts and prayers are with her.”
So are those of thousands of others during “We Back Pat” week.
