Tonight, we celebrate the life and career of the Voice of the Vols, John Ward. Ward's iconic calls are legendary and his passion for his craft painted the memories of the orange and white for Vol fans across the state and around the world. Mark Dyer is a native Tennessean having grown up in Madison. He's a 1981 graduate of UT. Dyer worked for the athletic department, the Vol Network and was the GM of the network in 1989. Dyer now owns his own company Taymar Ventures. Dyer knew John Ward as well as anyone and recalled his friendship with Ward.
My story is probably very familiar to many native Tennesseans in my age group. Born in 1958. Grew up in the Volunteer State, in the North Nashville town of Madison. Went to my first UT football game in 1971 when my parents moved my older sister in to Hess Hall to begin her freshman year. The Vols played Cal-Santa Barbara in a light rain at Neyland Stadium. I sat under the old press box on the last row of UU.
I was hooked. I asked my parents to take me to book store so i could cover myself in Tennessee Orange. We got the Sunday News-Sentinel and I devoured every bit of the sports section.
The Vol Network became my touchstone to the University and its athletics program. I started listening to every minute of every broadcast on my old transitor radio on WSIX. Even in bed on school nights when Ray Mears' Basketball Vols were playing. John Ward became my hero. I mimicked him when i got to do the p.a. system at junior high basketball games.
I made up my mind on that rainy day at Neyland Stadium that I was going to UT. At the tender age of 12. Not only that, I was going to be involved with the athletics program. Not only that, I was going to get to know my hero, John Ward.
I will hit 60 in October and I still can't believe it all happened, and more but this is not about me. This is about you, my fellow Vol fan.
Haywood Harris and Bud Ford hired me for a student assistant position in UT Sports Information as an incoming freshman in 1976. John came by the office on a regular basis during football season. I made sure I met him, and I made sure to get some face time with him any time I could. John took a shine to me. I'm not sure I gave him a choice. He started giving me little tasks to help him. Things went from there.
My favorite memories with John I want to share with my fellow Vol fans:
As the 1978 season was going to start a week later than usual with UCLA, John invited me out to his house in Fox Den to watch the Bruins open with Washington the week before. I don't know how many friends back in my hometown of Madison that I called to tell them I was going to John's house!
My first real job after graduation was at Host Communications in 1982 in Lexington. John called one day and said he had a possible opportunity in the UT athletics department. He didn't have to ask twice. What he didn't tell me was I would be sharing an office with athletics director Bob Woodruff. I was honored to be that close to Coach Woodruff, a man John and all of us revered, but I was relieved to join John and Edwin Huster at the spartan Vol Network offices several months later.
As time went by, I was invited to the regular Friday morning doubles tennis game with John, Edwin and Coach Johnny Majors. This match was always held during football season. Coach Majors always had Edwin, the best player of the crew, on his team and John was stuck with me.
Everyone that lived during the 1985 season will always remember how special it was, and the New Orleans Sugar Bowl trip was magical. My two greatest memories from that trip are stepping out of the ritzy Arnaud's restaurant onto Bourbon Street just before midnight on New Year's Eve and Vols fans mobbing John and the great Bill Anderson. The other is walking back into the Hyatt from the Superdome after the incredible upset of Miami and jubilant Vol fans mobbing John and Bill again.
Things got a little weird when Host Communications got the radio and sponsorship rights at UT in 1987, and I was elevated to general manager, but John made it a great transition, and I wouldn't have made it a week if he hadn't agreed to continue on as the Voice of the Vols.
John loved Bill Anderson. He adored him. We had great times at Friday night dinners before road football games. John loved to laugh. He was the best dressed man i've ever known, getting his clothes custom made by the famous John Yacoubian in downtown Chattanooga. John was also a true restaurant connoissieur. His favorite place the last several years was The Milling Co. in Maryville.
We had some great golf games. John always had Bill on his team and Huster and I struggled to compete with John's great short game and Bill's thunderous drives off the tee.
My son was born in October of 1990. His name is John. I moved on in my career in 1992 but stayed in touch with my Vol Network and UT family. We shockingly lost Edwin in 2004. Bill Anderson passed on a year ago and John got sick last year and fought valiantly, even though he lost his beloved wife Barbara at the beginning of his illness.
John Ward was incredibly smart. You may not believe this but John was very shy. Away from the mic, he was a very private person. In addition to me, John was a mentor to many, many people over time. John had a tremendous influence and role in giving Brent Hubbs his start. I think it is safe to say there would be no Volquest without Brent, and Brent might not have become what he has without John Ward.
No one ever put more into a broadcast than John. His preparation was legendary. He kept everybody on edge in the press box. He demanded excellence from himself and everyone around him.
He loved his home state of Tennessee. He could name the county seat of all 95 counties. He did it many times as we criss-crossed the state selling the Big Orange gospel. He could stop all activity at the McDonald's at the Cookeville exit by just entering the lobby and ordering a milkshake.
Many don't remember or know John started out as the p.a. guy at Neyland Stadium. He always ribbed the late, great Bobby Denton about inventing the phrases Bobby made famous.
I can't end without calling out the incredible devotion of the Vol Network's Steve Early and Ben Bates, and UT's Barry Rice and Link Hudson, who cared for John during his extended illness. He lost Barbara early in his struggle. They were his family. Steve and those guys took care of John every single day, took him food every night, in spite of the fact each have fulltime jobs and families.
They orchestrated and made John's appearance at Neyland Stadium for the Vanderbilt game happen last November. John was gaunt and fading but the video shows him soaking in the scene one last time.
On my frequent visits to Knoxville the past year, I'd go by and visit with John and at least one of them would be there. I'd tell them off to the side there was no way they could keep this up, but they did. And all four of them were at his bedside when he was called home.
If you go to the tribute tonight, seek out these four guys and shake their hand. I've never seen devotion like these guys displayed the past year. I will personally appreciate it for the rest of my life.
I'll spare the Twenty and Thirty-somethings the lecture on the greatness of John Ward, and I'll take a little issue with my dear friend Steve, who turned a great phrase in announcing John's passing by saying "Tennessee has lost its voice." Yes, Steve, we all lost him in the physical sense Wednesday night but I stayed up into the wee hours Thursday morning listening to and reliving many of those wonderful moments he captured and elevated. John still lives in his body of work. If you're too young to have heard him live, invest some time in doing so the next few days. You'll thank me.
I'm proud to say I hired Steve Early at the Vol Network. I hope he speaks tonight. He will "nail it," as Ward would say.
Quite simply, to many of us, he WAS and IS Tennessee. Our hearts are broken from Mountain City to Memphis, and all points in between and across the Volunteer State. But all of the Vols in Heaven celebrated the arrival of "The Voice" Wednesday night. Tonight, we will celebrate one of the greatest of Tennesseans.