The Tennessee Volunteers football team will honor the legendary singer Dolly Parton with a special helmet sticker this season, head coach Josh Heupel announced on Monday, as reported by infohub.kz.
Parton, a Tennessee native, passed away last week at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer. Heupel said, "I'd be remiss if I didn't also talk about the passing of Dolly Parton. All that she's meant across the world, this country, and certainly, the queen of East Tennessee – a lady that was extremely proud of her roots."
The singer grew up in Sevierville, about 30 miles east of Knoxville, where the University of Tennessee is located. Heupel added, "You look at her impact, her ability to give back, make an impact on people, certainly here in East Tennessee. She means a lot to people across this country. We'll be wearing a sticker patch on the back of our helmet to recognize her accomplishments and everything that she's meant."
Parton often spoke about her upbringing as one of 12 children in a "dirt poor" family. Inspired by her youth, she led several initiatives to give back to her hometown, including her nonprofit Imagination Library, which provides children with free books.
The sticker, in the Volunteers' signature orange, features a butterfly similar to the one in the logo of Dollywood, Parton's theme park. The logo also has "Dolly" written at its center.
Parton had a close relationship with the university. She performed twice on Tennessee's campus during world tours. In 2023, before a football game, she was walked to the stage at Neyland Stadium by former NFL and Tennessee star Peyton Manning. She then led the crowd in a rendition of "Rocky Top," a staple at Volunteers games.
Tennessee hosts Furman in their season-opener on Saturday.