Tennessee unveils commemorative helmet sticker honoring Dolly Parton
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Tennessee unveiled a commemorative helmet sticker on Monday afternoon that pays tribute to late country singing legend Dolly Parton, the Tennessee native who loved Volunteers football.
As a nod to what Parton’s devotion to the program meant, Tennessee‘s players will wear the helmet sticker for every game during the 2026 season.
The “Queen of Country Music” who was also famous for her acting career while launching The Dollywood Company, Parton passed away recently at the age of 80.
Parton was born in 1946 in Pittman Center, Tenn., and the Volunteer State icon loved her Volunteers dearly. She was never shy about showing off that loyalty, and now that longtime bond will be repaid by Tennessee football in the form of the helmet sticker that her favorite college football team will wear this season.
She famously combined her love for Tennessee football with her adored singing during a home game against Georgia in 2023, when she sang “Rocky Top” on the field at Neyland Stadium.
Parton also showed her love for the Vols by releasing a collection of Tennessee-themed merchandise, which included a “Vols Edition” of her album “Rockstar.” That album featured a live rendition of “Rocky Top.”
The Tennessee football program will carry Parton’s memory with it every time it takes the field this fall, showing off the helmet sticker on Monday as it prepares for the 2026 season opener against Furman on Saturday.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
