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University of Tennessee athletes are known as Volunteers ("Vols" for short) in honor of the Tennesseans who voluntarily went to assist the Texian settlers in their struggles against Mexico, from the defense of the Alamo (in which the famous backwoodsman Davey Crockett fought and perished) to the ensuing War for Texas Independence. When Texas was admitted into the Union in 1845, it was with a Tennessean (James Knox Polk) in the White House.
(I believe Tennessee sent three brigades of volunteers, which is why there are three stars on the Tennessee state flag.)
Of course, migration of Americans to Texas, beginning with Moses Austin, was less about building the Mexican economy and more about grabbing the land and expanding slavery to maintain the balance in the Senate between the industrial North and the agricultural South. The same for the Mexican War which Polk started by admitting Texas, which Mexico had issued an ultimatum against, but which ultimately expanded the USA out to California.
So not as deeply moral as Tennessee would like to claim it was, but do you want Dr. Pepper or not? (Takes sip of the Dr. Pepper on his side table, literally now.)
As state nicknames go, better than Razorbacks. Although not a patch on Golden Bears, I'll allow.
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