Category: Tennessee

Posted on

Tennessee football suspends players after arrests at Stokely Hall

French Washington Willis The Fulmer Cup

Three Tennessee football players were named in a UT report about an incident in Stokely Hall that occurred Tuesday evening on the Knoxville campus

Tennessee football players Martavius French, Isaac Washington and Aaron Willis were suspended indefinitely Friday after they were arrested this week on preliminary charges related to misdemeanor drug possession.

A fourth player also was suspended indefinitely, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Knox News.

A UT police log released Friday listed five individuals, including French, Washington and Willis, arrested in connection with an incident that occurred Tuesday evening at the Stokely Hall dorm on the Knoxville campus. The log does not provide the date of the arrests.

Also arrested were an unnamed juvenile and Clinton Warren, who is listed in UT’s online directory as a student but is not a member of the football team. Some signees who enrolled in January are not yet 18. Knox News could not confirm the identity of the unnamed juvenile.

“We are aware of an incident that occurred at Stokely Hall involving football student-athletes,” Tennessee Athletics said in a statement. “The individuals involved in the incident have been suspended indefinitely from football activities pending further review of the matter by the university.”

A witness reported to UT police that their roommate answered the door and was assaulted by one male, while three or four other males entered the apartment, went into another room and took items belonging to the individual who had answered the door, according to a UT public safety notice.

The person who had answered the door and the witness said they did not know the people who entered the residence, according to the safety notice issued earlier this week after UT Housing staff notified UTPD on Tuesday about an incident at Stokely Hall.

Willis, from Life Christian Academy in Virginia, is the top-rated member of Tennessee’s 2021 recruiting class. The four-star linebacker enrolled in January.

Washington is a three-star defensive tackle from East Surry High School in North Carolina who also enrolled in January.

French signed in the previous recruiting class as a four-star linebacker recruit from Whitehaven High in Memphis. He did not play during the 2020 season.

Willis was ranked as the No. 8 inside linebacker prospect nationally in the 247Sports Composite in the 2021 recruiting class. He’s expected to help boost a position that lost starters Henry To’o To’o and Quavaris Crouch to the transfer portal.

Willis, Washington and French signed with Tennessee while Jeremy Pruitt was coach. Tennessee hired Josh Heupel as coach on Jan. 27 after firing Pruitt on Jan. 18, ending his tenure after three seasons.

Source: Tennessee football suspends players after arrests at Stokely Hall

Posted on

Emmitt Gooden, Tennessee Volunteer, arrested for felony domestic assault

Emmitt Gooden The Fulmer Cup

Emmitt Gooden, arguably the Tennessee Volunteers best returning defensive lineman has been dismissed from the team after he was arrested on Thursday for felony domestic assault.

Emmitt Gooden is accused of hitting his girlfriend in the head with a glass jar candle during an argument, according to online police records. His girlfriend sustained lacerations on her left eyebrow and the corner of her left eye that required sutures at the University of Tennessee medical center.

The senior from Brownsville transferred to Tennessee from Independence community college where he was featured on the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U.” Gooden playing in all 12 games last season ranking third on the team with 7 tackles for loss.

Source: Veteran DL dismissed from Vols football program

Posted on

Darel Middleton, Tennessee DL Arrested on Saturday Morning

Darel Middleton The Fulmer CupAccording to multiple reports, Tennessee rising senior defensive lineman Darel Middleton was arrested early Saturday morning on two charges. Trey Wallace of The Read Optional was the first to report the news, and David Ubben of The Athletic confirmed it, adding that Middleton was arrested on charges of domestic assault and public intoxication. UT is aware of the arrest and issued a statement, saying, “We are aware of the incident and are gathering information.”

Middleton is getting a pre-trial release later this afternoon, per Wallace.

Per Brent Hubbs of VolQuest, the incident report claims that police responded to a simple assault behind Walgreen’s on Cumberland Avenue. A witness informed the officers that Middleton was in the lobby of the nearby Standard Apartments. There, the officers found Middleton unsteady on his feet with slurred speech, and they could smell alcohol.

A witness and the alleged victim informed officers that Middleton was angry at the victim, who was his girlfriend, over one of her male friends.

Both the witness and victim said that Middleton got into a fight with one of his own friends. Middleton’s girlfriend allegedly tried to stop the fight, and Middleton pushed her to the ground. She told officers that Middleton helped her up, apologized, and hugged her.

The witness then said she attempted to make Middleton let go of his girlfriend, then he pushed his girlfriend down a second time.

Per the report, Middleton was taken into custody without incident. The male victim that Middleton allegedly got into a fight with was not located by the authorities.

The 6-foot-7, 311-pound lineman joined the Vols as a junior college signee in the 2019 class and was one of Tennessee’s top contributors along the defensive line last season. Middleton played in all 13 games for the Vols and started six contests, totaling 28 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick.

Prior to coming to Tennessee, Middleton played at East Mississippi Community College. Before that, Middleton played tight end at Oak Ridge High School in 2015 before enrolling in the JUCO ranks. Before transferring to Oak Ridge, Middleton played at Powell High School.

Source: Report: Vol DL Arrested on Saturday Morning | Rocky Top Insider

Posted on

Kenneth George Jr., Tennessee football player, arrested in Miami Beach

Kenneth George The Fulmer CupKenneth George, a University of Tennessee football player is accused of punching a Miami Beach police officer and then running from officers who tried to take him into custody.

George faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, resisting an officer without violence and disorderly conduct.

According to a Miami Beach police report, George was being combative with officers who was walking in the middle of Espanola Way.

Police said George was cursing at one of the officers and ignoring his commands. As the officer tried to get him out of the street, George punched him and knocked the police radio out of his hands, the report said.

Source: Tennessee football player Kenneth George Jr. arrested in Miami Beach

Posted on

Vols’ Ryan Thaxton suspended after domestic assault, false imprisonment charges

The Fulmer Cup Ryan Thaxton
University of Tennessee football player Ryan Thaxton was suspended Monday after a Sunday night arrest.

The second-year defensive lineman was charged with domestic assault and false imprisonment of his girlfriend, according to online court records.

“We are aware of the incident,” Tennessee football spokesman Zach Stipe wrote Monday in a statement to USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee. “The student-athlete has been suspended from all team activities while law enforcement and the university investigates.”

According to online court records, Thaxton is accused of pushing his girlfriend toward his room when she refused to accompany him to his dorm. Thaxton then carried her inside the dorm room, where an argument took place, and he blocked the door when she attempted to leave, according to records.

Source: Vols’ Ryan Thaxton suspended after domestic assault, false imprisonment charges

Posted on

Tennessee will reportedly name ex-Vols coach Phil Fulmer its new athletic director

The Fulmer Cup Phillip FulmerThe latest episode of “The Vols of our Lives” has former Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer being named the school’s athletic director. Fulmer would replace John Currie, who Tennessee fired on Friday after Currie’s decision to fire Butch Jones resulted in the world’s worst coaching search.

After a fan revolt following the near-hire of Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, Tennessee went through candidate after candidate for its vacancy, doing little more than helping coaches at other schools secure raises by using the Vols as leverage.

The hope now is that Fulmer will bring some much-needed stability to the program as it attempts to get through these rough waters. Of course, it should be pointed out that Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Feldman reported Friday that Fulmer was trying to “undermine” Currie’s efforts in hopes of securing the AD position for himself.

Source: Tennessee will reportedly name ex-Vols coach Phil Fulmer its new athletic director

Posted on

Tennessee Suspends John Kelly, Will Ignont Following Marijuana Arrest (The Fulmer Cup Offseason)

John Kelly Will Ignont The Fulmer Cup

Tennessee coach Butch Jones announced running back John Kelly and linebacker Will Ignont have been suspended for Saturday’s game against Kentucky after a traffic stop that resulted in their being charged with marijuana possession.

Knoxville Police public information officer Darrell DeBusk told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach officers stopped Kelly’s car at 10:46 p.m. ET Tuesday. They searched the car and found a substance believed to be marijuana and a pipe.

Source: Tennessee Suspends John Kelly, Will Ignont Following Marijuana Arrest | Bleacher Report