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You may remember that Peyton Manning once referred to Mike Vanderjagt as "our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off."Turns out he basically could have been talking about his entire football program at the University of Tennessee.
UT punter Britton Colquitt has been suspended for the first five games of the 2008 season and stripped of his scholarship after a weekend arrest involving drunk driving. Sunday's encounter with police occurred when Colquitt was driving a 1998 Jeep Cherokee and struck a parked vehicle near downtown Knoxville. Police stopped him and arrested him for drunk driving.
This isn't the first time Colquitt has been caught drinking either. No sir, he's a champ. In March 2004, Fulmer suspended Colquitt from the team after Colquitt's fourth alcohol-related incident in a six-month span. Three of the incidents occurred during a 12-day stretch in 2003. Now that's pretty impressive.
Just going out on limb here, but something tells me Colquitt may have a problem. He also seems to have been in school forever. Alcohol violations in 2003? And he'll be on the team in 2008? Dude, get your damn degree.
And it's not just Colquitt. During the past 38 days, nine UT football players have either had run-ins with police or been dismissed from the team for unspecified violations of team rules. Let's look at the highlights.
• On Jan. 11, freshman receivers Gerald Jones and Ahmad Paige were issued misdemeanor citations for marijuana possession. Freshman offensive lineman William Brimfield was also in the car, as was an Oklahoma high school football player visiting Knoxville on a recruiting trip. Brimfield and the high school student were not cited.
Fulmer disciplined Jones, Paige and Brimfield with community service at a drug rehab center and participation in police ride-alongs.
• On Jan. 21, freshman running back Daryl Vereen was arrested and charged with public intoxication and underage consumption on campus. His punishment was similar to that of Jones, Paige and Brimfield. Vereen also has a semester-long curfew.
• On Jan. 26, offensive lineman Anthony Parker was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Fulmer said he would punish Parker internally.
• On Feb. 2, Vince Faison, a walk-on defensive back, was arrested and charged with DUI. He was suspended for the first two games of the 2008 season.
• On Feb. 13, linebacker Dorian Davis and defensive back Antonio Wardlow were dismissed from the team for unspecified violations of team rules.
The funny thing is, if you listen to all the rumors out there, this is pretty much an average 38-day stretch for UT. That's probably the only reason Phil Fulmer still has a job. Well, that and the fact that football is more important at Tennessee than having a clean, upstanding program.
Be proud Peyton, be proud indeed.
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