Grant Lucas – Sports editor. In December 2008, Lane Kiffin entered a University of Tennessee press conference room as the school’s new head football coach. Hopes were high in Volunteer Country, and fans and sports writers were dubbing Kiffin the next great college football coach because of his success as offensive coordinator at the University of Southern California.
Kiffin wasted no time in setting a tone for the Vols, calling out University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer not only for a Southeastern Conference championship but also for recruiting violations.
As the offseason progressed, Kiffin continued to whine about other programs’ NCAA violations. All his complaints were shot down, however, by the national committee. As the summer approached, journalists and Tennessee supporters began to question Kiffin’s knowledge of college football.
After opening the 2009-10 season with 5-4 overall and 2-3 SEC records, Kiffin didn’t show any signs of negativity. In fact, on Nov. 11, because the university has seen its share of criminal conduct, Kiffin bragged about the 11-month streak in which no Volunteer player was arrested.
Swing and a miss, Lane. Less than a day after this statement was made, three players were arrested outside a Knoxville convenience store for robbery.
Freshmen wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson and defensive backs Janzen Jackson and Michael Edwards were charged with three counts of attempted armed robbery.
The robbery victims told police that they were sitting in their car waiting for a friend who was in the store. A black male, they said, approached the vehicle wearing a black hoodie and holding what appeared to be a handgun. A second assailant opened the passenger door of the victims’ car and said to “give them everything they got.”
Panicking, the victims showed the hooded man their empty wallets. At this time, a third male told his accomplices they needed to leave. The suspects re-entered their Toyota Prius and drove off.
Shortly after, police pulled the Prius over outside the players’ dormitory and arrested the three men.
After searching the vehicle, officers found the black hoodies and a carbon dioxide-powered pellet gun under the back seat. To make things worse, police also discovered a marijuana grinder and a bag of what appeared to be marijuana in a jacket pocket. Both items were claimed by a fourth suspect, Marie Montmarquet, who drove the Prius.
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton issued a statement saying the school would evaluate the situation before implementing any disciplinary action.
Ironically, Richardson was at the center of Kiffin’s dispute with Meyer during Kiffin’s accusations of the Gator coach’s recruiting violations.
Granted, it’s probably easy to identify a robbery suspect by physical features. These players, however, made the victims’ jobs effortless.
First of all, the robbery attempt took place just outside of the Tennessee campus in a convenience store parking lot that was one of the busiest in the area. Even easier, the getaway car was one of the only 2010 Toyotas on campus. So far, these guys are batting a thousand.
During the robbery, one of the players was wearing Tennessee football gear. Gee, I wonder where he’s from.
Upon leaving the scene, all four suspects remained in the Prius rather than ditching the car somewhere else. Even better, they held onto the recognizable hoodies and the weapon-of-choice.
Was the Pilot convenience store an optimal target area? Seriously, the owner of this place is also Tennessee’s most prominent athletics booster. This may affect how he treats the Volunteer program in the future.
With the football/robbery season winding down, Kiffin should begin to think about changing his recruiting checklist. His questions should reflect more off-the-field tendencies rather than on-the-field performance.
Kiffin is also lobbying for black Volunteer uniforms. After this incident, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tennessee changes its school colors to neon hues.