Thursday, November 12, 2009

Tennessee Players Arrested for Attempted Armed Robbery

http://home.comcast.net/~matthew.pulsifer/pwpimages/utweightroom7pi.jpg
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/writers/andy_staples/02/05/kiffin-meyer/nu%27keese-richardson-p1.jpg 
You've probably heard by now about the three University of Tennessee football players (Janzen Jackson, Nu'Keese Richardson, and Mike Edwards) and a female accomplice that were arrested this morning.  If you haven't, here is the article.

If you remember in the preseason when Kiffin tried to turn in Florida for recruiting violations that didn't exist, it was Richardson he was referring to.  It doesn't actually have anything to do with this case, but I still think it is kinda funny.


http://media.govolsxtra.com/media/img/photos/2009/02/05/Janzen-Jackson_t300.jpg

http://media.govolsxtra.com/media/img/photos/2009/02/04/020509edwards_t300.jpg


As an Alabama fan, my first instinct is to laugh at this and just say "typical Viles; some things never change".  But I don't want to do that.  These kids may play for the school I love to hate, but they are just kids.

Now, we don't know all of the facts of this case yet.  In fact, two of the three players have already been released from jail so this could be nothing.  But I have to say, it doesn't look like nothing.

For a moment, lets assume the facts are anywhere close to as bad as they seem right now.  This could be another four lives thrown down the drain way too early.  I don't know anything about the girl involved and I don't know much about Edwards, but I remember Richardson and Janzen from recruiting, and these kids looked to have NFL potential written all over them.  If this case is as bad as initial reports, they may not even get the chance to continue their football careers, much less anything farther.  They may just fall into the category of "whatever happened to" and sometime in about 15 years Pat Forde in his "Forde Yard Dash" and put out an APB for Nu'Keese Richardson - the top recruit that went to jail.

But I guess if Pat Lazear can find his way onto a college football roster, I suppose anything is possible.

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I hope what we think we know today turns out to be wrong.  I hope these kids get to keep playing football for Tennessee (well I'd like them to transfer to a school I don't hate, but you know what I mean), and I hope they get their lives on track.  But as of tonight, I fear for the future of these four young individuals.

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