Three Tennessee Vols charged with Armed Robbery

[DeToxRox]

Considering all the smoke that's been around Kiffen since he got to Tennessee, this deserves it's own thread. It's not like these are three kids from the Fulmer regime either, it's three top freshman he got right before Signing Day. I'll be curious to see the fallout from this.

Safety Janzen Jackson and receiver Nu'Keese Richardson, two of coach Lane Kiffin's most prized signees from his first recruiting class, were among three Tennessee football players arrested early Thursday morning in Knoxville on charges of attempted armed robbery.

The third player arrested was also a freshman, defensive back Mike Edwards. It was not immediately clear if the players have attorneys.

According to a Knoxville City Police report, the arrests stemmed from an attempted robbery outside a convenience store near campus. A powered pellet gun was recovered in the players' car after they were stopped by police near the Gibbs Hall dormitory on campus, where the Vols' freshman football players live.

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At least one of the players arrested was wearing some type of Tennessee gear during the attempted robbery, according to police.

A fourth suspect, a woman alleged to have been driving a car with the three players as passengers, was also arrested.

"At this time we are currently evaluating the circumstances surrounding an incident involving Mike Edwards, Janzen Jackson and Nu'Keese Richardson," Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said in a prepared statement. "Any decisions or comments regarding their status will not be made until the evaluations are complete."

As recently as Wednesday, during the SEC coaches teleconference, Kiffin had praised his team for not having any off-the-field problems during his tenure and had repeated several times this year that the Vols had been free of any such incidents.

Jackson had started in all but two games this season for the Vols and had emerged as one of the better freshman players in the SEC. He was suspended for last week's Memphis game for what Kiffin said was a violation of team rules. According to two sources, that suspension came on the heels of a failed drug test.

There was some speculation a week ago that Richardson might be considering a transfer when he wasn't at a practice, but Kiffin said there were no issues and that everything was fine. Richardson scored a touchdown in the Vols' 56-28 win over Memphis last week.

Richardson, of Pahokee, Fla., was at the center of Kiffin's dustup with Florida coach Urban Meyer last February. Richardson had been committed to Florida for some time, but switched to Tennessee on signing day. The next day, at a Tennessee recruiting breakfast, Kiffin made his comments alleging Meyer cheated to get Richardson and still wasn't able to sign him. Kiffin was reprimanded by the SEC for those comments.

According to the police report, the victims of the robbery were in their car outside a Pilot convenience store, parked next to a Toyota Prius, when a black male approached wearing a hooded sweatshirt, brandishing what appeared to be a handgun, opened the driver's side door and said "Give me everything you have." A second black male also wearing a hooded sweatshirt then came around to the passenger side of the victims' car, opened it and said, "Give us everything you've got."

But when the victims opened their wallets and showed they had no money, a third black male approached the other two and said "we've got to go," and all three got into the Prius and drove away, according to the police report.

Police said when they pulled over the Prius, they found a black air-powered pellet gun and a pair of hooded sweatshirts. Police also said they found a marijuana grinder, which the driver, Marie Montmarquet, said belonged to her, and a baggie containing what appeared to be marijuana in Montmarquet's jacket.

According to police, the victims later identified Edwards and Richardson as the men who had approached them.

Chris Low covers SEC football for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[DeToxRox]

Dola, I forgot to add that I know Mike Edwards was a guy Ohio State wouldn't offer because of off the field troubles, and Jackson and Richardson have already had some issues this year as well, so while the armed robbery isn't something you assume will happen, the fact is these are kids he took chances on.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I was simultaneously posting this in the "CFB Week 11 thread".

Since I don't know which thread will end up with the conversation, I'll just double up here & say I wish this surprised me at all.

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I was simultaneously posting this in the "CFB Week 11 thread"

Just saw that. I assume someone can merge this in there?

[wade moore]

:sigh:

<----- UT Fan

[Honolulu_Blue]

Huh.

So, one of the guys is named Nu'Keese? And they drove a Prius as their getaway car?

All righty then...

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Huh.

So, one of the guys is named Nu'Keese? And they drove a Prius as their getaway car?

All righty then...

Nu'Keese was a HS teammate of Martavious Odoms, Brandin Hawthorne and Vincent Smith on Michigan. Pahokee, where they're from, is no joke.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

So, one of the guys is named Nu'Keese? And they drove a Prius as their getaway car?

Why do I imagine them driving away with that 'da doo doo dooo... da daaa daaa daa' song from the Volkswagen commercials a few years back playing.

[EagleFan]

Attempted armed robbery? They weren't even successful? I heard if they were Gators the robbery would have been successful...

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Nu'Keese was a HS teammate of Martavious Odoms, Brandin Hawthorne and Vincent Smith on Michigan. Pahokee, where they're from, is no joke.

With guys named Nu'Keese and Martavious around that place is no joke, indeed!

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

With guys named Nu'Keese and Martavious around that place is no joke, indeed!

Well played

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Nu'Keese was a HS teammate of Martavious Odoms, Brandin Hawthorne and Vincent Smith on Michigan. Pahokee, where they're from, is no joke.

Yep, Pahokee kids are always a risk. Their 7 on 7 team got kicked out of a national tournament this past summer.

It's a small school out in the middle of nowhere in Florida, from what I understand, but they produce amazing D-1 talent each year. Half of them probably end up in serious trouble in one form or another, though.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Yep, Pahokee kids are always a risk. Their 7 on 7 team got kicked out of a national tournament this past summer.

It's a small school out in the middle of nowhere in Florida, from what I understand, but they produce amazing D-1 talent each year. Half of them probably end up in serious trouble in one form or another, though.

Isn't that the town where they chase rabbits to help with agility and speed?

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by cartman

Isn't that the town where they chase rabbits to help with agility and speed?

That's the place.

[Abe Sargent]

Some serious humor in that artcile

[Tigercat]

Jackson is a guy who changed his commitment from LSU to Tenn, the day after signing day, even though up to and including signing day he told LSU he was still going to sign with LSU. (And he later admitted he wasn't LSU for a while.) That would be all well and good if you don't lie on signing day itself, keeping the team from at least making a last second push to fill that spot.

Jackson's excuse? Via his father, who said that Janzen needed to be further away from the crime infestation of the Lake Charles area. Hilarious on so many levels, especially now. Oh and Kiffin and company helped Janzen's dad get a job at Miami of Ohio. Miami of Ohio is now 1-7 and HORRIBLE against the pass this year. (Janzen's dad coaches DBs.)

All is well that ends well, I suppose.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Yep, Pahokee kids are always a risk. Their 7 on 7 team got kicked out of a national tournament this past summer.

It's a small school out in the middle of nowhere in Florida, from what I understand, but they produce amazing D-1 talent each year. Half of them probably end up in serious trouble in one form or another, though.

Between Pahokee, a town of 6,000, and next-door Glades Central of 15,000: Fred Taylor, Reidel Anthony, Rickey Jackson, Antone Smith, Alphonso Smith, Anquan Boldin, Jessie Hester, Brad Banks, Ray McDonald, Louis Oliver, Johnny Rutledge, Jimmy Spencer, Roosevelt Blackmon, Santonio Holmes. That's just a partial list of the NFL players.

Adelson: The Chase - ESPN Page 2

[DeToxRox]

Another freshman on Tennessee in trouble, this time for shoplifting:

WNOX-FM

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Another freshman on Tennessee in trouble, this time for shoplifting:

WNOX-FM

Hmmm....Nyshier Oliver was an ND recruit, and Dillard's of course was of FSU/Peter Warrick/Laveranues Coles fame.

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Between Pahokee, a town of 6,000, and next-door Glades Central of 15,000: Fred Taylor, Reidel Anthony, Rickey Jackson, Antone Smith, Alphonso Smith, Anquan Boldin, Jessie Hester, Brad Banks, Ray McDonald, Louis Oliver, Johnny Rutledge, Jimmy Spencer, Roosevelt Blackmon, Santonio Holmes. That's just a partial list of the NFL players.

Adelson: The Chase - ESPN Page 2

Just wanted to add I was talking about this with friends over the weekend and it's really quite a simple explanation imo. Ignore the poverty and the jackrabbits as the red herrings they are, and just look at the fact kids are spending hours running (often barefoot) through thick mud. IMO, there isn't any expensive training program that's going to build speed and leg strength better than that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

DA drops charges against Vol Jackson; Kiffin to decide player's status» GoVolsXtra

KNOXVILLE - University of Tennessee football player Janzen Jackson walked out of court today cleared of attempted aggravated armed robbery charges, but his status on the team's up to another authority.

"That's up to Coach (Lane) Kiffin," said Jackson's lawyer, Don Bosch.

Prosecutors announced this morning they had dropped charges against Jackson and the woman accused of acting as a getaway driver in a botched holdup Nov. 12 outside the Pilot convenience store on Cumberland Avenue. Charges against two former players, Nu'Keese Richardson, 18, and Mike Edwards, 18, still stand, according to Randy Nichols, Knox County district attorney general.