Tennessee Football Players Arrested Today in Attempted Armed Robbery

Tennessee football players were arrested today, just 24 hours after Lane Kiffin bragged that no Tennessee football players were arrested on his watch. But three Tennessee football players were not only arrested, but charged with armed robbery. These Tennessee football players are accused of trying to rob a Pilot station, and each face three counts of attempted armed robbery charges. This news is the worst case scenario that many feared when Lane Kiffin took over, just when things were finally looking up for the program.

The Tennessee football players arrested were wide receiver Nu'Keese Richardson, and defensive backs Janzen Jackson and Mike Hamilton. A young woman named Marie Montmarquet was arrested with the players, and faces drug charges of her own.

Reports allege that the Tennessee players went into the Pilot station convenience store, with one of them demanding money at gunpoint. When no one had any, authorities claim that the three young men left the story and had Montmarquet drive them off. Once the car was pulled over, authorities found two hoodies like the ones the alleged criminals wore, along with a pellet pistol and drug paraphernalia.

Thanks to the alleged actions of these Tennessee football players, Lane Kiffin is now left to do major damage control. The news couldn't come at a worse time, as Tennessee was just starting to turn itself around. Although Kiffin obviously had nothing to do with this, it will raise new questions about what goes on under his watch.

Kiffin had previously disciplined Richardson and Jackson just last week for missing practice and violating team rules, respectively. And in a press conference yesterday, Kiffin had bragged about how none of his players had been arrested or had been in any legal trouble since he arrived. Now that worst-case fear has arrived.

Lane Kiffin came into Tennessee with lots of controversy and self-promotion, but it appeared that it was paying dividends. The Volunteers had gotten up to a 5-4 record this season, and had severely challenged the two best teams in the nation, Florida and Alabama.

Kiffin had defied low expectations to try and make the Volunteers respectable again, but the news of Tennessee football players being arrested like this is a giant step back. While Kiffin and the Volunteers have giant eggs on their faces, the three football players arrested are still being held on bond. Since those in the store have already identified the players as the attempted robbers, they may struggle to find a defense.

Sources

Go Vols Xtra- "Three UT football players arrested on attempted armed robbery charges"

AL.com- "Tennessee arrests nothing but bad news for everyone"