Our July 17, 2020 Volunteers news involves multiple Tennessee Vols football players.
It was a bad day for the Tennessee Vols football program. Outside of news that the season has been canceled, things could not have been worse when it comes to things that happened involving specific players, and we have to cover those things.
Our morning update on Rocky Top leads with the dismissal of a key player due to an arrest. This dismissal is a major blow to UT’s depth chart, but it appears to have been the right decision. Beyond that, though, another projected starter revealing he had surgery is also a major story.
Those two stories alone show how rough the day was for the football program. We’ll close with some good news surrounding the overall athletic department thanks to the track and field program. But we have to start with the football news.
Emmit Gooden dismissed after arrest – Dan Harralson, VolsWire.com
A second Tennessee Vols football defensive lineman has been arrested this offseason. After Darel Middleton was arrested in February, rising fifth-year senior Emmit Gooden was arrested on a felony charge. As a result of the arrest, Gooden has been dismissed from the program. He was slated to be a major figure among the defensive tackles this season.
"Gooden suffered an ACL injury during fall training camp last season that caused him to miss all of the 2019 campaign. In 2018, Gooden totaled 33 tackles after transferring from the junior college ranks."
Austin Pope reveals he had back surgery – Patrick Brown, GoVols247
Rising Tennessee football fifth-year senior tight end Austin Pope revealed on his Twitter page Thursday that he had undergone back surgery. Pope said he had herniated a disc in his back, which was revealed after an MRI Monday. Pope was the No. 2 tight end last year and projected to be the main starter this season amidst the loss of Dominick Wood-Anderson.
"Pope was sidelined for a stretch of the offseason a year ago after undergoing back surgery, and he played through a few minor injuries, most notably a partially torn hamstring, during the 2019 season.The former Christian Academy of Knoxville standout redshirted at Tennessee in 2016 and started three games over the next two seasons before emerging as a pleasant surprise for the Vols as one of their highest-graded run blockers in 2019. He has seven career catches for 85 yards."
Track and Field earns All-Academic Team awards – USTFCCCA
The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association recognized the Tennessee Vols men’s and women’s track programs Thursday for academic accomplishments. Both were named to members of the All-Academic teams.
"In the classroom. On the track. In the field."