KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football player Daryl Vereen was arrested by campus police early this morning and charged with public intoxication, according to several reports quoting anonymous sources.
A UT Police Department spokesperson said late this afternoon that no one would be available to comment on the matter until Tuesday morning, and Knoxville Police Department spokesperson Darrell DeBusk said the KPD was not involved in the matter.
Athletic department spokesperson Tiffany Carpenter said this afternoon that Vols coach Phillip Fulmer was aware of the incident.
“But he’s out on the road recruiting and doesn’t want to release anything publicly until he’s met with (Vereen) face-to-face,” Carpenter continued.
Vereen, a 6-foot, 200-tailback from Charlotte, N.C., was praised by coaches and teammates for his potential while redshirting last season. He rushed for 2,603 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior at North Mecklenburg High School.
Vereen’s arrest comes just more than one week following the arrests of fellow 2007 signees Gerald Jones and Ahmad Paige. The pair was cited by the KPD for simple possession of marijuana. UT freshman offensive lineman William Brimfield and a high school recruit from Oklahoma were also in the car but not charged, according to the KPD.
Fulmer, through a release last week, said Jones and Paige “have a number of things they need to do to get back in our good graces, including performing community service with a drug rehabilitation facility, participating in police ride-alongs and more frequent drug tests.”
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