KNOXVILLE - Darren Myles Jr. reached a plea agreement Thursday that will keep the former University of Tennessee safety from prison unless he gets in further trouble with the law.
Myles pleaded guilty to charges from two offseason arrests, one on April 18 for resisting arrest and public intoxication, and another on July 9 for resisting arrest and evading arrest.
"He is very, very sorry. He is a good young man," Myles' attorney, Don Bosch, told The Associated Press. "He understands his behavior was wrong, and he's accepted those consequences. He made some unfortunate mistakes that cost him the opportunity to play at the school of his first choice and to get his academic education. He is very sorry for that. He has many close relationships here, and he'll continue those relationships. But this has cost him a tremendous amount."
Myles was dismissed from the program by coach Derek Dooley immediately following the July 9 arrest. Dooley on Thursday said Myles hasn't requested a release.
"This isn't going to be a drama deal, I can assure you," Dooley said. "There will be a release."
Hot rod Lincoln
Daniel Lincoln has never doubted his ability to kick when he's healthy. But he's not been healthy much of the past two years, and that's shown.
"Last year was really tough," Lincoln said. "I played in a lot of games that I probably shouldn't have. But that's in the past."
The senior started feeling 100 percent again just before spring practice started, though, and a solid spring and preseason camp have helped his chances to retain his starting position over highly-touted freshman Michael Palardy.
"I know what I'm capable of," Lincoln said. "Chad (Cunningham) and I have been through more than any kicker and punter in the country, period. It doesn't really matter who's here. Whether a young guy is here or not, that doesn't change much for us.
"(Freshmen) are here, and they're trying to get better, but I don't pay attention to what anyone else is doing. I'm just taking care of myself and making myself better."
Lincoln said his range is longer than it's ever been.
"I had a really good summer in the weight room and conditioning," he said. "I'm here to kick. Everything is back to normal. I'm comfortable around 55 (yards) and in ... just depending on how I'm hitting it in warm-ups."
Kerbyson commits
The Vols added a big, local piece to their 2011 class on Thursday with the public commitment of Knoxville Catholic High School offensive tackle Kyler Kerbyson.
At 6-foot-5 and nearly 300 pounds, Kerbyson is rated a 4-star prospect by some recruiting services. He also had offers from Alabama, Florida, Southern California and more than a dozen other programs, but he claimed to pick the Vols over Duke.
UT now has 13 public pledges.
Other contacts for Wes Rucker are www.twitter.com/wesrucker and www.facebook.com/tfpvolsbeat.