Six Vols ineligible for Outback Bowl
By BRYAN MULLEN
Staff Writer
KNOXVILLE – Six Tennessee players have been ruled academically ineligible to participate in the Outback Bowl against Wisconsin.
Defensive end Demonte’ Bolden, linebacker Rico McCoy, wide receiver Lucas Taylor, linebacker Chris Donald, defensive back Ricardo Kemp and wide receiver Kenny O’Neal will not participate in the New Year's Day game in Tampa, Fla.
Bolden, McCoy and Taylor are starters.
“We have every resource available through our academic center for academic success by our athletes in all of our sports,” UT Coach Phillip Fulmer said. “In most of these cases, it was simply the student-athletes not being accountable and doing their work.”
Fulmer said Taylor was an exception.
“In Lucas’ case, however, he passed enough hours but a new NCAA policy that went into affect this fall made him ineligible,” Fulmer said. “One bright spot in the fact that all of these athletes will be in school (for the) spring semester.”
The new NCAA policy states all student-athletes must pass six hours within the specified grade requirements of each individual major.
Taylor was UT’s leading receiver this season with 73 receptions for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. McCoy was the team’s second leading tackler (106), and Bolden had 26 tackles and two sacks.
Fulmer praised those who fulfilled the requirements.
“I am proud of the young men that did a job well done,” Fulmer said. “We had 40 athletes earn a spot on the Thornton Center Honor Roll with a 3.0 or better, including 15 that earned a 3.5 or better. I’m also very proud of the 13 graduates this past semester.”
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