Tennessee Volunteers

Vols linebacker off team after arrest, comments about police

Published Oct. 4, 2019 10:37 p.m. ET

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jeremy Banks has been dismissed from the Tennessee football team after video showed him cursing and saying "where I'm from, we shoot at cops" during his arrest last month following a traffic stop. The linebacker has apologized .

Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt announced his decision Friday in a statement released by the university.

During a conference call Wednesday of Southeastern Conference coaches, Pruitt said the team had "addressed the matter internally" and Banks' behavior was unacceptable. Banks participated in the portion of Wednesday afternoon's practice that was open to the media.

Two days later, Pruitt announced Banks was off the team.

"While I will continue to support Jeremy in the next steps in his life, information I recently received made it clear that this decision is in the best interest of the football program and the university," Pruitt said Friday.

Banks was arrested Sept. 15 after a records check during a traffic stop just before 4 a.m. revealed he had an active warrant for failure to appear on an earlier charge of driving with a suspended license.

The sophomore from Cordova, Tennessee, had played a reserve role in each of the Volunteers' first four games this season. He had seven tackles and two interceptions.

Pruitt's decision leaves the Vols thin at linebacker after Will Ignont and Shanon Reid left the team last week. Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) hosts No. 3 Georgia (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday.

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