More trouble for UT secondary

Starting strong safety Brandon Johnson faces dismissal from the team after being charged with felony reckless endangerment.

According to Lt. Keith Lambert of the UT campus police department, Johnson was arrested at approximately 12:45 a.m. Monday after discharging a firearm in the Fort Sanders area.

Chris Heath, a junior defensive back who has been on medical scholarship this season, was arrested and charged with unlawful carrying and possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor. Heath, from Hattiesburg, Miss., tried to leave the area with the weapon.

An off-duty officer made the arrest after the incident occurred at the apartment of senior tailback Cedric Houston. Linebacker Jon Poe also was present at the time of the arrest. Neither Houston nor Poe face charges at this time.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer said Monday night on his Vol Calls radio show that Houston wasn't involved at all.

Fulmer issued a release earlier saying Johnson has been placed on indefinite non-participant status pending an investigation by the athletics department and the university's student conduct office. Heath has been permanently dismissed from the team.

"Sometimes young people make bad decisions,'' Fulmer said. "Our players are taught to be responsible and accountable. These two young men (Heath and Johnson) did not act in a responsible manner and will be held accountable.''

Johnson, in his second year at UT after transferring from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, was suspended from the 2004 Peach Bowl for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Johnson's indefinite suspension threatens to throw the Vols' secondary into a tailspin. He was the only defensive back to start each game this season at the same position.

Johnson was coming off a two-interception performance in Tennessee's 21-17 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday night.

With Johnson out, sophomore Jarod Parrish looks to take over at strong safety. Sophomore Corey Campbell, the Vols' starter at free safety in the season opener, is also competing for playing time.

Tennessee's secondary had turned a corner after being run over, run down and run by in the first four games. In the past two games, against Georgia and Ole Miss, the UT secondary showed dramatic improvement.

The Vols held vaunted Georgia quarterback David Greene to a 15-of-34, 163-yard performance in a 19-14 UT win.

Ole Miss' quarterbacks had less success, completing 14 of 26 passes for 168 yards, two interceptions and no TDs.

"It was our continuity,'' said Vols' defensive backs coach Larry Slade, who started four different secondary units in the first four games. "We're learning to play as a unit. Now, the guys know where the help is coming from.''

Now, Tennessee needs even more help than before.

UT's secondary had been a primary concern since the end of last season, when four of the Vols' top five defensive backs -- Gibril Wilson, Rashad Baker, Jabari Greer and Mark Jones -- departed for the NFL.

Things grew worse in the spring when Antwan Stewart, then UT's top coverage cornerback, suffered a knee injury that has kept him sidelined this season.

Help was supposed to be on the way in the form of playmaker James Banks, but then Banks went down with a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.

When Campbell fell short of expectations at free safety, the only returning starter in the secondary, Jason Allen, was moved from cornerback to free safety.

"Jason had to get accustomed to safety ... it's not like you can just stick a guy there and expect him to know it,'' Slade said. "We had four guys learning to play at their positions for the first time.''

Auburn exposed the Vols' shortcomings, hitting four passes of more than 30 yards on UT in the first half of a 34-10 win.

But during the past 10 quarters, the Vols' secondary has been responsible for just one completion over 30 yards.

UT's secondary ranks 76th in the nation in pass defense heading into Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game with the Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium.

The Vols' defense, which replaced seven starters from last year, has lost three starters from this year's team.

In addition to Johnson, middle linebacker Kevin Simon is out after suffering a season-ending knee injury against Florida, and defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona suffered a sprained knee ligament against Ole Miss and is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game.