Spitting image from different angle

A freelance cameraman accused Toeaina of spitting on him Saturday immediately following UT's 28-24 loss to Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium.

Nevertheless, Toeaina was suspended for inappropriate conduct Monday by Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer and will miss the Vols' final game at Kentucky on Saturday.

Toeaina was accused of spitting on JumboTron cameraman Scott Liston and throwing his helmet as he left the field.

Video provided by the Toeaina family shows Toeaina spit toward the ground in front of the cameraman.

"He said 'Get that (expletive) camera out of my face,'" said Liston, who is a UT contract employee. "I don't know if he meant to spit on me or not."

Albert Toeaina admits yelling at Liston. Fulmer addressed the issue with the media before Monday's practice.

"I think it's been dealt with appropriately," Fulmer said. "I looked at all the tape I could possibly find."

Albert Toeaina's parents, Alex and Fia Toeaina, disagree.

"We told him we have footage of what supposedly had taken place," Alex Toeaina said. "He told me 'No, I trust you.' We accepted the fact that he was suspended for throwing his helmet.

"We were nice and cordial with him but I think he took my niceness as a weakness. This is not right. This is unfair. I need him to clear my son's name or else we're going to take this to another level."

Alex Toeaina said he is considering legal action against various media for allegedly misreporting his son's actions.

Fulmer said only one other unidentified player threw his helmet after the Vanderbilt game. Fulmer said that player apologized to the team and will be disciplined internally.

"There wasn't any other helmets," Fulmer said. "There were two helmets, actually, in the video footage that I watched and it was from the end of the game to the time everybody was in the locker room."

Alex Toeaina didn't agree with Fulmer's assertion that only one other player threw his helmet after the game. Alex Toeaina said several players also threw their helmets.

"Rich Gandy was the first one that threw his helmet," he said. "Arron Sears threw his helmet. Ramon Foster threw his helmet. I don't understand why Albert was put in the forefront."

The Toeainas said they believe their son was made a scapegoat for a season gone horribly wrong.

"We're disappointed because we feel misled," Alex Toeaina said. "We accepted the suspension. We do not accept the statement that he spat in a cameraman's face."

Fulmer said that there was a discrepancy in the case between Liston and the Toeainas. Fulmer said Liston said there was some spit on his camera. Fulmer and UT athletic director Mike Hamilton apologized to Liston. Toeaina maintained that any spit on Liston was unintentional.

"I don't know," Fulmer said. "I wasn't there. I didn't see it. I'm just taking everybody for what they said."

Fulmer said he would review Toeainas' videotape.

Alex Toeaina said his son asked to include a denial of the spitting in his apology but was told doing so would only accentuate the problem. Alex Toeaina said much of his son's statement was not included in UT's release of the incident.

This isn't the first time this season that Toeaina has had a problem with UT's coaches. Alex Toeaina said his son quit the team earlier this season and stormed out of practice after a disagreement with offensive line coach Jimmy Ray Stephens.

Alex Toeaina said only a personal request from Fulmer, who his son considers a father figure, convinced his son to return. Alex Toeaina said Fulmer left practice in order to convince his son to return.

Toeaina ends his UT career with 20 games played, 17 of them starts, exclusively at right tackle. The Antioch, Calif., native started 17 of his last 18 games played and was the only player to see action on every offensive snap in Tennessee's 30-27 overtime win at LSU. Fulmer said freshman Ramon Foster will start at right tackle Saturday for Toeaina.

The Toeainas maintain they've enjoyed their son's time at UT. They'll even make the trip to Lexington this Saturday to cheer for the Vols as they play Kentucky.

Alex Toeaina isn't hoping for a reprieve for his suspended son. He just wants the tarnish removed from his son's name.

"This is very simple," an emotional Alex Toeaina said. "All I'm asking it to clear my son's name."