Fulmer meets with players involved in marijuana incident

Two Tennessee football players were charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana following a traffic stop Friday night in the Fort Sanders area near campus, Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk said Monday.

Police found marijuana in a vehicle driven by freshman wide receiver Gerald Jones, 18, and registered to freshman wide receiver Ahmad Paige, 18, after stopping the vehicle near campus Friday at 10:41 p.m.

Police initiated the stop of Paige's Dodge Magnum at the intersection of 11th Street and White Avenue after an officer spotted a burned out tag light, DeBusk said.

Freshman defensive lineman William Brimfield and a Tennessee recruit, Muskogee, Okla., wide receiver Jameel Owens, also were in the vehicle.

Neither Brimfield nor Owens was charged.

However, Brimfield will serve the same punishment from UT coach Phillip Fulmer as Jones and Paige.

Jones, Paige and Brimfield will not be allowed to host a recruit for one year, and all will be subject to more frequent drug testing in addition to performing community service at a drug rehabilitation facility and participating in a police ride-along.

"I am extremely disappointed in these young men and the decision they made," Fulmer said in a statement released by the university. "This is an example of youth and stupidity by boys that need to become men and not make stupid and irrational decisions trying to impress each other. I have met with all three players individually, and they understand that this behavior will not be tolerated.

"They have a number of things they need to do to get back in our good graces."

After stopping the vehicle, police observed smoke coming from one of the car's open windows that smelled like "burnt marijuana," DeBusk said.

After receiving permission to search the vehicle, officers found two marijuana cigars, one half-smoked in the center console and another between the center console and the passenger's seat.

Jones also was cited for the tag light violation and for not wearing his seat belt.

Jones and Paige were cited for misdemeanor possession and released.

In addition to Tennessee, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are recruiting the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Owens.

Jones, a native of Oklahoma City, Okla., played in nine games this season and scored touchdowns in his last three games.

The widely recruited receiver also was featured at quarterback, where he scored rushing touchdowns against LSU in the SEC championship game and against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl.

Jones caught a touchdown pass in Tennessee's overtime victory over Kentucky to clinch the SEC East title.

Paige, from Monroe, La., did not play this season and will redshirt.

Foster To Announce: Tennessee running back Arian Foster plans to announce his plans for next season at a 2 p.m. press conference at UT today. Foster is deciding on whether to submit his name for the NFL draft or return for his senior season.

Today is the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft.

Drew Edwards covers University of Tennessee football. He may be reached at 865-342-6274.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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