The ongoing tension between the University of Tennessee and Pahokee High School seems to be easing.
Two weeks after he was asked to leave the South Florida high school, UT running backs coach Eddie Gran was set to meet with officials in Pahokee early this afternoon, according to the town’s vice mayor, in an effort to mend fences with the town and school.
Pahokee vice mayor Henry Crawford Jr., is optimistic that an apology from Tennessee for less-than-flattering comments UT head coach Lane Kiffin made to boosters about the school and town in February can end the situation.
Expected to attend the meeting are Gran, Crawford, city manager Matthew Brock and Pahokee High School principal Ariel Alejo.
Crawford also said he has spoken with an “apologetic” Kiffin twice in the past two days, and that Kiffin will participate in Tuesday’s meeting over the phone because NCAA rules prohibit a head coach from leaving campus to recruit or watch players during the spring evaluation period.
“We can resolve this here in my office (today),” Crawford said. “We can forget about this with an apology.”
The saga began shortly after the Vols landed Pahokee wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who had been a Florida commitment for several months before signing with Tennessee on Feb. 3.
During a recruiting celebration with boosters Feb. 4, Kiffin said that he asked Richardson to fax his letter of intent from the middle school so no one at Pahokee would “screw it up.”
The Gainesville Sun also reported that Kiffin said of Pahokee: “There ain’t a gas station that works. Nobody’s got enough money to even have shoes or a shirt on.”
Kiffin later apologized, saying his comments weren’t meant to offend and he did not realize media were present when those comments were made. He also echoed that apology in an interview with the Palm Beach Post last month.
All appeared fine until Pahokee High School principal Ariel Alejo asked Gran, who recruits South Florida for Tennessee, to leave the school May 4.
Alejo, who until recently had a Florida logo underneath his bio on the school’s Web page, has drawn the ire of Tennessee fans for his actions. Crawford, however, supported Alejo’s response to Kiffin’s comments.
“I commend the principal for the steps that he took,” Crawford said. “He had the best interests of the community at heart, his school and his football players. I don’t think he took it personally. He deemed the statements were inappropriate. I applaud him for taking steps to protect the school, our citizens and my community.”
Crawford also said he believes Kiffin’s comments about Pahokee were taken out of context and believes that the school should allow UT coaches back on campus to recruit its players once a final apology has been given to city officials and the school.
“I don’t think the words were from the heart,” Crawford said of Kiffin’s comments from the recruiting celebration. “I think he was caught up in the minute and just said something. I don’t think it came from his heart. I really don’t. I’ve done things like that myself. After saying them, you find out what you said and how it affects the community or a person you either said them to or about.”
The biggest issue, Crawford says, is allowing players at Pahokee to make up their own minds about Tennessee. The Vols have already offered a scholarship to at least five rising seniors at Pahokee, a school that traditionally produces several major college prospects each year.
“We didn’t want this to continue because the bottom line is it hurts the kids,” Crawford said. “Some parents’ feelings were hurt and some of them saw an apology on ESPN from Tennessee and wondered why it wasn’t over.
“I think we can solve this problem. Tennessee is a great school, a great state with a lot of good people. They provide our students with an opportunity to continue their education at the collegiate level. It’s a win-win situation for Pahokee and Tennessee.”
After today’s meeting, Crawford expects things will be back to normal between Tennessee and Pahokee.
“We will accept their apology and continue. With that, it’s like it never happened,” said Crawford, who also plans to attend Pahokee’s football practice this afternoon with Gran. “(After the meeting) I think (Gran and UT’s coaches are) as welcome as any other coach on that field.”
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Comments » 97
CoachNeyland writes:
We own Pahokee.
DANVOL1 writes:
Yes we do!!!
smokeysal22 writes:
Go get em Gran, help get dem boys some scholarships......
Colliervol writes:
I don't think I'd go that far, Coach. But I do think with this staff, we'll get some more out of Florida. They certainly aren't bashful about competing down there.
DANVOL1 writes:
All this attention is nothing but great for us! All the kids will be looking to see where UT's coach is at their practice. I love the attention, and the kids will love the Vols!!!!
RoadTrip writes:
Well isn't this sweet. The mermaid Gator principal is deciding to play nice. Perhaps he was caught in the verbal crosshairs of some more influential folks? Maybe Jeremy called him and told him an NCAA violation for his beloved Gators was in the works if he kept it up.
HtownVol writes:
The kids on that team must all feel special, having college coaches at their practices. As long as we get the kids in at the positions we need I dont care about anything else!
HotlantaVol writes:
I guess Meyer missed a payment.
kabzs writes:
Get em Gran! We have lots of room for them all!
Waldorf writes:
Uh oh, I guess gatorzz/gatorz4/gatorz5 must have had a faling out with Mermaid and quit letting him have easy access to his sister.......
Big mistake gatorzz.
gangrell84 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
golfballs03 writes:
Watch out, Alejo will start crying.
back2backchamps writes:
College asst coaches attend practices every day this time of the year. When hundreds of FL kids sign with D1 schools every year it shouldn't be news that coaches go to FL a lot. No school is about to get all the talent FL has to offer. UT could get 25 kids out of there every year and the state schools will still have a LOT of talent to pick from.
Voluvr writes:
I don't know, maybe our fax machines aren't that great either. Jack Sells had to go all the way up to Kinko's.
Also, you can't stop the Big Orange!
Voluvr writes:
Tennessee is the "new" Miami. The pathway to the NFL and the recruits know it.
Voluvr writes:
You mean, one Pahokee commitment at a time.
KCHS63 writes:
Let's see, how many TRU-TV stories are based in Florida and how many in Tennessee? You notice there's no CSI Chattanooga. There's a reason for that.
back2backchamps writes:
I thought everybody on here hated Florida people. Do you really want a team made up of all them interloper's kids?
GerryOP writes:
That post is absolutely out of bounds.
back2backchamps writes:
The posters on here claim that Memphis TENNESSEE is the most crime filled city in the US. Just sayin...
GerryOP writes:
Looks like cooler and more logical folks prevailed. Good job coaches.
109 -- Fear The Kiffin...
OrangePower11 writes:
Urb will be recruiting nationally next year, beating a path from east to west...see, the state of Indiana does not produce the same high school talent that Florida does, and Urban will find that out in the next year or so
Volunatic writes:
It was a pretty slow pitch. Might as well swing for the fences.
GerryOP writes:
Mark your calendar alpha hotel....
123 -- Fear The Kiffin...
Volunatic writes:
Bluff City is top 10 for crime, but Stockton CA is tops.
OrangePower11 writes:
Moot point. Cant be interlopers kids because the DCF would be knocking on the door to take custody of their kids...See, our interlopers spend WAAAAAAY too much time on the computer posting drivel to possibly be a parent, let alone a parent good enough to send a kid to a school the caliber of THE University of Tennessee.
Volunatic writes:
Ever heard of "coach speak"? Tebow is getting "Holtz"ed in that interview.
I highly doubt Tebow will go higher than 3rd round.
OrangePower11 writes:
Gotta take it for face value...Out of one side of his mouth, he is saying how bad "Dungy's D" faded down the stretch, alluding that Monte is an over-the-hill coach, but the second Monte says something to "interlopers" liking, his words become the end all, be all....DC is as big a joke as the 90,000 Alachua County residents that fill that landfill called Ben Hill
hotrodvol writes:
Tebow=free agent
GreerVol22 writes:
....Eddie....sittin' in the Pahokee stands with the brightest, by God, orange shirt on he can find. It has not taken the folks with brains to long shut princess Ariel up and discover that having UT, Florida, and other universities crawling around his town is much better for business than having Western Ky, Elon, Liberty or the University of Podunk crawling around.
sampears writes:
I am wating for you to respond to your own post saying it is all Kiffins fault somehow!....How is it your so scared of him? If he is as worthless as you keep saying why all the fear? I am disppointed Monte did not mention tebows panties. To think most thought that was a red jock strap, but it is a pick thong! I can not wait until he is "under center" this year. That must be why he came back for another year! Well, that and he would have gone in the 3rd round.
RTR writes:
I am glad someone decided to be the bigger man in this situation for the players sake. I am sorry to say but I knew Kiffin would not step up.
StroVol writes:
But....Without the University of Tennessee's Anthropological Reseach Facility founded in 71 that pioneered the way for current crime scene investigation techniques, all those florida criminals would still be roaming the streets. Thank god for the VOLS!!
StroVol writes:
Calm down....I'm sure Tim has received all your love letters. Give him time he'll respond.
StroVol writes:
STHU, you windbag
mlynn1 writes:
DC, you have ZERO credibility, earlier post about you being a joke was dead on, although I might add your not funny, ha ha
dvhill100 writes:
“We didn’t want this to continue because the bottom line is it hurts the kids,” Crawford said. “Some parents’ feelings were hurt and some of them saw an apology on ESPN from Tennessee and wondered why it wasn’t over.
No stuff! The lights came on for the parents long before the principal and the other egos.
beachvol1 writes:
I HAVE NO DOUBT FLORIDA WILL BE MUCH MORE TALENTED THAN THE VOLS, BUT GATORS BETTER ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS....BECAUSE MORE THAN LIKELY, COACH MEYER WILL BE AT NOTRE DAME AFTER THIS NEXT SEASON....WEISS WILL FALL AND THE IRISH WILL OPEN UP THE CHECK BOOK JUST AS DID KENTUCKY WITH BASKETBALL....MEYER CAN SAY WHAT HE WANTS, BUT MONEY WILL TALK FOR SURE....
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Agree.
It is baffling.
Waldorf writes:
As opposed to what you do on here?
Fair enough. Your wife and kid are now in the same category as gatorzz sister to me.
Enjoy!
mtnsvol44 writes:
Florida prospects are finally seeing thru the great Urban Liar who won with the ex coaches recruits!!!!
volnsc51 writes:
Thanks little girl, I needed a good laugh.
Now go home your pull ups need changing.
Don't blame me- your attitude made me do it
panties4tebow writes:
Eat your heart out TROLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trolls are in FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trolling, Trolling, Trollin on the river~
I smell trolls and they are wearing their panties!
chargervol writes:
Actually, Bluff City is located in Northeast Tennessee. It is the city you will go through to get to Bristol Raceway if you come from Knoxville. We are known as speed-trap central. They give speeding tickets, but if you pay them before your courtdate they don't turn it in to the state. If you pay before the court date it will not go through to your insurance company. I still don't understand how that works. Bluff City also has the the distinction of being the first city in the state for the sunrise and the first for sunset. There was a cop at one time that everybody knew as Barney Fife. He would write you a ticket for anything and everything. There are alot of Vol fans down this way. GO VOLS!!!
Bearwuzacheater writes:
It was actually Ron Zook that had to go to Kinko's on Cumberland Ave to send his fax of UT's playbook to Jack Sells in gainesville.
The University of Florida the only SEC school with a majority population of yankee students.
the10sevol writes:
Sorry, rtr, I ain't buyin' it. CLK has apologized in the media, and can't currently visit in person due to ncaa regs. He's willing to take his dress-down via speaker phone and apologize again, so what's your beef with him?
Bearwuzacheater writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
chrisw2967 writes:
yea ole Monte building fla up more and giving Tebow his props , just so when tn comes in the swampy sewer in sept they can shut they spread down and kiffin send liar off to ND with his tail between his legs.
BamaVol writes:
I run a resort center, we have many nice Florida fans come thru, One Attorney mention that ND has contacted Urban Meyer
agent about their program for 2011, if he should leave, who would be Florida next coach?
Volunatic writes:
You're getting hysterical. I wonder if most gator fans show their fear the way you do.
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