Ooltewah High School senior defensive end and University of Tennessee commitment Jacques Smith will have to sit out Friday night’s first-round playoff game between the fifth-ranked Owls and seventh-ranked Farragut.
Owls coach Benny Monroe told The Chattanooga Times Free Press on Thursday that Smith was suspended for one game after getting into a fight with a teammate and hitting him in the face during practice this week.
“I was just going to say it was a violation of team rules, or a coach’s discipline, but that seemed to just create more rumors,” Monroe told the newspaper. “I had people calling to ask if Jacques had been kicked out of school or off the team or if his future was in jeopardy.
“The Internet news is a bunch of bull. It’s people getting on there and saying things when they have no idea what they’re talking about. I want to clear it up right now. Jacques was suspended for this one game by me for hitting a teammate. Period. It doesn’t affect him at school, and if we win this game he’ll be back next week.”
Monroe added that Smith, who has 23 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks this season, would be able to return should the Owls advance to the second round.
When reached by the News Sentinel early Thursday afternoon, Smith said he was too busy to talk.
Earlier in the day, Monroe told the News Sentinel that the issue with Smith was an “in-house thing” and added that Smith had not been dismissed from school.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Smith is the News Sentinel’s top prospect in the state.
The Times Free Press reported that immediately after suspending Smith, Monroe called Tennessee assistant coach Ed Orgeron to inform him of the situation. Orgeron told Monroe that the Vols’ staff knew Smith too well for this incident to jeopardize his future. Smith still plans to enroll at UT in January.
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Comments » 45
TXbigorangefan writes:
What did he do?
TommyJack writes:
Did this come from Slive?
hold4808#633937 writes:
He punched a sophmore football player in the face for no good reason.
hold4808#633937 writes:
He punched a sophmore in the face for no good reason
PlaidinOrangeandWhite writes:
I have heard Smith on the local Sport Talk radio show and this kid sounds like he has his head screwed on straight. I am not to worried about this. He has been one of the first to commit to next year's class and has helped recruiting as well.
gvegasvol writes:
That's funny!
DancingOutlaw writes:
anyone hear janzen jackson is suspended for game against memphis?
volgrog#210164 writes:
Yea, he was suspended by Slive to teach Brandon Spikes a lesson.
coalvol writes:
I think this is probably much ado about nothing. Fights in practice happen.....even with the good kids. Heard the kid on the radio and he sounds like he has his head on straight.
smalltownsouthernman writes:
I was at the McMinn v. Ooltewah game last Friday and granted I have only seen him play one time, he is going to have to really improve to be a factor at UT.
I really hope he doesn't turn out to be a bust.
volspaws writes:
By all accounts from here in Chattanooga, this is a genuinely good kid....good grades, good manners and a hard worker...very much seems like an isolated incident.
VOLinATL writes:
Good! GO ADMIRALS!!!!!!!!
tennezz writes:
THATS A GOOD ONE!
Ooltewah_Vol writes:
He just let his temper get the best of him and he got into a small altercation with another student. He is suspended for this game and I'm glad that he is being treated no differently than any other player on the team. I'm glad that coach Monroe isn't showing favoritism. He will learn from this experience.
mdvol writes:
That way he won't get hurt in his final game. Farragut kicks their butt, Jacques enrolls early, knees intact.
jimr07 writes:
I thought it was to hang out with Brandon Warren.
rich182x writes:
Damn it, you beat me to it!
Ooltewah_Vol writes:
He is far from a bust. I have been watching this kid play since he was in the 6th grade and he has dominated the game ever since. He will be something special once coach O gets a hold of him. He can add another 30 lbs to his frame easily and he is very quick.
RockyTopBoy writes:
Seriously...what is up with Janzen Jackson? I have heard none of this.
BoroVolFan writes:
Apparently he got into a fight in a bar/club in Knoxville.
beef4davols writes:
Isn't it amazing how the people that only have negative stuff to say can some how get all the "inside" information?
BoroVolFan writes:
Good notes today from Tony, for those of you that dont already use it, check out the link below...
http://tonybasilio.com/
DC_Vol writes:
Urban Meyer could learn about treating all players fairly (e.g. no preferential treatment for the star players) from this Ooltewah coach.
smalltownsouthernman writes:
I said that I hope he is not a bust and also stated that I have only seen him one time. My judgement is based on one game but it was a very big game. I'm just simply stating that in a district championship game he never dominated the way I expected he would. From all the reports/hype I was expecting him to be a force against McMinn's offense but they accounted for him the whole game.
I'm not trying to be negative. After Tennessee's history of some highly touted recruits not panning out I am being cautiously optimistic. I believe this staff will change that. I hope this kid doesn't turn out to be another James Banks or Brent yaw yaw yaw Schaeffer.
macgaz writes:
I'll cheer for Smith next year, go Admirals!
Ooltewah_Vol writes:
He will be fine. The whole team was off that night and they were not the team I have watched play all year. I'm hoping that this was a wake up call for all of them. Jacques is a good kid.... But he is still a kid and has some growing up to do. I believe he will be fine once he get up to UT in Jan.
GreerVol22 writes:
janzen is an idiot if thats the case. got him a couple big hits and i guess he thought his stuff didn't stink and he could get away with this bar phooey. Why is he at a bar anyway? He's a freshman.
notoriousBIGorange writes:
Wrong again moron. My son attends Ooltewah and says that it was a minor fight with another student. No one was hospitalized or even close to dying.
Also wrong about his play...Smith is double teamed on every play and everyone knows that he is the Owls best player. He will have a great career at UT.
Another example of DUH-man talking out of his arse
notoriousBIGorange writes:
Uhhh Farragut hasn't beat Ooltewah in 3 years and it isn't going to start now...GO OWLS!!!
6MillionDollarPumpkin writes:
You truly are an idiot and no one likes you. The "Lil Layne Train" is coming and you better get used to it. You and Suburban Cryer both can go S__k it!!!
TSNSD4UT writes:
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/... Here is the local take on it.
rfoster1984 writes:
Obviously, you haven't been doing your homework, broseph! Ed and crew have been known to turn nobody's into elite players... This little incident and the one game you saw will not change the way he turns out in the collegiate level. This young man will be well coached and disciplined. No need to worry! Go Vols!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Only one qtr if he'd been a Gator.
thevoice writes:
Gotta be U Meyer's fault somehow.
Voluvr writes:
Excuse it, but this is great for him. A practice fight is one thing. This must have been done in the wrong spirit.
Voluvr writes:
Good to see some discipline issued from a H.S. Coach. Jacques you're not bigger than the team and you won't be in Knoxville either. If you don't have a brain that controls you're impulsivity, go somewhere else. We don't need last minute suspensions in Knoxville.
WLafIndianavol writes:
DaIDIOTMan is back!
Ringside writes:
He had the flu.
AFVol423 writes:
I'm sure there was a reason. If it were good or not, I don't know. Was it something off field? Was it heat of competition? It really doesn't matter. His coach is handling it. I'm impressed that the coach took this action with a playoff game coming. Good on him.
golfin_blondie writes:
I was sadden to hear Jacques Smith had been suspended for the game, but knowing Monroe and his strict standards it did not surprise me. I just hope his action does not have an effect on the whole team by giving them a defeat. I wish the best to the team and hope they can win tonite with him.
dma38256#264746 writes:
Probably so will the Soph.....
vol88 writes:
Classy post, moron.
vols_fans21 writes:
actually the fight was during practice, so i thought you should know that. and if you think that one punch to the face is "almost killing" a poor litte kid then you must be pretty week yourself. and he is big and strong enough, do you even know who he is? oh and yeah it makes sense to say that a high schooler with a good reputation and good grades and in many clubs at school is a thug, not.
vols_fans21 writes:
oh yeah like vols already aren't having enough trouble with theft and being arrested... idiot.
bill#1374014 writes:
Welcome to Thug University, Jacques, you'll fit right in!
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