Driving has become an issue for Tennessee football.
Fortunately for UT, the problems don't extend to Georgia's fast pace, which had deadly consequences. But the Vols need to hit the brakes before something tragic happens.
Four Tennessee players have been charged with driving violations since October. The most recent incident occurred just over two weeks ago, when redshirt freshman defensive end Chandavian Bradley was issued a misdemeanor citation for reckless driving during a traffic stop. .
He wasn't the first college defensive lineman to have problems with vehicle management. Star player James Pearce was arrested on December 4th on multiple charges. The charges were later dismissed.
I'm not trying to make excuses, but scientists say your brain doesn't fully mature until you're at least 25 years old. In fact, my brain matured at a slower pace. I remember waking up on my 26th birthday and thinking, “I feel like I'm smarter today.”
And then there I was.
If you want to make the Vols a safer team, a good place to start is with the theory that they get smarter after age 25. I encourage all Tennessee players to put a note above their rearview mirror that says, “My brain is not fully mature yet.” You should read this every time you start your car.
UT football coaches also have “brain notes” prominently displayed by randomly checking players' cars (some of which are more expensive than the cars the players drive). We recommend that you check.
My next piece of advice is unnecessary. Drinking and driving are not linked. As anyone with a fully mature brain can tell you, the mixture can be deadly.
That's why I encourage every Tennessee player to put a note on the dashboard of their car that says, “Have you had a few drinks?” Please call someone. ” You can call an Uber. Or a friend. Or even a coach.
If you called your coach at 3 a.m. and said, “I don't think he's going to get mad.'' can you help? “
My third suggestion for keeping Tennessee players from getting arrested themselves is to use the NIL money to hire a fellow student to handle administrative duties. Make sure your young employee's brain is more developed than the average college student, and pay him to make sure his driver's license is up to date and in his wallet. Student assistants must also frequently check the glove compartment for vehicle registration.
I take actionOnce-overlooked transfer is competing with Tennessee football's prized rookies
Fourth Recommendation: If you are stopped by a police officer, do as he or she tells you to do. Their work is difficult and dangerous enough without you resisting their demands.
Before my brain was fully developed, I was a soldier in the Big Red One at Fort Riley, Kansas. One Monday night, I drove about 55 miles to visit a friend in Manhattan, Kansas. I wasn't drinking, but I was certainly distracted by a thought that had haunted me many times during my field assignments.
In other words, I was driving 52 mph in a 20 mph zone. Also, the radio volume became very loud. And I didn't even come to a complete stop at a stop sign.
The offer of arrest informed me of those mistakes, as well as “not yielding to the siren.” He said the siren had been blaring for almost a block before I pulled into the parking lot.
I foolishly said: “That can't be true, officer. Are you sure the sirens are working?”
I was only a few feet from his car when he blared the siren. Thanks to that, I was able to set a personal record for vertical jump. The sound is so memorable that you will sometimes get audio flashbacks when an ambulance, fire engine, or police car passes by.
Epilogue: Kansas was never invaded by Nebraska, and I've been succumbing to sirens since my brain was fully developed.
John Adams is a senior columnist. 865-342-6284 orjohn.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at twitter.com/johnadamskns.
