In fumbling Jeremy Banks' arrest, Jeremy Pruitt shows yet again he has no business being a head coach
Jeremy Pruitt is proving to be as good of a coach off the field as he has been on it. And that’s not very good.
Pruitt’s response to a police officer’s call about one of his players being arrested proved more than Pruitt will ever prove on the field. Wins and losses matter. A total unjustifiable response to a player being arrested in the wee hours of the morning is something far different. It showed Pruitt has no business being a head coach at Tennessee or any other school with a reputation it would like to uphold.
In response to linebacker/running back Jeremy Banks being stopped for a minor traffic violation, Pruitt questioned the police officers about why they would want to arrest Banks for an outstanding warrant.
“So why do you, I mean, why do you have to arrest him just ’cause he has a warrant?” Pruitt can be heard saying over the phone.
Well, because that’s the law.
This piece of the transcript between Jeremy Pruitt and the Knoxville police during the Jeremy Banks arrest is quite fascinating https://t.co/CUciA3LoFT pic.twitter.com/k7UUGeN5dY
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) October 2, 2019
Pruitt sounded asleep when Banks made the phone call to his head coach, as documented by a police body camera. Noncoherent or not, Pruitt never should be the first line of defense at such a late hour. Being a head coach means providing layers for a player to go through in such times of need. However, Banks thought it was time to call the most recognizable person in the state of Tennessee — and Pruitt answered.
Taking a phone call from a player in need is one thing. Trying to justify letting him go is another. Pruitt said he had coached at several other places and none of this would have happened in those college towns. Not a great message to send.
How does Pruitt not have more insulation? Remember when former UT football support staffer Gerald Harrison was called when UT offensive lineman Josh McNeil wouldn’t answer his bedroom door? Harrison quelled the situation despite the embarrassing backlash. I’m sure former UT coach Phillip Fulmer was involved in the situation, but he wasn’t the one knocking on McNeil’s door in the middle of the night.
It would be easy to just blame Banks and simply discard Pruitt’s role in the matter. However, a seasoned coach would have had protocols in place to better handle the situation. Tennessee’s players knew who to call in case of such an embarrassing situation with Fulmer. Banks called Pruitt. That wasn’t the best legal counsel.
“So why do you, I mean, why do you have to arrest him just ’cause he’s a warrant?” Pruitt can be heard saying over the phone during the video.
Can you imagine if someone with a warrant wasn’t arrested and harmed one of your loved ones?
Banks seemed to agree with Pruitt’s attitude toward the police. Banks even took it a step further during his ride to prison when he spoke to a female police officer.
“Ma’am, you don’t wanna be an intern because where I’m from we shoot at cops. I’m from Memphis, Tennessee,” he said. “… I should have ran, test y’all’s speed. Y’all would’ve never caught me. … Next time, I am, I promise you. Never again y’all boys will take me to jail. Not UT police.”
Why would Banks think that he was devoid of the law? Pruitt’s comments would indicate as much. That seems to be the lesson that he’s teaching.
It’s also fair to wonder why Banks still was on the roster. Either Pruitt didn’t know just how bad the incident was entirely or he chose to play one of his more talented players in hopes of saving this embarrassment of a season. The latter is understandable. However, if Pruitt didn’t have the video before the media obtained it, then that’s just another troubling sign of negligence.
Pruitt responded with all the correct public relations answers this week when he said in a statement, “Jeremy’s (Banks) behavior and comments are unacceptable and portrayed himself and our football program very poorly and he understands that. We will address the matter internally. I’m determined to do what I can to help Jeremy grow up and become a better man. Our team and staff respect our law enforcement and we will continue to educate our players on how to carry themselves at all times.”
Tuesday, Banks apologized after a video of the incident was released. His mea culpa was scripted. His initial reaction was anything but.
It’s nice to see Pruitt apologizing for Banks but shouldn’t Pruitt apologize for himself? Pruitt questioned the police in a tense situation, wasn’t at all prepared to handle a very delicate situation and surely made him look worse in the eyes of the police. Sounds like a guy who was never ready to be a head coach.
You can try to deflect, but they should just rename the Fulmer Cup to the Athens Cup. UGA should just roll with the all orange correctional alternate uniforms. Save time and money.
All programs have embarrassing moments and self inflicted injuries when it comes to wayward players
But Auburn doesn’t have room to criticize any other program – especially UGA.
AU would have dressed out Charles Manson if they thought he would win them a title.
Mr. Rogers couldn’t keep his nose clean in that cesspool in Athens. Auburn takes kids that make the mistake of going to Athens and turns them into model citizens. Let’s recap…Athens ruins players, Auburn saves them.
Athens ruins players? What a load of crap.
More believable than Auburn dressing out Charles Manson.
UGA won the last two against AU, icymi.
Weagle99, you are the one who’s trying to deflect.
The Athens PD doesn’t take part in coverup’s for the local football team. Not like they do in Auburn.
Remember that Auburn starting RB who was involved in the planning of, and who supplied the hand gun for a home invasion armed robbery of a drug-dealer.
Yeah, the one who was never arrested for his illegal involvement in the crime. The one who’s involvement was covered up by not only the Coaching staff, but also the Auburn PD, and only came to light after the other robber’s went to trial.
Truth: The Auburn PD lets more Auburn players get away with essentially everything, than Georgia has get arrested. Athens PD are not bought and paid for.
Auburn PD is on a whole other level…
Aiding and abetting is a crime in itself, held against those who would somehow assist a criminal – short of physically contributing to the illegal act. In many jurisdictions, aiding and abetting is the same as an “accessory” to the crime.
Dyer helped ‘plan’ the robbery. He knew the what, the where, the who, and the drug-dealer who was about to get ‘hit’.
Sorry, but that is a ‘crime’ in every jurisdiction in America. Except for when it just gets swept away bu the Auburn PD…
There was no evidence he knew about the planned robbery and wasn’t present. I guess you think Auburn PD has control over the DA and federal judges as well.
Nick Marshall and Tray Matthews weren’t playing last year. But since you want to spit out irrelevant facts…1980.
LOL We’ve won 7 of the last 10
Lighten up, buddy. Life’s too short to take everything so seriously.
UGA has won 11 of the last 13, actually.
My mistake, 11 of the last 14.
…and still haven’t won anything.
I would have bet good money on Pruitt being a successful HC.
It’s still early for Pruitt but he definitely has a hole to dig himself out of.
I thought so too but at this rate he won’t make it to the end of the season
Pruitt’s saving grace, in the near term, may be the fact that UT is such a train wreck of an Athletic Dept.
“Miami will run the table”
How about all the preseason babble about Franks taking it to the next level in his 2nd season under mullet, the QB whisperer.
That was priceless.
Shouldn’t you be dressing the dolls with co jones?
38-17 chump
I would’ve bet real money up and until the money I heard Pruitt speak.
It’s not 1955. Dumb, ignorant rednecks do not make good head coaches.
Lol, tell us how you really feel about Pruitt, don’t hold back
McElwain still got a buyout.
The king of redneck head coaches resides in Clem$on.
Just curious.
So do you think Saban, Fisher, Richt then Saban again were wrong to hire Pruitt?
Does the DC serve as a representative of a school/program?
Pruitt looking lost out there. The return of the “Fat-One” is nigh!
Banks seemed to agree with Pruitt’s attitude towards police? Good grief Dave Hooker. Get turned down for that job at the National Enquirer? If you or your parents paid for a journalism degree you got scrude.
Perhaps it was just being half awake, but if Pruitt is really surprised that an officer has to execute an outstanding warrant, then he’s an idiot. Maybe he got too comfortable with FSU and Jimbo’s relationship with Tallahassee police to understand how the real world works. Also, Banks needs to better exercise his right to remain silent.
He should watch Live PD. They all get arrested for outstanding warrants. Great show.
Sounds just like what Banks would say to the police.
Ok, so that makes the story less true because ?????
Wow! Pruitt really needs to suspend this kid, and not like for one quarter. He needs four games, and a very short leash…
Our Police are under assault from the Media, rogue politicians, and from those who think it’s OK, or cool to challenge them. Everybody needs to defend those who put their lives on the line for all of us.
Pruitt better handle this one the right way. What a mess…
I thought I read his warrant was for unpaid parking tickets. If so I might ask why you would arrest someone for that too. Is it really necessary. He was half asleep and responded. But he should be fired and banks should be kicked off the team… ok sure. He was out of live and obviously has growing up to do but all of you who think you don’t have it on your team just have your heads stuck in the sand. Kick off every kid who says something similar and there won’t be many players left.
Stop making sense. Rationality isn’t allowed around here. Funny how even direct quotes can be misconstrued and twisted.
Mizzou has had the exact same thing, player pulled over then arrested for a warrant for traffic tickets, happen. Apparently in college towns at least, the only way to get tickets paid is to throw the book at the offender. If only paying tickets was optional and not mandatory, best thing is for these players to go to Austin or kU-lawerence where they can be left to commit crimes at will.
Will mullet do one of those goofy homoerotic dances for Trask this week?
Don’t let your hatred of the messenger blind you to the message. Whether or not Hooker has an agenda, this is a bad situation. A player trying to intimidate cops, telling one that she’s cannon fodder. A coach calling an arrest the “silliest s—” he’s ever seen and implying that law enforcement at his other jobs would give football players breaks.
Pruitt is doing nothing to dispel the notion that he’s a complete dumba–.
It’s not like Tennessee can play football worth beans. Down here, we look to a Tennessee game as a great excuse to get drunk and watch our team work you losers over. Been that way for years…
Agree with you 100%. I’ve never heard a head coach sound as unintelligent as Pruitt does. He doesn’t even know the basic concepts of grammar.
He does make a terrible rep for an institution of higher learning. As a DC it didn’t really matter, but as the face of the program – and often of the university in the public’s eye – it matters. Win and people will mostly overlook it – dude may not articulate well but he clearly knows his stuff. Lose and it’s just another indictment for having the wrong guy in position. A southern accent I can handle. Mangling the language is something else, though.
I cringed every time Jim Donnan opened his mouth in front of a mike. He’s gotten better over the years, but his first couple of years at UGA was kind of embarrassing.
Heckuva a defensive coordinator though. He carved out a dang good secondary for UGA with a bunch of 3 stars.
Ok. Thank you for your interest in our program.
You really like the word clown.
Pruitt should focus more on his job and less on the how the fuzz performs theirs.
The players should get a pass from the police
Jeremy just come back! We miss you anyways!
Hire Brent Venerables! Clemson will be greatly affected and Tenn would get some much needed energy, well positive energy.
Clemson would cut off their right arm before they gave up that mad scientist.
I like it. If they pay Big Jim 1.6 they can pay BV enough if they wanted to. Id love to see how Clemson would do without him. Dabo might not be such a genius.
Swinney isn’t a football genius many posters on here have higher football IQs than him, he just managed to find beta males who only want to be coordinators not ever being a head coach.
As much I would like to see him out at Clemson, I don’t think he has any interest in being a head coach or he would have been gone, he would rather rack up conference and a couple of national titles being one of the highest paid coordinators in the country. Face it Swinney loses the D and O coordinators they will come back down to earth real fast because their football intelligence is on a complete different level than Swinney who couldn’t coordinate an offense or defense, plus his pressers of him trying to break down upcoming opponents is like AOC trying to explain how economics work not too smart.
Kick him off the team. Jauan Jennings had to work his way back into the program, Banks should not be treated any differently. Class matters, period. Pruitt can’t allow any player to be bigger that the program.
UGA fans make catcalls about Fulmer, but seems to me he had a pretty good record against y’all, no wonder you fear his return!
Fulmer had a good record against Ray Goff and Jim Donnan.
Kirby would own Fulmer, in any era.
Face it hillbilly – the SEC has passed UT by. You all belong in the Sunbelt or AAC.
That was the 90s. Hal Mumme and Gary DiNardo owned us too. The list of coaches who beat UGA regularly in the 1990s is a long one.
Most of his story is simply verbatim copy from the Blake Toppmeyer story.
Keep shooting the messenger though, that’ll show us all!
Perhaps it was the opinionated excerpts such as Banks seemed to agree with Pruitt’s attitude towards the police part that the messenger thru in there that warrants the shooting. At the very least should have been cut out by the editor…all about the clicks, never mind…
And this is the highlight of the Vols’ season.
Do y’all also play Rocky Top every time a crisis breaks out?
To quote the Late, Great Lewis Grizzard……..”Where can you buy underwear for pigs?…..Fredericks of Auburn.”
I guess only this young man and the President are above the law.
Yea, let’s go with that.
Surprise surprise – you are a dumocrat supporting loser!!!!
LOL keep drinking the kool aid
Any of them would be an improvement. It’s embarassing.
Thanks for another off topic troll post Paris
Apparently the UGa crowd hasn’t figured out that you are full of it
Why not give them a pass? The football players get a pass on everything else. Many of them have absolutely no business behind admitted and attending the University of TN (or any other D1 program)
I realize late to party but above was a@wareagle99. Before you say reply button …doesn’t work on my iPad.
“Can you imagine if someone with a warrant wasn’t arrested and harmed one of your loved ones?”
There are enough issues going on in this story; we don’t need hyperbolic fear-mongering. From what I can tell, the arrest warrant was issued for failing to appear in court after charges for an illegal u turn (misdemeanor) and driving with a suspended license (often a misdemeanor). It’s arguably irresponsible to write or publish that nonsense, and it detracts from the real issues in an important story.
“Ma’am, you don’t wanna be an intern because where I’m from we shoot at cops. I’m from Memphis, Tennessee,” he said. “… I should have ran, test y’all’s speed. Y’all would’ve never caught me. … Next time, I am, I promise you. Never again y’all boys will take me to jail. Not UT police.” Send him back to Memphis after he does his time in the Knoxville jailhouse. Completely unacceptable.
The Banks situation has nothing to do with Pruitt as a coach. It’s absurd to make that connection. With that said, telling cops that Where Banks is from they shoot at cops is just sheer ignorance. For that, I think he should be gone. That can’t be tolerated.
Curious to see how high vowel nation can count – already exceeded my expectations, so congrats.
Not a good look for Banks. With school shootings and everything going on in the world, even if joking (he was not), you can’t tell a cop, “where I am from, we shoot cops.” Pruitt, while wrong, I do think the writer has a bit of a hard on for him. Maybe, Pruitt was thinking the warrant was for the minor traffic offense. If so, I can see how he would say “Anywhere else, a player would not be arrested.” Was the reason for the warrant ever released ?
DISECTED
I mean “six” dang countin’
That was Bank’s choice, not the cops.
I am not a Tenn or J Pruitt fan – to the contrary, actually, but I think your article is incorrect regarding Pruitt’s actions. IMO he didn’t cross any lines and, faced with the same call I think every head coach in the SEC would do the same and (lightly) try to see if a non-arrest solution was possible. Pruitt didn’t browbeat, threaten or try to bribe the policeman – he asked some leading questions and advocated for his player. I’d expect every parent/coach to do the same.
That said, I totally agree with you that Pruitt shouldn’t be the one fielding these kinds of calls. Every team has a designated “call me when there’s any trouble” guys on their staff. A head coach shouldn’t be put in that position; the exposure is way too high.
I also wonder if the strength of the public reaction would have been the same if the Vols were 3-1 instead of 1-3?
LOL I completely understand wareagle14. I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes. No one like to be completely owned by their rival.
Handful of fools here defending Pruitt and Banks, but I’m encouraged by the common sense of most.
If you still don’t get it, I’ll explain in simple terms. He was not arrested for the two misdemeanors. He was arrested for failing to appear in court to answer for them. If you have a conflict that is serious, you contact the court in advance and request a change of date. You behave like an adult and be responsible. You don’t just ignore the law. For misdemeanors it’s not uncommon that you’ll be given some opportunity to reschedule if it’s your first offense.
True story unfortunately. I knew a guy once who hit a pedestrian while driving drunk, causing serious injury. His license was revoked for only six months, had a $500 fine, a few community service hours, nothing else. Despite the prohibition for six months, he drove anyway. The law should have been enforced, but he had enough confidence that he’d be given some leeway if he were caught, so he went ahead and instead of having his wife drive him, or take public transport, or get a ride from a friend or colleague, he now and then just took to the roads. He could have even paid for his own personal driver, but he felt he was on a level approaching immunity. He had a drinking problem and had just discovered cocaine. He made some effort to drive only when sober, but it didn’t last. Well he did get away with it, until drunk as hell he crashed into a tree giving himself lifelong paralysis. In the passenger seat was his daughter, who died instantly.
There is a *reason* why people’s licenses are revoked or suspended. It’s not just out of thin air. We don’t know the reason in this case, but the law exists to prevent the kind of end results that you do not want. Yet here is the kicker: it has to be enforced in order to work. If you want a country where athletes are given a separate treatment under our laws, and where their mentors justify giving them impunity, conveying that message to our young future athletes, you’re beyond irresponsible. You’d throw out one of the strongest principles that underlie our whole conception of justice. You’re either mentally challenged, or so selfish that you’re unconcerned with public safety. I do hope that if and when a guy out on an arrest warrant does something that affects you or someone you know, you’ll sit down and use your head. Let’s hope such a thing never happens.
2017 SEC championship and Rose Bowl prove your asinine comment wrong. What’s ironic is how you say “running their mouths for no reason” and then proceed to do just that.
Really a stupid statement by the coach. At best, he was woken up and tired. But at worst, it is trying to use his influence to tell a police officer not to do his job.
….but remember we need to pay these poor kids who are being used by the University……
Pruitt is dumber than I thought. As a former cop in an SEC town, I can assure you that anyone with an active arrest warrant takes a ride. The only reason you wouldn’t get arrested is if the warrant is from a jurisdiction that is further than the arresting agency is willing to extradite. For example: You get pulled over in Knoxville for an open container ticket you didn’t pay in Gainesville. Knoxville PD contacts the courts in Gainesville and Gainesville responds with “Yes, place a hold (arrest), we’ll come pick him up” or “no thanks.”
The arresting officer really has nothing to do with it. Don’t have warrants next time and you won’t have to worry with it.
Well written piece!
My husband and I had the same questions –
• Why was Pruitt the go-to guy?
• Why did Pruitt let Banks play?
• How did Pruitt not know about the video?
• What kind of message is Pruitt sending his players by allowing this behavior?
I am from Memphis, TN, btw, and found Jeremy Banks to be beyond reproach in his behavior. He was clearly threatening the police. He clearly has no respect for authority. His words and actions were reckless, and how Jeremy Pruitt could even consider keeping him on the team is beyond me. I personally think Banks should be sent back to the ‘Dirty D (Cordova, TN where he’s from) and he can just settle back into his lifestyle of being “street”, running from cops, and shooting law enforcement. We’ll see how far that gets him.
Only thing I disagree with is that Pruitt is more recognizable in Tennessee than Dolly Parton
It’s refreshing to see a journalist willing to tell the truth and not read from a script provided by the University of Tennessee publick relations’ office.
Dave Hooker and Jeremy Banks have a lot in common…..they were both run out of Knoxville.
I have heard Tennessee problem is institutional because of Fulmer undermining every coach hired. He apparently has his own agenda as AD and is not allowed to wear the sweat suits to the office or try to coach in practices. Coaches are told to watch their back as Fulmer is sabotaging their success. Sounds like Arkansas has the same institutional culture. Get rid of Fulmer.
I wanna hear more about how this sounds like Arkansas and there is the same institutional culture at Fayetteville? The AD is sabotaging the coaches? That would be news to everybody around Arkansas.
Is that what “you have heard” out in the cow pastures in College Station?
I couldn’t finish the video. Listening to Banks talk made my head hurt. How did he make it into college? I could barely understand what he was saying.