Vols' Mays gets waiver from NCAA, now must clear SEC hurdle

Blake Toppmeyer | Knoxville

Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL

Butch Jones on Wednesday said he did not knowingly play any player who had suffered an injury during Tennessee’s game on Saturday against Kentucky.

Jones, during his regularly scheduled news conference and appearance on the SEC teleconference, fielded questions in relation to a report by thereadoptional.com, which detailed the health of starting right tackle Brett Kendrick.

The website, citing a source, reported that Kendrick played a portion of Saturday’s game against Kentucky with a concussion.

“We would never, ever knowingly put a student-athlete in harm's way," Jones said.

Jones said the team's medical staff has “full authority on removing players from competition” and also on return-to-play decisions.

“I have absolutely no say in these decisions," Jones said.

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Tennessee Volunteers vs. Kentucky Wildcats game action photos

Jones would not confirm that Kendrick suffered a concussion but said Kendrick would not play in the Vols’ homecoming game against Southern Miss on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Multiple lines of defense are in place to watch for a concussion, in addition to coaches and teammates.

One is the team’s on-field medical personnel. Also, game officials have the authority to remove a player from the field who they believe might be concussed. And the SEC has an independent medical observer in the press box who looks for signs of a possible concussion.

According to the SEC’s procedures, if the medical observer has visual evidence of obvious signs of disorientation or sees that the player is clearly unstable due to a head or neck injury, the observer is charged with alerting replay officials and contacting the medical staff for the team of the player involved to advise that the player appears to require medical attention. The replay official will notify the referee upon receiving notification from the medical observer.

Jones said that, to his knowledge, the medical observer never notified his medical staff of a possible injury. He added that he takes concussions “very seriously.”

Kendrick exited Saturday’s game on Tennessee’s final drive with 22 seconds remaining. Vols quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was sacked on the previous play, and UT called a timeout to stop the clock.

When the Vols broke the huddle from the timeout, they’d shuffled the offensive line. Coleman Thomas, who had been playing center, played the remainder of the drive in Kendrick's spot at right tackle. Jashon Robertson moved from guard to center, and Ryan Johnson entered the game at guard.

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On Wednesday morning, athletic director John Currie released a statement in response to thereadoptional.com’s report.

“The health and safety of our student-athletes is our number one responsibility,” Currie said in his statement. “Our sports medicine staff and team medical personnel have full autonomy and unquestioned authority during all team activities, including the ability to remove a player from competition and ‘return to play’ decisions. At all football games, the Southeastern Conference has a trained independent medical observer present who also has full authority to stop play and remove a student-athlete from competition for assessment and/or treatment.

“We have a constant and consistently communicated expectation that all coaches, staff and student-athletes remain attentive to ensure that any potential injuries are appropriately addressed — with full intentions that student-athlete safety is never compromised.”

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Vols football practice October 31

Kendrick has not spoken to reporters since Saturday’s game. He is often one of the players Tennessee makes available to the media after games and during its weekly media availability.

Injuries and attrition have taken a toll on Tennessee's offensive line. The Vols had seven scholarship linemen available for Saturday's game, with Marcus Tatum added to the injury heap.

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Charlie Daniel cartoons - November 2017

Six scholarship linemen participated during the open portion of Tuesday's practice — Trey Smith, Robertson, Thomas, Johnson, Devante Brooks and Riley Locklear.