KNOXVILLE, Virginia Danny O’Brien, a redshirt senior defensive lineman for Tennessee, was removed from the team due to an unspecified infraction of team rules, the Tennessee athletics administration announced on Monday night.
During the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s double-overtime loss against Texas A&M on Saturday, O’Brien was carried off the field on a stretcher. Following a preemptive assessment at a nearby medical facility, O’Brien took a plane return to Knoxville accompanied by the group.
He was suspended the previous season due to an unspecified infraction of team regulations.
O’Brien and linebacker A.J. Johnson were taken into custody in 2014 on suspicion of drinking and resisting police.
At a party held at the condominium of former Tennessee linebacker Dontavis Sapp, O’Brien was charged with criminal impersonation, resisting arrest, and consuming alcohol while underage.
According to the arrest record, O’Brien “became belligerent and had a very strong odour of alcohol on his breath” when an officer attempted to take him into custody.
In his 42 career games, O’Brien has made 18 starts. The native of Michigan has four sacks and 63 total tackles.
O’Brien wrote, “I take full responsibility,” a few hours after Tennessee sent out the news release. I am appreciative of Vol nation, my coaches, and my teammates. Being a part of the revival of this programme has been an honour.
Coach Butch Jones of Tennessee talked about his feelings when he saw O’Brien arrive to take the team jet home following his injury scare against Texas A&M earlier on Monday during his weekly press conference.
“Solution,” murmured Jones. “Those are the kinds of on-field situations that you never want to be a part of. Though your head is spinning with everything, the main thing on your mind is that you want to support him and his family. I believed that all necessary precautions were taken by our training staff. Officials from Texas A&M handled it really nicely.
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