‘This is not a Tennessee problem’ – Voice of the Vols Mike Keith provides great perspective on the Boo Carter situation on Rocky Top
Boo Carter was dismissed from Tennessee football’s team on Sunday after he failed to show up for the Vols’ homecoming win against New Mexico State.
The Tennessee Vols officially dismissed sophomore defensive back Boo Carter from the team on Sunday.
Carter’s dismissal came after he reportedly failed to show up for Tennessee’s game against New Mexico State on Saturday after he was informed by the coaching staff that he wouldn’t be playing against the Aggies (UT’s coaches still expected him to show up for the game even though he wasn’t going to play).
The former four-star recruit missed numerous team activities during the summer, which angered some Tennessee team leaders.
Vols head coach Josh Heupel, however, told reporters on Monday that he didn’t regret giving Carter a second chance this fall.
“Not regretful,” said Heupel. “At the end of the day, it’s our job as coaches to try to help mold these guys. That’s part of the commitment we make in the recruiting process and when they decide to come. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. At the end of the day, we’re moving forward.”
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith provides great perspective on the Boo Carter situation on Rocky Top
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith joined WNML’s SportsTalk on Monday and he unsurprisingly offered tremendous perspective on the Boo Carter situation at Tennessee.
“Disappointment,” said Keith when asked for his reaction to Carter’s dismissal from the team. “I mean, disappointment that this has not worked, or that this has worked out the way that it did. In watching [Carter] last year from afar, I thought he was one of the most instinctive defensive players that Tennessee has had in recent years. A guy who certainly could be all-conference caliber — just based on what he does and the fact that he can play one on one defense, and he can play the run. He’s a good tackler.
“And then this hits, obviously, very publicly during the summer. Everyone knows about it. It kind of hangs over everybody all year long. He doesn’t play as well as what he did as a freshman. And yet, there are plays where he makes things happen. And so you understand his capability. It’s just really, really tough to see this happen for the young man, for his family, for his teammates, for Josh Heupel, and everybody involved. But the fact of the matter is, you’ve got to have everybody rowing the boat the same way. You just do. And it doesn’t matter how good somebody is. I mean, he got every chance. This is not a Tennessee problem. This is a him problem. I hope he gets it straight and that it works out for him, because I think he’s an immensely talented young man who has great potential. But at programs like this — and certainly beyond when you go to play on Sunday — that responsibility aspect is always going to be there for you to do what you’re expected to do. And Josh Heupel couldn’t handle it any other way. He gave the young man every chance.”
There’s no doubt that Carter has NFL talent. But he has to find a way to leave the off-the-field concerns behind. If Carter is going to reach his max potential as a player, then he’ll have to be an elite teammate moving forward (wherever he lands). You can’t be the best version of yourself in team sports if you’re not an elite teammate. There’s just no other way.
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