Source: Butch Jones, Tennessee, played player with concussion in loss to Kentucky

By Trey Wallace and Oliver Connolly

Butch Jones is done at Tennessee, but things could potentially get messy before he exits Knoxville.

Communications received by The Read Optional show that Tennessee’s staff knowingly played a player with a concussion. Brett Kendrick, the team’s starting right tackle, played at least two quarters of Saturday’s loss against Kentucky with a concussion, per a source with knowledge of the situation.

“He is resting in a dark room. He doesn’t remember anything about the second half of the game”. A text received by The Read Optional reads. “They left him in until the last 22 seconds and only pulled him out because he finally threw up on the sideline.”

Kendrick (#63) was visibly wobbling throughout the second and third quarters. He missed assignments and often appeared unaware that the ball was even snapped.

This is the final play before Kendrick was pulled:

Sources within the program confirm that Kendrick suffered a concussion and is currently in the concussion protocol. Sources also confirm that Kendrick told a member of the Vols staff that he was feeling woozy. It is unclear when and what Jones knew himself.

Kendrick was not made available to the media after the game, with the school citing a “schedule conflict.” A source confirmed no such schedule conflict existed.

Kendrick was not made available to the media on Monday or Tuesday. He has spoken to the media at least once a week throughout the season prior to the Kentucky game.

Endangering a student-athlete opens up the potential for the school to fire Jones with cause. As we reported earlier today, Jones’ agent Jimmy Sexton is pursuing Jones’ next landing spot. A buyout has been agreed in principle with Tennessee.

This is not the first time a Jones staff has been accused of endangering or mistreating players. In 2015, former Cincinnati kicker John Lloyd accused Jones personally of “hitting” players “multiple times”:

“No surprise Butch Jones “allegedly” struck a Vol football player during practice.” Lloyd wrote on Twitter in 2015, via The Sporting News. “I’ve seen this man hit players multiple times at Cincy lol. That man probably made the video crew delete over three hours of questionable actions at UC. Karma…”

Gridiron Now reported in 2015 that Jones was involved in “physical altercation” with a senior offensive lineman at Tennessee.