Former Vols Involved In Tragedy

For more than a week now, I have been trying to come up with a way to write this story.

This is a delicate story to write and is, by all means, way more serious than any game or team.

In October of 1998, former —Vol great,  Leonard Little, celebrated his 24th birthday at a St. Louis bar.

Little, who played defensive end and linebacker at Tennessee, got behind the wheel of his Lincoln Navigator legally drunk that night.

A few minutes later, he would run a red light and t-bone a much smaller vehicle, killing it's 47-year old driver.

Little would get off with little more than a slap on the wrist from that incident.

Unfortunately, Little apparently did not learn his lesson, as he was arrested for drunk driving again in 2004. He was acquitted of that charge a few months later.

On January 14, 2003 after a wild night of drinking and partying former—Vol cornerback DeWayne Goodrich hit and killed two good samaritans who had stopped to help victims of another crash.

He kept on driving. He was charged and convicted of two counts of manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid.

Goodrich will not get out of prison until 2012.

Just two short weeks ago, former WR-Donte Stallworth, hit and killed a pedestrian as he was walking home from work.

There have been mixed reports stating that Stallworth was legally drunk when it happened. A claim that his lawyer has refuted, but the suspicion still remains.

These three have much in common. Of course, the most notable and newsworthy commonality is the trio's affiliation with the Tennessee Vols football program.

Unfortunately, it does cast a black eye on the university and the program, but the most important matter is that these three men are responsible for the deaths of four people whose lives ended prematurely.

I grew up looking up to each of these players.

Little was the most feared defensive player in the SEC in the late 90's.

My lasting memory of DeWayne Goodrich was him flying down the sideline for a touchdown after intercepting FSU QB-Marcus Outzen in the 1998 National Championship Game.

Donte Stallworth was one of the greatest wide receivers to ever wear the orange-and-white.

It is so sad to see what has become of their reputations and lives, since their glory days.

Although to a much lesser degree, many other former Vols have messed up as well.

Travis Henry, the Vols all-time career rushing leader, has had nine children by nine different women. Henry had a once-promising NFL-career until his taste and desire for illegal drugs ruined his life.

Jamal Lewis, another Vol-great, tried to setup a drug deal involving cocaine in 2005. He served four months in prison and is now back in the NFL.

Shaun Ellis, former UT-Defensive End, was arrested for possession of marijuana in December of last year.

Albert Haynesworth, who just signed one of the richest contracts for a defensive player in NFL history, has his own history of attitude problems as well. He punched former teammates and once stomped an opposing player's head into the ground.

So the question cannot be ignored. What did these guys learn at the University of Tennessee?

Sure, the Vols program is not the only one to face these kinds of problems, but this many in a short time period has to raise a red flag.

I don't want to blame any of the former coaches or past administrations with these failures, but some real questions need to be asked at the University that so many of us know and love.