Story by
Boo Carter is back for Tennessee football as full participant in practice
- Story by
- Boo Carter is back for Tennessee football as full participant in practice
Tennessee defensive back/punt returner Boo Carter is now a full-fledged participant at football practice after serving what appeared to be a de facto suspension for missing numerous team activities in the summer.
On Aug. 5, Carter was in uniform on the practice field and participating in drills alongside his teammates for periods open to the media.
Advertisement
That's quite a change for Carter. In the first four practices of preseason, he had been excluded from those drills and instead left to work out on the side of the field or in the indoor facility while the team practiced on the outdoor field.
Carter, a preseason All-SEC selection, has been serving what appeared to be a de facto suspension, although coach Josh Heupel has not identified his status in that way.
Carter missed numerous team activities in the summer, and he was confronted by team leaders because of his absence. Carter was set apart from the team during preseason practices. And he visited patients at East Tennessee Children's Hospital as part of his reinstatement.
"Boo is a part of our team here. There's some things that he's got to accomplish to get back on the field with us," Heupel said during UT's on-campus media day on July 29. "Don't have a set timeline on that."
Advertisement
Heupel has not addressed whether Carter will be available to play in the season opener against Syracuse in Atlanta on Aug. 30 (noon ET, ABC). But the Vols could certainly use him as a tone-setter on defense and special teams.
Carter is among UT's most talented players. Last season, he earned SEC All-Freshman honors as a defensive back and return specialist.
The Chattanooga native started at Star position, what UT calls its nickelback, and posted 38 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, one sack, three quarterback hurries and one interception. And he led the SEC with a 16.5-yard average on punt returns.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
Advertisement
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Boo Carter is back for Tennessee football as full participant in practice
