Tennessee freshman running back Jalen Hurd is scheduled for a court appearance on Jan. 20 after being cited for underage consumption of alcohol beverages, wine or beer, according to online Knox County court documents.
The Tennessean first reported that Hurd, and another UT student, were “arrested by citation” on Dec. 3 after a UT police officer identified an unconscious male in a vehicle in a university dorm garage. The Tennessean reported that the initial police report didn’t identify the unconscious male.
A source close to the situation told RockyTopInsider.com that Hurd was not the unconscious individual, and in fact, Hurd was not even on the scene, but was contacted during an investigation involving his vehicle. An additional source clarified that the police sought Hurd out at his residency.
When the officer encountered Hurd, he asked him if he had been drinking and Hurd voluntarily responded that he had. At that point Hurd, who is 18, was issued a misdemeanor citation for underage drinking, but was not handcuffed or taken into custody.
The unconscious individual was transported to the hospital for precautionary reasons. Neither Hurd nor the unconscious individual ever drove the vehicle while drinking.
The source called it a “non-issue” for Hurd that has already been addressed with internal discipline by the coaching staff. Hurd, who led Tennessee with 777 yards rushing as a true freshman, is not in any danger of missing any of the Jan. 2 TaxSlayer Bowl matchup against Iowa in Jacksonville.
