Jeremy Banks Apologizes to Police

A month ago, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt kicked sophomore linebacker/running back Jeremy Banks off Tennessee’s football program. On Monday, the former Vol posted on social media for the first time since being dismissed.

Banks was removed from UT’s football team back on October 4th following comments made towards police officers on a body cam during a late night arrest along with reports that surfaced later of Banks threatening a female UT student outside of a party. On the body cam footage, Banks was overhead saying “Where I’m from (west Tennessee), we shoot cops.” Banks had been arrested during a routine traffic stop after it was revealed there was a warrant out for his arrest due to a failure to appear in court stemming from a prior incident.

On Monday night, Banks posted two tweets to his personal Twitter account. The first one was a picture of himself with three police officers with the caption, “That night I had forgot to pray moments before, it was counted for though” along with “for the people” in all caps included with a black emoji heart and the hashtag #ThanksGod. He followed up with another tweet saying, “I’m truly sorry for my mistake and really appreciate everyone that’s rocking with me” with the hashtag #GodChild.

That night I had forgot to pray moments before, it was counted for though. FOR THE PEOPLE?#ThanksGod pic.twitter.com/ldQlERW8li

— Jeremy Banks (@jeremybanks32) November 4, 2019

I’m truly sorry for my mistake & I really appreciate everyone that’s rocking with me…#GodChild?

— Jeremy Banks (@jeremybanks32) November 4, 2019

Back in early October, Pruitt released a statement saying that Banks would still have his support, but “information I recently received” led to the decision to kick the sophomore off the team.

“I have made the decision to remove Jeremy Banks from our football program,” Pruitt said. “While I will continue to support Jeremy in the next steps in his life, information I recently received made it clear that this decision is in the best interest of the football program and the university.”

Not only had Banks been arrested and made the comments he did on the body cam footage, but reports came out later on that same day Pruitt kicked Banks off the the team that the sophomore from Cordova, Tennessee had made threats to a female UT student outside of a party and had been repeatedly harassing her for months prior to that incident.

It was that second issue that appeared to ultimately lead Pruitt to dismiss Banks. Originally, Pruitt maintained that Banks’ punishment stemming from the arrest and comments made towards the police officers had been handled internally. But it was due to repeated off-field incidents that Banks was ultimately let go.

Banks, who originally joined the Vols as a running back, finished his Tennessee career with 52 carries for 185 yards and three touchdowns, adding a reception for 10 yards on offense. On defense, Banks totaled 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, two interceptions, and two passes defended. The sophomore is still enrolled in classes at UT, though he is no longer part of Tennessee’s football program.