Josh Heupel addresses Gerald Mincey marijuana possession for Tennessee football
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel didn't have much to say about why offensive tackle Gerald Mincey played in a limited capacity against Florida after he was cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Mincey, 21, was cited for possessing 8.57 grams of marijuana during a traffic stop two days before he played in the loss to Florida, according to a UT police report obtained Monday by Knox News.
Mincey, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, traveled with the team to his home state for the game. The redshirt junior did not play on offense against Florida, the school where he started his college football career.
Heupel described Mincey's absence from the lineup on offense as a coach's decision. But Mincey played on the field goal and PAT kick units on special teams. At his press conference Monday, Heupel didn't elaborate on those decisions.
Was Mincey's absence from the offense punishment for the marijuana citation?
"We just decided not to play him on the offensive side of the ball," Heupel said.
Why did Mincey play on special teams?
"We just made that decision," Heupel said.
No. 20 Tennessee (2-1) plays UTSA (1-2) on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium.
Will Mincey be available to play against UTSA?
“We've got a long week here. We'll go through the week,” Heupel said.
Police report provide details of citation
At 11:12 p.m. on Sept. 14, Mincey was stopped by UTPD in a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the area of Cumberland Avenue and Henley Street in Knoxville. Police seized the marijuana and cited Mincey for misdemeanor simple possession and casual exchange.
On Friday, the team traveled to Florida. On Saturday, Mincey played on a limited basis against the Gators.
Mincey and Jeremiah "J.J." Crawford had been splitting time at right tackle, but only Crawford played there against Florida.
"We just made a decision to go with J.J. (Crawford)” over Mincey, Heupel said after the game.
Crawford struggled against Florida. And under normal circumstances, Mincey would’ve replaced him, at least temporarily. In the first two games of the season, Crawford played 91 offensive snaps and Mincey got 75.
Mincey started at left tackle last season but lost his job to Miami transfer John Campbell.
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.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Josh Heupel explains Gerald Mincey marijuana possession for Tennessee football
