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Article published Aug 20, 2008 Alcoa's Warren cleared to play for Vols
By Ryan Callahan of The Daily Times Staff
KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer interrupted a meeting Tuesday around 9:15 a.m. to have a word with Brandon Warren and assistant coach Jason Michael.
The good news Warren had been hoping for couldn't wait any longer.
Warren, a sophomore tight end and former Class 2A Mr. Football at Alcoa High School, was cleared Tuesday by the NCAA to play for the Volunteers this season with the approval of the school's waiver requests for eligibility.
The ruling marked the official end of a grueling 18-month period for Warren, who has been in limbo since leaving Florida State in February 2007, shortly after his freshman season, to be with his ailing mother, Deirdre.
"It's been a long process -- a long, stressful process -- for me and my family," Warren said in a press conference following UT's practice Tuesday afternoon.
"We're just happy it's over and the outcome came out fine."
School officials had waited for weeks to get approval from the NCAA for Warren to play this season and receive financial aid.
Warren violated the terms of the National Letter of Intent he signed in February 2006 by not completing his second semester at Florida State. He since has attended Pellissippi State Technical Community College to maintain his eligibility.
School officials had expressed frustration with the Southeastern Conference and NCAA in recent weeks while waiting for a response, but Fulmer said Warren needed to complete a summer-school class that ended last week before he could be cleared.
Fulmer said the complicated appeals process also involved Florida State and the Atlantic Coast Conference, which did not approve Warren's transfer.
"We'd have liked to have (an answer) a long time ago," Fulmer said. "But part of that was just going through a process and getting all the paperwork and all the things that had to be done to get them all the information they needed. ...
"The NCAA, in the end, it was under their jurisdiction, so to speak -- their call."
Offensive addition
Warren, who participated in fall camp while awaiting a ruling, represents a potentially significant addition to the Vols' offense.
A 6-foot-1, 225-pound tight end with above-average speed, Warren finished with 28 receptions for 301 yards and a touchdown at Florida State in 2006 on the way to becoming a Freshman All-America selection.
He has worked extensively with UT's offensive starters during preseason practice and could see immediate playing time with projected co-starter Jeff Cottam expected to miss six to eight weeks with a back injury.
True freshman Aaron Douglas, a Class 4A Mr. Football last year at Maryville High, also has been held out of contact work during fall camp, leaving sophomore Luke Stocker as the only proven option at tight end whose availability wasn't in question.
That all changed Tuesday.
"(Warren) played a big key in what we were going to do from this point on," said Michael, the Vols' first-year tight ends coach.
New offensive coordinator Dave Clawson discussed using the versatile Warren in a number of spots -- on the line of scrimmage as a traditional tight end, in the backfield as an H-back, and perhaps even in the slot as a wide receiver.
With the season opener at UCLA less than two weeks away, Clawson said the Vols were approaching the point of needing to plan for life without Warren. He previously had mentioned running a few sets without a tight end because of the depleted depth at the position.
"We've definitely carved out a role for (Warren) in the offense," Clawson said. "If he hadn't been cleared, we would have moved on. But it's certainly a lot more exciting moving on with him."
Fulmer said Warren, who also played defensive end at Alcoa, eventually could be used on defense as a situational pass rusher.
"Coach Clawson cringes when I say (that)," Fulmer said.
For now, Warren doesn't care where the Vols use him. He was simply excited — and relieved — to go to bed Tuesday night knowing he would be able to play football again.
"I'll be able to finally get a good night's sleep," Warren said.