Corey Zickefoose, Tennessee Football 'Victim,' Wants Leniency for Players

Twenty-year-old Corey Zickefoose was the victim of an alleged crime Thursday when three Tennessee football players were arrested on charges of armed robbery. Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson and Michael Edwards allegedly held up Zickefoose with an air gun in what was later described as a "prank."

Intentions aside (as they do pave the road to hell), one would think Zickefoose would be in full-on lawyer mode, lining up a civil suit and pressing criminal charges. Or at least really angry. But no -- unbelievably, he's asking the university for leniency instead.

"I think they should still be able to play football, regardless," he said. "Tennessee is my place. It's my football team."

"Even after they put a gun in your face, you say let them play football?" 6 News asked.

"Yeah, it's Tennessee. That's the way it is sometimes," Zickefoose said.

Personally speaking, I went to high school in Tennessee, and while I won't claim to know more about the state than Zickefoose, I can't say I'm surprised at all. (And others agree.) This happened already once this year in SEC country with an Alabama man and his daughter (she was assaulted by Crimson Tide players and the father blamed ... her) and the fact that Zickefoose is willing to put football over his own personal safety is actually pretty indicative of how many people in that part of the country feel.

I'm not saying that I agree with this mindset in the slightest -- or that Vols coach Lane Kiffin will either. Some sort of suspension coming from the school would seem to be almost guaranteed. But the fact that the victim doesn't want them punished certainly can't hurt the players' cases.