Tennessee defensive back Rashaan Gaulden apologizes for a gesture that resulted in a personal foul against Alabama Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
Tennessee's Rashaan Gaulden took exception with a tweet by ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, congratulating Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield on Saturday night for winning the Heisman Trophy.
Herbstreit had criticized former UT coach Butch Jones on "College GameDay" on Oct. 28, saying Jones should have kicked Gaulden off the team for giving Alabama fans two middle fingers during a game on Oct. 21 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
During a game at Kansas on Nov. 18, Mayfield grabbed his crotch twice, repeated an obscenity three times, then waved his hand to a Kansas assistant while saying "Come here! Come here! Come here!"
Gaulden retweeted Herbstreit's tweet, which said Mayfield is "VERY misunderstood!" and also said "his competitive spirit is special and sure, sometimes has gotten the best of him."
The Vols' junior nickelback, in turn, responded via Twitter: "I should be kicked off the team and eat popcorn and I don't have a chip on my shoulder and I'm not competitive! Used to have a lot of respect for you!!!"
Herbstreit apologized to Gaulden via Twitter on Sunday, saying: "Unfair to Rashaan. I"m sorry. I'm glad you pointed this out man."
Gaulden received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for his gesture after teammate Daniel Bituli scored a touchdown on an interception return during the third quarter, cutting Alabama's lead to 28-7.
“You’re thinking, “With everything that’s been going on at Tennessee that guy probably will never play again,” Herbstreit said, “Next series the defense is on the field, No. 7 is back in the lineup playing. And you wonder why Tennessee has issues. They don’t have any discipline.”
“(Jones) should have taken his uniform off , sent him upstairs and said, ‘Go get a popcorn. You’re no longer on the football team’ and sent a message to the whole team.”
Gaulden apologized to Tennessee and Alabama fans during a postgame interview with reporters.