Tennessee Volunteers Part Ways with Senior WR Pig Howard

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Entering the 2015 college football season the Tennessee Volunteers had one of the best receiving corps in the nation on paper. The unit was expected to blossom into a force if only the group could stay healthy. The injury bug has been unkind to the Volunteers limiting top receivers like Marquez North, Von Pearson, and Pig Howard from being that dominating group.

After an announcement on Wednesday by Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, the abilities of those receivers as a group will be left as a “what if.” Due to violation of team rules, Jones has dismissed senior wide out Pig Howard from the team.

Howard (5’8”, 187) was the Vols leading receiver in 2014 pulling down 54 passes for 618 yards with one touchdown. His senior season had already been cut short missing three games for disciplinary reasons and the last two because of concussion symptoms leaving him with one reception for eight yards in 2015.

As Tennessee evolves into a talent rich program, starting quarterback Josh Dobbs has done a great job of spreading the ball around to his receivers. Sophomore tight end Ethan Wolf is tied for a team-high 12 receptions with a team leading 157 yards and two scores. Sophomore receiver Josh Malone also has 12 receptions covering 109 yards with one score and freshman receiver Preston Willimas has five receptions for 117 yards with two touchdowns. Running back Alvin Kamara has 10 passes pulled in with Josh Smith and Juan Jennings adding nine receptions each. Pearson and North have been held to six and four receptions respectively.

Tennessee gets a second consecutive tough game at home this weekend when SEC East foe Georgia comes to Neyland Stadium after facing Arkansas in Week 5.

Photo credit: dougstricklandphotography.com; No. 2 Pig Howard celebrates a touchdown.