Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce arrested for traffic stop violations, per report
Tennessee‘s All-SEC EDGE rusher James Pearce has been arrested, according to records obtained by the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Pearce was arrested for “disobeying police instructions during a traffic stop on suspicions of speeding and driving on a suspended license,” the report, written by Adam Sparks, reads. He was allegedly driving 63 mph in a 35 mph zone.
He was named to the All-SEC First Team on Monday after racking up 8.5 sacks during the regular season. Tennessee is set to play Iowa in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1.
According to the report, Pearce’s vehicle had expired temporary tags. He had no form of identification nor could he provide proof of insurance. Regarding him disobeying instructions, Pearce had to be asked multiple times to remove himself from the vehicle. Later when police were searching his vehicle, he was told that the car would be towed. They instructed him to stand beside assisting officers on the scene, but he walked toward his car instead.
Police then impounded his vehicle and Pearce was promptly arrested. His charges include speeding, driving on suspended license, failure to present insurance, registration improperly displayed and improper window tinting.
Tennessee has since released a brief comment about Pearce’s situation.
“We are aware of the incident involving James Pearce Jr., and we are awaiting more information,” a UT spokesperson said, via Sparks’ report.
Pearce, 20, finished the 2022 regular season 15 solo tackles and 8.5 sacks, while also forcing one fumble. A sophomore, Pearce is also a former four-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 137 overall player in his class and the No. 16 EDGE rusher.
More on James Pearce
James Pearce played in all 13 games as a true freshman for Tennessee, accumulating five tackles, two tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He emerged in his sophomore season as one of the SEC’s top pass rushers.
Pearce earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after a dominant performance vs. South Carolina. He registered three tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks and two QB hurries against the Gamecocks.
During his senior season at Julius L. Chambers, Pearce had 14.5 sacks and two interceptions. He was coached by Glenwood Ferebee, a former player at Liberty and offensive coordinator at Howard and ranked as the No. 3 player in North Carolina coming out of high school.