Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton Recieved Death Threats

Tennessee Quarterback Jonathan Crompton told the Knoxville News Sentinal that during his Junior season, he had received 2 death threats via email. To say that Crompton had a rough time on the field last year is an understatement. The Senior from Bryson City, NC threw for 889 yards and 4 touchdowns, but also threw 5 interceptions with a 51.5% passing rating during the Volunteers 5-7 season. The 2008 season saw Tennessee lose 7 games for only the second time in the school's history.

What is this world coming to! Death threats aimed at a college student, Yes, I said student. I know he's a student-athlete at a major, big time university at which college football is king, but it is a tremendous understatement to say that this should never happen. Interestingly enough, Crompton never revealed this information to the university.
In addition to the emails, Crompton received harassing phone calls once his cell phone number was made public on the internet. I wonder how these people got his cell phone. By Federal Law, cell phone numbers aren't suppose to be released publicly.

To make matters worse, Crompton's parents received a package at their home with slanderous messages written on the box. To his credit, Crompton has handled all of this well. Here is what he had to say: "It was tough, I'm not going to lie," he said. "When you're faced with adversity, your true character comes out -- as a person, as a student, as a Christian. It tested me."

I've lambasted Tennessee Head Coach Lane Kiffin over comments and behavior that took place a few months ago, but I applaud him for giving Crompton a vote of confidence. Kiffin told the Knoxville News Sentinel via email: "Jonathan has done a great job with the transition. He's taken a very professional approach to learning and studying the offense."

It's sad that we live in a time when innocent people (yes, I said innocent) have done nothing wrong but throw interceptions or incomplete passes are threatened with the ultimate. As far as I know, performing poorly at quarterback may be against the law of winning, but isn't against the law that really matters. No college athlete should ever have to live in fear of their lives because of poor performances on the field. They have enough pressure trying to juggle their school work and athletic schedules (yes, most student-athletes DO go to class). Are we becoming like the Colombian Soccer fanatic who murdered a member of the Colombian National Soccer Team who accidentally scored an own goal against the United States in the 1994 World Cup? Please people, we're better than that!

I'm not a Tennessee fan, but I will be rooting for the personal success of Jonathan Crompton. To those cyberthugs who sent those emails, you must have nothing to live for but Big Orange Football. I hope you will be dressed in orange one day; orange prison suits.