By JIM WOGAN
6 Sports Director
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Tennessee receiver Da'Rick Rogers status with the UT football team is uncertain after the star receiver missed a morning practice.
"He's got some things he needs to do internally and when he does them he'll be back, so it's kind of an internal team issue," said head coach Derek Dooley after practice.
Dooley would not classify it a suspension, but said there is no guarantee the junior receiver will return.
"I wouldn't call it anything other than he's got to do some things and when he does, he (can) come back and (if) he doesn't he's not going to be here," Dooley said.
Rogers led the Southeastern Conference with 67 catches and more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2011. He was named first team All-SEC by the Associated Press.
The Vols have now held three spring practice sessions. Thursday's workout was the first in pads.
Tennessee players indicated Rogers' absence from practice was not a big deal.
"What we want to do is come out here every day and give it the best we've got, said receiver Naz Oliver. "We just took it like Da'Rick was injured or J-Hunt (Justin Hunter) got injured this year. We were a man down, but we are still going to come out and give it our all."
"It is what it is. We come out here and don't worry about what happens off the field," added receiver Austin Rogers.
"We're going to come out here and work with the players we have here and that's what we did today."
Dooley said Da'Rick Rogers would return to workouts as soon as Saturday, but the Tennessee head coach gave no clear indication that it is going to happen.
