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Keenan Pili’s season-ending injury ‘devastating,’ according to DC Tim Banks
By Mark Kern
Published:
Keenan Pili tore his ACL in Tennessee’s overtime win against Florida on Saturday, and the senior linebacker will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
He is a captain for Tennessee, and he is currently tied for the team lead in total tackles at 29. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks says it is crushing for the team, as Pili is a rare combination of a great player and person.
#Vols DC Tim Banks on Keenan Pili again going down for the season with an injury: It's hurts, to be honest. It's devastating. It's rare to find a kid that great as a player and that great as a person. My wife hasn't stop talking about it. We're all hurt.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) October 15, 2024
“It hurts, to be honest,” Banks said. “It’s devastating. It’s rare to find a kid that great as a player and that great as a person. My wife hasn’t stopped talking about it. We’re all hurt.”
Josh Heupel at his Monday morning press conference said something very similar to Banks as well.
“There’s nobody that represents Tennessee better than him,” Heupel said. “He’s a great leader and will continue to be that inside of our building. I’m heartbroken for him and his family. A guy that absolutely does everything right. Special player, special person, too, he’s got a great future.”
This was Pili’s seventh season of college football, as he started his career at BYU in 2016. He redshirted his first year there, and then did a 2-year church mission from 2017-2019.
It has been a tough last 2 years for Pili at Tennessee. Last year, he injured his triceps in the first game of the season, and was forced to miss the rest of the season.
Pili was the quarterback of the defense, so the Volunteers will also have to figure out who will have the earpiece in their helmet on Saturday against Alabama.
