New head coach Derek Dooley told reporters this evening that he and the lineman "met today, and he's decided that he's no longer a part of the football team."
Douglas' father David, who was a football player at UT in the mid-eighties, told Chris Low of ESPN.com's SEC blog that this move had been in the making for a month, but it was still "a gut-wrenching decision" nonetheless.
"This was all Aaron's decision," David Douglas said. "We've been talking about this for a month, and initially, I didn't necessarily agree with his decision. He actually wanted to do this a month ago.
"The bottom line is that he wasn't happy. He's always going to care about Tennessee, but I just think he wants to go somewhere and be his own person. Aaron needs a fresh start, and as his parents, we're going to support him in every way."
Douglas was a Freshman All-American at right tackle last season after redshirting in 2008. As noted by Low, Douglas was expected to slide over to left tackle and be the experienced anchor of a young unit.
Now, Dooley will have to deal with five new starters along the line.
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