Victims unaware alleged robbers played football for UT

The victims who say they found themselves on the other side of what turned out to be a pellet gun said they had no idea the suspect played for one of their favorite football teams.

Corey Smith and Corey Zickefoose say the first surprise of their night was almost getting robbed; the second came later in the morning when they found out who was on the other end of the gun.

Both say the crime lasted less than a minute.

The Maryville residents were in Knoxville staying at a friend's house for the night when they decided to drive to the Pilot station on Cumberland Avenue.

"We pulled up to the gas station. I was pretty hungry," Smith said. "Someone went in to get a pack of cigarettes. I looked over to this blue car like it was nothing. They jumped out, opened my car door, and stuck a gun in my face and said, 'Give me everything you got'."

The problem is, they didn't have much.

"I was stunned. I was like, 'I don't have anything to give you, sorry.' He tried to give him a cheeseburger," Smith said, pointing to Zickefoose.

Both Smith and Zickefoose say they were a little nervous because they didn't realize the gun was a pellet gun.

"I thought it was a real gun. It looked real," Smith said.

"I was just worried he was going to shoot us. I wasn't worried about anything else," Zickefoose said.

However, discovering the weapon was just a pellet gun came as a minor surprise to the two men when compared to finding out who police say was holding the weapon.

Knoxville Police say the two men who approached the vehicle were Michael Edwards and Nu'Keese Richardson. Janzen Jackson was allegedly in the Pilot at the time. All three play football for UT.

"It blew my mind when my mama told me. I was like, 'You gotta be kidding me'," Smith said.

Neither victim says the event will deter their future sports fanaticism when it comes to UT football.

"I'll always watch it. This is my state," Smith said.