TE Jahleel Billingsley Ticketed Outside Tuscaloosa Hours After Announcing Transfer to Texas
Jahleel Billingsley, a former tight end for the Alabama Crimson Tide, was pulled over and ticketed in rural Tuscaloosa County hours after he announced his plans to transfer to the Texas Longhorns earlier this week.
The four-star recruit from Chicago was expected to play a major role in Bama's 2021 offensive production but began the season by missing the start of Fall Camp, an absence that head coach Nick Saban attributed to Billingsley's "level of commitment."
The off-the-field issues were seemingly resolved and Billingsley returned to practice but finished the 2021 season with a relatively underwhelming 17 receptions for 256 yards and three touchdowns.
After the Tide's National Championship loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on January 10th, Billingsley was one of several Alabama players to announce his intention to enter the transfer portal and seek more playtime elsewhere.
On Saturday, January 16th, Billingsley posted pictures to Instagram showing himself in Texas burnt orange, and his father confirmed his commitment to reunite with former Tide offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian on Twitter later that day.
Hours later, on the morning of January 17th, records indicate Billingsley was stopped outside city limits by Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies at 2:05 a.m.
According to the citation, Billingsley was stopped in rural Tuscaloosa County on Highway 69 South.
He was issued a misdemeanor traffic citation for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and released from the scene. No other citations or charges were filed, according to public records.
The 21-year-old athlete was asked to appear in court for the citation in March, although the case is likely to be resolved out of court before then.
Editor's note: The Tuscaloosa Thread would not typically cover the issuance of a traffic citation, but its editorial staff agreed that Billingsley's fame or infamy among Alabama fans and the timing of the traffic stop elevated this story's newsworthiness.