Former Tennessee star Cameron Sutton suspended 8 games by NFL for violating conduct policy

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback and former Tennessee star Cameron Sutton was suspended by the NFL on Monday for eight games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Sutton was released by the Detroit Lions on March 21, one day after the Hillsborough County (Florida) Sheriff's Office publicly spread word that it had issued a warrant for his arrest stemming from his involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident earlier in the month. He was charged with misdemeanor battery and entered a pretrial diversion program in April.

Sutton, 29, signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on June 5, reuniting him with the team with which he spent the first six years of his NFL career.

Sutton started 17 games for the Lions last season and recorded one interception with six passes defensed.

Sutton was a four-year starter at UT. He finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in passes defended with 37 (30 pass breakups, seven interceptions).

"I met this guy in Knoxville, man, six, seven years ago, whatever it was, when he came out of school," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in June when asked about Sutton. "He's a great guy. He loves football.

"It's probably the totality of our relationship, and I probably represent the sentiment of the organization and saying that it's less about specific conversations, particularly of late, and it's about the relationship established over a longer period of time."