Caleb King’s loss no big deal for Dogs — it’s Crowell’s show
Washaun Ealey (left) and Caleb King blew their opportunities at Georgia. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(Last update: 4:50 p.m.)
We saw what Washaun Ealey brought to the table for Georgia. It wasn’t good enough.
We saw what Caleb King brought to the table for Georgia. It wasn’t good enough.
So sorry if I’m not all bent out of shape about the sudden news that King has been declared academically ineligible for the Bulldogs in the fall. Nothing against the young man personally, but in terms of how this impacts the fortunes of the football team, it’s close enough to zero. Fact is, the Dogs were going to rise or fall next season on the strength of freshman Isaiah Crowell, any way.
Coach Mark Richt has certainly let it be known on occasion that Crowell was the only running back he really cared about. How often does a college coach say on national letter of intent day something remotely close to this on a recruit: “ I wouldn’t be shocked to see him running that rock in the Dome against Boise State on the opening play if he does what he’s supposed to do”?
Richt was talking about Crowell. He had pretty much had it with Ealey, who a week later was suspended, eventually was granted his release and transferred to Jacksonville State.
Having King for depth purposes might’ve been nice. But what in the last three seasons — given injuries, a lack of production and his own off-field issues — would lead you to believe he could be counted on?
Scouting services had him as one of the top running backs in the nation and the first overall player in Georgia back in 2006. Either they were wrong or he figured he would just let the resume do the work for him in Athens. He had one great game in three years (166 yards against Georgia Tech in 2009). He was injured too often. He was arrested last year for failing to appear in court for a speeding ticket (which came to be something of an epidemic in Athens).
King is 23 years old and would have been a fifth-year senior. How can a fifth-year senior with everything to play for not stay academically eligible? This was not somebody whom Richt could count on.
Some Georgia fans will belabor the lack of experience behind Crowell. That’s a legitimate concern. But in three seasons over four years, King offered no guarantees.
Richt said in a statement, “We wish him the best in whatever he decides to do. However, we have to move forward and this will provide more opportunities for others to step up.”
Others won’t have to step up too much.
Success next season was always going to hinge on Crowell, and certainly the offensive line in front of him. Caleb King was just a name on the depth chart.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
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627 comments Add your comment
MountainDawg
July 8th, 2011
5:29 pm
BFS @ 5:09PM ET (7/8) – Very well stated. Too many fall into the “jock sniffin” zone. The drunken fans who rave over the thugs are usually castrated simpletons. If a player on “your/my” team is a thug/criminal, then we ought to not make excuses for him. SEC coaches need to crack down on thuggery & instill some old school discipline. If they scare of some “lauded” 5-star recruit, then so be it. The recruiting services grossly overrate many of the kids anyway. Remember how (bust) Marquis Elmore was a 5 star & David Pollack (3x All American) was a paltry 3 star. Rivals & Scout are bad on overhyping too many players.
Pardon Me
July 8th, 2011
5:29 pm
Lars,
Munzenmaier is still there to teach him the ropes.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 8th, 2011
5:30 pm
Caleb King was recruited by a lot of SEC schools coming out of high school. You all should thank UGA for recruiting him, as your school would have just as likely had the same problems UGA did with him.
I hate to say it, but I think the boy is just lazy. And why would JUCO do him any good. Where does he go from there if he were even able to academically graduate from a JUCO. By the time he did, he will be almost 26 years old. The last I checked, he is no Rocky Blier, Roger Staubach, or Chad Jennings, so I don’t see a lot in his future at JUCO or even the next level. Maybe, he might want to look into a trade school, and specialize on a job, he is capable of doing. What future he had at a shot for the NFL, I would think is pretty much over at this point. It is sad though because everybody in the world tried to help him out. I guess that old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it”, applies for sure here.
Bob
July 8th, 2011
5:31 pm
Like losing $200,000 on a bad stock (four years on scholarship @$50,000 per), but the team will be better offf…what a disappointment. Also looks like he didn’t attend his English classes from the looks of his tweet.
Not Impressed
July 8th, 2011
5:33 pm
What an impressive intelligent team atmosphere Mark RIcht has to work with – just another dumb thug who can’t do his school work…..Every body wave bye bye to Mark as this most certainly will be his last season in Athens……he can’t seem to put it together!!!!
Wolfpack
July 8th, 2011
5:35 pm
If history is any indicator, look at why King transferred from Parkview to GAC; a public school to a private school. No surprise why. Great kid, but no support from home when it came to academics. Sad situation.
Don
July 8th, 2011
5:35 pm
Right on Jeff. I see this minimally as a curse, but maximally as a blessing. These misdirected, “bad attitude” players had to be a drag on the direction of this team. All the signs as to how we went 6-7 last year point to the Ealeys, Kings, Harmons of the world. Past time to move on. Hopefully, Malcome, Crowell, Thomas, and Harton care and will put forth 100% effort on and off the field.
Muck Richt
July 8th, 2011
5:36 pm
What do you expect when Muck Richt keeps recruiting dummies like Ealey and King? These guys were given a free pass in high school, they certainly aren’t college material. Both of them will be sweeping floors this time next year.
And Crowell is from the same mold, so expect exactly the same outcome. And expect to see him in jail before the season even gets underway.
1eyedJack
July 8th, 2011
5:38 pm
Maybe Saban will waive a running back before camp starts.
CalebEaley
July 8th, 2011
5:39 pm
@MountainDawg – You seem like the type a guy who’s always just too tired to work out…just like me
Dumb and Dumber at UGA
July 8th, 2011
5:40 pm
“…just another dumb thug who can’t do his school work.”
Just one of many dumb thugs in Athens. Did I mention that most UGA players are functionally illiterate?
CarltonUpTheMiddle
July 8th, 2011
5:40 pm
Injury with Crowell, then what? Carlton Up The Middle??!!
MountainDawg
July 8th, 2011
5:42 pm
@CalebEaley – You seem like a majorLEAGUEr.
"CaneDawg": That's it, enough is enuff....
July 8th, 2011
5:43 pm
OconeeDog: Thank you for your senseless rant. CK is gone now get tough and accept it. Hurling personal insults at a kid with issues only makes you look DUMB and IGNORANT. For attacking this disadvantaged kid as you did, surely you must be a loser. Wisen up trailertrash, this kid in spite of his many problems was asked to come to UGa and he said yes only to ultimately fail in the attempt of reaching personal and program goals. He ain’t the first and won’t be the last to flunk out of school. But he tried and it just didn’t work out, but I’ll bet he accomplished more by flunking out of college than people like you who’ve never even tried to go to college. Enough is enough, please be intelligent for once and kindly shut up.
wolfman
July 8th, 2011
5:44 pm
Richt said he wouldn’t be surprised if Crowell ran the ball against Bosie St because he suspected that he would be all he had left!
Pardon Me
July 8th, 2011
5:46 pm
Pretty sure you meant to say most students at UGA are functionally illiterate.
Every so often, they have to flunk one out to give the illusion they are running a legitimate academic institution.
Sorry Caleb, you drew the short straw this time.
trackside
July 8th, 2011
5:47 pm
Let ONE in – you thnk we’re winning the SEC east!!! You and charlie sheen talking @ WINNING again . You and others, ATL SPorts spam et al , accept barely marginal results. Same people that defended Ray Gump are blind defefenders of CMR. To ALL the Excuse-makers : Instead of “commitment to excellence” why don’t you just shout “Embrace Mediocrity”. Quit pointing fingers @ other schools , the barners, Aladamnbama, Spurrirer . We are consistently embarrassed off the field and now , recently on it. Stomping on the hilljack “T”, end zone antics( not just jville ),blackouts for bama.Goes all the way back to hiring your college roommate.Richt is not a leader,he’s run out of others to blame and gimmicks .And today I ran out of patience.
icedawg
July 8th, 2011
5:48 pm
Agreed. With King’s record on and off the field I don’t think that he proved that he was a great asset to the team. There have been freshmen that have performed very well. It can happen again. Not the end of the world.
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
5:48 pm
Ignorance is bliss, Geogia fans. No biggie, nothing to see here. No pressure Isaiah! From the sounds of the quotes on his facebook page, IC might want to invest in some “Hooked on phonics” before he starts classes at UGA. I’m sure he’ll have a challenging class schedule!
Pardon Me
July 8th, 2011
5:51 pm
Perhaps Coach Richt could go on a mission trip to his team’s locker room.
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
5:54 pm
“Disadvantaged kid??” Really? Sounds to me like he’s a bumbling idiot who got into UGA based solely on football, and really had no business being there academically. Look up the word disadvantaged before you go throwing it around. How many second chances did he get? Sounds like he had more than his share of “advantages” when compared to the rest of the general population on campus.
Keep thinking it was the man that held him down.
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
5:56 pm
The hype around Crowell is eerily similar to the hype around Caleb King when he came in. And from the quotes I’ve seen, I think they’re also probably neck and neck when it comes to their IQ.
1eyedJack
July 8th, 2011
5:57 pm
Everybody deserves the opportunity to fail….or succeed. I’m not sure if he hasn’t already took to many hits to the head.
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
5:57 pm
Any word on the other players rumored to also be ineligible next year?
1eyedJack
July 8th, 2011
5:59 pm
too, too many.
Pardon Me
July 8th, 2011
6:00 pm
Jarvis Jones is next.
dawg rule
July 8th, 2011
6:03 pm
hopefully they stick crowell in some creampuff classes so he can stay eligible somehow for the season. Without him, uga’s running game will be hurting big.
bring back ealey!
July 8th, 2011
6:06 pm
richt needs to beg ealey to come back to Athens asap! He can be crowell’s mentor and handler until he gets set to carry the load.
Runnin With The Dawgs
July 8th, 2011
6:06 pm
King was one of the biggest disappointments for me, just as Morino was a great surprise. Maybe this will open the door for a JUCO transfer who can get the job done. I think this is one of Richt’s downfall. When Dooley was the coach we always had a STABLE of running backs and a junkyard Dawg defense. What ever happened to all of that?
sheepdawg
July 8th, 2011
6:09 pm
these responses are darn funny. yesterday’s article on the rising percentage of obese people in our nation, and the responses to this issue, a big time college athlete with no indicators or inclinations of scholastic succcess flunks out of a flagship university that provids bogus courses and degrees for its athletes (Housing?),are both examples of the decline in our society’s base intelligence level. not so funny
Just sayin
July 8th, 2011
6:10 pm
I read posts all day from so called dawg fans to idiot Florida fans like “Food Lion Bag Boy”. All of them think they know more than the Georgia coaches…..Believe me losing King is the best thing that could have happened to the team…King was a cancer…a person who was given every opportunity to reach his full potential and he couldn’t handle the task at hand. Georgias better off without King and Ealey. At Florida they only ask that thier athletes maintain a 1.8 GPA to stay eligible to play…at Georgia its a 2.0 GPA…not much of a difference you say….I guess not…but enough to count towards getting your degree ligitimately. Sure Georgia has had off field issues..mostly traffic violations and underage alcohol possession. Two problems 99% of every college has….but heres what Georgia doesn’t have…… Athletes playing who’ve been convicted of theft…players using the stolen credit cards of people who’ve died in auto accidents…convicted drug users…cheaters…girlfriend beaters…etc……UGA’s not perfect by any means but they also don’t look the other way for the sake of a win…my hat’s off to CMR for cleaning out the deadwood on the team….it will make the victories this season all the more sweeter!
RedandBlackDAWG
July 8th, 2011
6:10 pm
Dawg Rule,
He is not eligible for the entire season. He failed to even meet the standards of a remedial class designed to keep him eligible. I think the best thing that can be done in this situation is to dismiss him from the team and the school. Why waste another year waiting on him to be mature enough to do his work. He will be 24 years old before he can even strap them on next year anyway, and it is time for UGA to move on. He has had a lot more chances than most people at UGA to succeed and he has chosen to not take advantage of a wonderful opportunity. The best chance I see for him is to find a trade school, and learn a job that he can do for his life. The NFL is not waiting for him to grow up and UGA should not either.
It is sad to seem somebody shoot himself in the feet that many times.
Bitter "dawg reporter------aka---Chip Towers."
July 8th, 2011
6:12 pm
JUST IN ————-”STROM DAVIS”——–will be a walk on at uga in the next week
——————yours truely —CHIP TOWERS——————GO DAWGS
Bob
July 8th, 2011
6:14 pm
Bitter…is that Strom Thurman or Storm Davis?
Sess Poole
July 8th, 2011
6:19 pm
Did you read the dummy’s tweet: “Somethings u cant control, and what seems bad right now might turn out good. Too [sic] all of my homeboyz hold UGA down don’t let them brake [sic].
Just for the record, most third-graders are more literate that this bozo. And yet, Mark Richt recruited him and UGA accepted him. The stupid loser couldn’t even pass remedial studies.
And you wonder why they call UGA the Cesspool of the South.
murray county mystic
July 8th, 2011
6:21 pm
@Sess Poole…well said my friend…@just sayin…Food Lion Bag Boy is one of the most respected posters on the AJC blogs; you owe him an apology boy…
Mr Charlie
July 8th, 2011
6:22 pm
Don’t count out boo.
Can it be true?
July 8th, 2011
6:24 pm
I think everyone could see… poor Caleb Pauper never lived up to his potentionial. That’s a concern when you think of the press clippings for Mr. Crowell!
4-3 = #1 Crowell
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
6:24 pm
Schultz, you just proved that you’ve never worn a jock strap or played a down of football in your life with this article. How can it be “no big deal” losing your 2 best RB’s, your 2 best WR’s, your best OL, and your best defensive players from last year’s team? WTH are you talking about?
DeluzionalUGAYfan
July 8th, 2011
6:32 pm
What people are forgetting is yeah we lose our best 2RB’s, our best two WR’s, your best OL, and our best defensive players from last year BUT you idiots forget we got one of the most sought after Offensive Cordinators in the nation. One word: BOBO…..He will take this 18 year and make us at Dawgnation forget every running back INCLUDING some guy name Walker #34 who played in 1980. Mark my words UGA is going to win the National Championship. Cash in your 401ks Dawgnation that was collected while employed at Jiffy Lube and lets turn the BCS championship game into a UGA BLACKOUT!!!
big john 360 lbs
July 8th, 2011
6:32 pm
Losing our 2 best RB’s that were mediocre at best shouldn’t hurt us that bad. Ealy and Caleb were only going to take carries away from our best back who just arrived in Athens this month.
CMR would’ve been loyal to the upper classmen and given them their chance to prove they deseved to play. Now, #1 and Boo can show what they have from the beginning.
Mr Charlie
July 8th, 2011
6:32 pm
St Richt, we went 6-7 (or whatever) with all these “best” players, how bad can the next wave be? Actually, with the exception of Green, they all very well might be better.
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
6:38 pm
What would your record have been without King and Ealey last year?? Or the other “mediocre at best” players you lost, that just so happened to be some of your best last year? The word “best” is a relevant term, depending on the team. King and Ealey were both almost as highly touted as Crowell. Not quite as hyped or rated, but they both came in with lofty expectations. But then again, isn’t that what Georgia football is all about? Lofty expectations?
Go ahead and chalk up another preseason SEC championship. The dream team will be the first class to magically light up the SEC.
Just sayin
July 8th, 2011
6:39 pm
murray county mystic….I’ll bet that you, Sess Poole and Food Lion Bag Boy are the same person. If not then all three of you must be brothers…and dumb ones at that.
Just sayin
July 8th, 2011
6:39 pm
Enter your comments here
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
6:42 pm
According to Mr. Charlie, Georgia should just suit up the entire dream team of incoming freshmen this year. That would be fun to watch. Yeah, just forget about your best upperclassmen and go young out of the box. Sounds like a sound strategy.
Producer
July 8th, 2011
6:46 pm
Did King come out of the Atlanta school system?? Maybe we all know why he’s having trouble with his grades!!
St. Richt
July 8th, 2011
6:48 pm
King’s tweet actually sounded like Shakespeare compared to the incoming savior’s facebook quotes. That Isaiah Crowell sounds like one smart puppy! And he has already been proclaimed as the best RB in Athens before taking his first snap.
Tenndawg
July 8th, 2011
6:55 pm
There are NO Tbs on our team that can play in the SEC as a starter, Crowell may suck for all we know and even if he doesn’t, he’s not going to be able to carry the ball everytime its carried… we are in real trouble.
AltamahaDawg
July 8th, 2011
6:57 pm
I don;t know if its accurate to say No first year RB has ever made an impact. Thomas Brown came in his first year and almost got 1000 yards. Another fist year guy Danny Ware tacked on 750 that year. Lumpkin had 500 his first year. Washaun had over 700 in only nine games his first year. First year is not a perfect situation, but we aren’t exactly counting on a (either) to get 1000-1200 yards, just first downs.