Da’Rick Rogers suspended, Dooley still cleaning up from Kiffin (UPDATED II)
Da'Rick Rogers was top SEC receiver in 2011. (Raleigh News-Observer)
(Second update with Derek Dooley saying he doesn’t expect Da’Rick Roger to play this season.)
Two years ago, when new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley made his debut at SEC media days, I made note of the first three subjects he was asked about: 1) His mother; 2) His father; 3) A bar fight that included several of his players. Suffice to say, he would welcome more questions about his mother and father again.
Dooley inherited a mess at Tennessee after the sudden departure of Lane Kiffin. That’s no secret. The fact that the guy’s job might be on the line this season is unfortunate because the image of the team and the character problems of too many players that he inherited takes a while to overcome.
The latest example: Da’Rick Rogers. The talented but often troubled wide receiver from Calhoun, who nearly signed with Georgia in 2010, was suspended indefinitely Thursday by Dooley. No reason was given, other than the standard, “violation of team rules.”
UPDATE: Dooley told the Knoxville News that “our expectation is” that Rogers won’t return to the program. Translation: Expect him to transfer.
But given that there has been no report of an arrest — or another bar fight — use your imagination.
The suspension appears open ended for now, but Rogers is not listed on Tennessee’s depth chart.
Tennessee probably wasn’t going to challenge for the SEC East title this season, anyway. But it has (or had) the potential to be decent and upset some teams. From a talent standpoint, Rogers’ loss would be significant. He led the SEC last season with 67 receptions, and was second with 1,040 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches.
But don’t blame Dooley for what’s going on in Knoxville. If we still don’t know how great of a coach he is, we can at least be certain Kiffin left him a rather large and malodorous bag.
(Many point out that Da’Rick Rogers was a Derek Dooley recruit in 2010. That is technically accurate. However, Rogers initially backed off his Georgia commitment to hear the recruiting pitches from then-Tennessee coaches Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron. It was Kiffin who offered Rogers and high school teammate Nash Nance the opportunity to go to Tennessee as a package deal, an offer that Dooley confirmed after he got the job. So, yes, Dooley shares some responsibility. I also wanted to added that rumors circulated that Rogers was interested in transferring to Georgia State in the spring, but that obviously never happened.)
In May, Dooley dismissed sophomore tight end Cameron Clear (yes, a Dooley recruit) following an arrest for felony theft charges. Last year he kicked off safety Janzen Jackson (a Kiffin recruit). Dooley said only that Jackson’s “personal issues” led to the suspension, but added, “I will always be there to help him as a person, but there comes a time when a player’s actions preclude him from the privilege of playing for [Tennessee].”
There have been multiple other suspensions. Sophomore safety Darren Myles Jr. was dismissed from the team and others were suspended for the aforementioned bar brawl, which took place not long after his hiring.
Rogers also was involved in that incident. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. But the charges ultimately were dropped and Dooley chose not to suspend him. That was one time when giving a kid a break backfired. Rogers was banned for two weeks this past spring for offseason activities for unspecified reasons.
Referencing Tennessee’s problems in 2010, Dooley said, “I wish I could snap my fingers, but it just doesn’t work that way. It takes time.”
Problem being that SEC coaches don’t get a lot of that, regardless of whose fault it is.
By Jeff Schultz
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349 comments Add your comment
Dangerous
August 23rd, 2012
2:24 pm
Petrino will not be back for a long time. He screwed a young lady not far removed from taking classes at Ark and this is what a college president will consider.Parents don’t want to send their kids to that kind of environment. As much as I loved Petrino as an O mind as well, he has royally F’d up this time.
Alphare
August 23rd, 2012
2:24 pm
Mettenburger/Crowell/DaRick/Reed should form a 15th SEC team, and see how it goes.
Ted M
August 23rd, 2012
2:27 pm
I’m pulling for Dooley…accept when he plays UGA or GT.
Alphare
August 23rd, 2012
2:29 pm
add Honey Badger to the Mettenburger/Crowell/DaRick/Reed team.
Wilson Pickett
August 23rd, 2012
2:30 pm
Petrino will be the head coach at Auburn in 2013!!!! If you think the banker,the old drunk,and the woodcutter care about Bobby and his little Missy then you’re dead wrong. Auburn is in panic mode trying their best to contain Nick Saban. The old banker is using his media to sink cheezestraw one article at a time. When you have Trupa and Lupas as the face of your program then you sure don’t worry about a guy trying to knock the little man out of the boat.
Fulmer and UT started downhill when Trupa left for OSU and the street agent program to UT ended. Beside Saban beat the living crap out of him and he was processed!!!
Please try and keepup! The Revolution will be on CSPAN this time.
Skitty Fritty
August 23rd, 2012
2:31 pm
Funny how you never hear of any Alabama players getting in trouble.
Vol30318
August 23rd, 2012
2:32 pm
Our top 2 receivers are still better than UGA’s top 2 and we’re not playing with 15 players below the 85 limit. Richt will underachieve yet again and be gone by years end!
Jeff Schultz
August 23rd, 2012
2:34 pm
KC Dawg: Name-calling? Bye-bye.
USMC
August 23rd, 2012
2:34 pm
“Petrino will not be back for a long time. He screwed a young lady not far removed from taking classes at Ark and this is what a college president will consider.Parents don’t want to send their kids to that kind of environment. As much as I loved Petrino as an O mind as well, he has royally F’d up this time.”
We shall see about that. What he did was horrible, BUT people will forgive and forget when it comes to MONEY and exposure. Petrino’s Offensive skills and overall results at UArk were amazing, and I strongly dislike the guy, but he will surface again soon; mark my words.
Spanky
August 23rd, 2012
2:35 pm
Buckeye…..who shives a git?! SI is always known for cursing players by putting them on the cover…and why do you care?
Spanky
August 23rd, 2012
2:39 pm
USMB, I’ll co-sign on that! He knows that the SEC is the main stage, and in goos demand!
Wilson Pickett mentioned him going to Auburn..that kinda scares me, too!
Jeff Schultz
August 23rd, 2012
2:40 pm
For those who missed update: Dooley said today that Rogers probably won’t be back.
Spanky
August 23rd, 2012
2:40 pm
…that’s “good demand”..oops
Al
August 23rd, 2012
2:41 pm
Good job Mr. Schultz! I like how you get rid of the crap on here. I can say crap can’t I??
Dangerous
August 23rd, 2012
2:42 pm
He will eventually resurface, but not as a head coach round-these-parts.
Dawglasville
August 23rd, 2012
2:44 pm
Ha Ha – DaRick will be a wealthy man in five months? I hope that he, Bray, Crowell, Honey B, all get their acts together and become humble, mature, young men who have a shot at making it with a NFL team. At the moment it sounds like Honey B has the best shot because he and his step dad are being honest with themselves and recognizing that. I’ve never been jealous about someone getting paid. I do get sad when I hear that athletes go broke which is about 80% of the NFL.
USMC
August 23rd, 2012
2:44 pm
Yeah Spanky, Petrino will coach soon again in the SEC; it won’t be Kentucky. I don’t pretend to know where Petrino will end up, but I believe he will coach NEXT year at a major University.
Spanky
August 23rd, 2012
2:46 pm
LOL, Al!
Jeff Schultz
August 23rd, 2012
2:46 pm
Al — Haha. Yes, I will let you write crap (but I’m not supposed to).
Gator Mike
August 23rd, 2012
2:47 pm
UT made their own bed when they canned Fulmer and hired kiffie. Hamilton was a moron AD. As for Majors, I recall that he had a bit of a booze problem which contributed to his fall.
I am not making any predictions about UF this year. I am happy they are under the radar. The talent is there to surprise folks, but they need to get the offense going. It has been putrid the past 2 seasons.
Gator Mike
August 23rd, 2012
2:47 pm
UT made their own bed when they canned Fulmer and hired kiffie. Hamilton was a moron AD. As for Majors, I recall that he had a bit of a booze problem which contributed to his fall.
I am not making any predictions about UF this year. I am happy they are under the radar. The talent is there to surprise folks, but they need to get the offense going. It has been putrid the past 2 seasons.
Dangerous
August 23rd, 2012
2:50 pm
He is way too toxic to be at a major university. Pro offensive coordinator…maybe.
Al
August 23rd, 2012
2:51 pm
Thanks Jeff, I guess that will be my mulligan…lol
Sad to see all these kids ruin there college careers but most of them will probably end up in the NFL making millions. It’s all about the Benjamins.
Bernie Matt
August 23rd, 2012
2:52 pm
Would be a terrific article, IF you had made mention of the fact that the UT QB has been in trouble on 2 separate occasions this off season but is still on the team. A real interesting read for us might be your contrast in the handling of these 2 players! If you are capable.
Gman84
August 23rd, 2012
2:56 pm
Can you imagine if Greg Reid and DaRick had both gone to UGA (as we all hoped at the time) and we had to dismiss them along with IC1 this offseason. These issues would’ve been pinned on Richt’s approach to discipline and the cumulative weight of these issues would’ve been crushing.
Really lucked out not getting these two- funny how things work out.
Coach Hewitt...
August 23rd, 2012
2:56 pm
UT homers…You realize with DR gone you have exactly 2 (TWO) WR’s who’ve caught a pass in FBS competition …
PR
August 23rd, 2012
2:56 pm
LoL at VOL30318… Of those two receivers you’re talking about… One has never played a down in major college football and the other is coming off major surgery. See you in October… sucker.
Buckeye
August 23rd, 2012
2:57 pm
Appears Schultzy has the blog on intermittant satelite delay.
Ropedawg
August 23rd, 2012
2:57 pm
UGA is MUCH deeper at WR than UT right now. Come to think of it… UGA is MUCH deeper at EVERY position. Even with the low roster total.
UT is a dumpster fire
Richt's fault
August 23rd, 2012
2:57 pm
Richt has lost control of Tennessee’s program!!!
Spanky
August 23rd, 2012
3:00 pm
Dangerous, I’m not so sure about that! What Petrino did at Arkansas was pretty impressive! Like I said, I hhhhate the guy, but a program in need of rescue and a cellar-dweller could view him as an instant fix! He’ll stay with college ball, definitely!…I just see him going to programs with money and a bright spotlight…the SEC!
Alan
August 23rd, 2012
3:03 pm
Hearing he took $$ from an agent. If that’s the case, he won’t be back.
Jimbo
August 23rd, 2012
3:04 pm
We sit back and blame the coach but the blame can go nowhere but to the players. There is not a coach who does not think he can’t turn a kid around but ones like Crowell, Honey Bagder, and Rogers prove them wrong. The way to really put a stop to this is when a kid get’s kicked off a team they should have to meet a board from the NCAA that would decide if they can transfer and play for another school. Coaches recruit tallent often knowing the growing pains for that tallented kid may be great. It’s a gamble and all to often the odds are stacked against you. Then the question of how the hype put on these kids affect their actions and the pressures they feel. Mark REicht and Mike Bobo may very well have asked themselves if things would have been different if Crowell had not been the missing man and had been redshirted last year. All the hype going toward Gurley need’s to back off until we see what he does on the field. Although he says there is no pressue and he takes it in stride, how is he really handleing it. Fan’s want teams to win; bottom line. Coaches are between a rock and hard spot because they have to recruit tallent. If Dooley had not recruited Rogers the fans would have eaten him alive. It’s a dog eat dog world.
Call It Like It Is
August 23rd, 2012
3:05 pm
Its rather sad, every week you read about another player getting kicked off the team. UT, UGA, FSU, and on and on. It would be nice if all the schools would take a stand and quit allowing these idiots on the field in the first place. You cant tell me that 75% of these jackwagons could even pass math 101. Bring up the standards and quit giving thrugs a shot at glory.
Delbert D.
August 23rd, 2012
3:05 pm
When are the recruiters for Fantasyland to going to wake up and learn that they are ruining the fantasy?
DP
August 23rd, 2012
3:07 pm
Jeff, while I’m certainly not a Georgia fan, the next thing that should get people banned is hanging a y on the end of UGA as if that’s funny.
Really a shock to see Rogers didn’t make it through 4 years. He always seemed like such a good guy. Do the terms of UT’s package deal for Rogers and Nance now allow them to send Nance packing and free up another football scholarship for somebody who can actually play?
Orange Sky Vol Fan
August 23rd, 2012
3:08 pm
Many Vol fans realized after the Kentucky loss, after Rogers drove Charlie Baggett from the team by berating him, after Tyler Bray’s drawing plays in the dirt, and after playas not trying so they wouldn’t have to go to a crappy bowl …. that Dualey is in way over his head. Complete amateur hour here on The Hill.
Another 6-6 here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111allcaps
Twilb Dawg
August 23rd, 2012
3:08 pm
This is a joke for an article. Yes, Dooley inherited a mess. But at some point you have to be held accountable. He allowed Da’rick Rodgers to stick around way too long.
Barbara
August 23rd, 2012
3:08 pm
Hot Seat? Whata you mean hot seat? Are you crazy?
Top Dawg
August 23rd, 2012
3:08 pm
Perfect example of why boosters, fans, and alumni need to have patience with sub par years. UT deserves the mess they are in by ousting a fine coach in Fulmer. UT would not be in the situation and they would still be competing for the SEC East.
Case in Point- All you UGA fans tired of not having a National Championship under Richt… Well, at least we are contending for the SEC and still going bowling in January! Things could be much worse… We tend to forget Donnan losing to Tech and UT every year and of course, Ray Goff. Enough Said. GO DAWGS!!
Orange Sky Vol Fan
August 23rd, 2012
3:10 pm
lol. Richt = Skinny Fulmer
Right Wing Bible Thumpin' Gun Nut
August 23rd, 2012
3:11 pm
Too many other questions and concerns apart from “the mess Dooley inherited”, such as why DD had to replace 7 assistant coaches that bailed on him in this past off season. Enough with the Kiffin blame.
Jeff Schultz
August 23rd, 2012
3:12 pm
DP — I don’t like the “Y” thing either, and if you see it and I miss it during “cleanup” feel free to send me an email: jschultz@ajc.com
Madeleine Albright
August 23rd, 2012
3:13 pm
Madeleine Albright – How long are you going to blame Kiffin?
Jeff Schultz – FOREVER!!.
Madeleine Albright
August 23rd, 2012
3:13 pm
Madeleine Albright – How long are you going to blame Kiffin?
Jeff Schultz – FOREVER!!.
Jeff Schultz
August 23rd, 2012
3:14 pm
C-Pain — Referencing your deleted comment that hung a “Y” on end of UGA: Don’t do that again, please.
Spanky
August 23rd, 2012
3:16 pm
C-Pain- Crowell’s working out just fine somewhere other than Georgia,…what?! did you just pick up a paper from earlier this spring for this news?? Hey, guess what!! We landed on the moon!!
Eric
August 23rd, 2012
3:18 pm
Oh, please. Stop making excuses for Dooley and Tennessee. I know that Kiffin is still the boogie man to SEC, but to continue blaming the UT dumpster fire on him is lazy reporting. It’s almost as if you people think that Kiffin walked into some shining example of a program that never had any issues and – in one year – turned into a program run amok. There is a reason that the Fulmer Cup is called the Fulmer Cup. The program has been filled with thugs and an environment that – at the very least – does not discourage such behavior. It has always been UThug and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Stop acting like the one year that Kiffin spent in Knoxville is completely responsible for it.
Rodney Tweet
August 23rd, 2012
3:19 pm
Get’em spanky!! haha
Mark Richt's Goatee
August 23rd, 2012
3:19 pm
DaRick is as gone as I am.