Update: Three more Tech players suspended – for a half
John Dewberry helped Bill Curry win in Athens in 1984. The QB was no help in Birmingham in 1985. (AJC file photo)
Update: Georgia Tech announced Sunday that three more players — defensive Anthony Egbuniwe and defensive backs Michael Peterson and Louis Young — has been suspended for the first half of Monday’s Independence Bowl. They broke curfew in Shreveport, which I believe trumps John Dewberry’s curfew-breaking in Birmingham in 1985 for sheer ingenuity.
It’s that festive time of the year when Georgia Tech lets us know which of its players won’t be playing in a bowl game. The Jackets arrived in scenic Shreveport on Thursday, just in time to offer the following release:
Shreveport, La. – Georgia Tech announced today that four football players, including two who have already earned their undergraduate degrees, will not play in Monday’s AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl because of various academic issues.
Senior defensive end Robert Hall and senior linebacker Anthony Barnes are ineligible to compete in the game against Air Force under NCAA academic guidelines. Sophomore wide receiver Stephen Hill and senior safety Mario Edwards are both ineligible for not meeting Georgia Tech academic requirements.
Of the four players, Edwards and Hill were listed as starters on the Yellow Jackets’ most recent depth chart.
A few questions: How can you earn your degree and still be academically ineligible? Has any Jacket had a more disappointing season than Hill, who was touted as the next Demaryius Thomas but who hasn’t played well and now won’t play in the bowl game at all?
There’s a time-honored Jacket tradition of players getting docked for the postseason. Usually it’s the quarterback: John Dewberry was suspended for the All-American Bowl in 1985 for breaking curfew in Birmingham, which is tough to do, and in 2006 Reggie Ball was declared ineligible for the Gator Bowl, which brought a strange career to its inevitably strange end.
These latest suspensions constitute just another installment in an ongoing Tech saga. On the bright side, the Tech Four won’t be remembered as the most egregious college football development of Dec. 23, 2010. That dishonor belongs to five Ohio State Buckeyes, chief among them quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who were suspended for five games of the 2011 season — though not for the Sugar Bowl — for NCAA violations that include receiving improper benefits from …
A tattoo parlor. Seriously.
By Mark Bradley
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372 comments Add your comment
juvenal
December 24th, 2010
9:50 am
rhodes scholarships go to b.a. students-Tech awards only B. of Science degrees….check out “payscale.com”…….real schools should have lots of folks flunk out, social passes for atheletes have benefited this country as much as all the other dumb-masses the gov’t skules have processed……….
Are you kidding
December 24th, 2010
9:54 am
Why not let OSU decide which games they sit out during the rest of their career??? After all they are THE Ohio State University!!! The NCAA is just a huge joke. Their jokeosity is only surpassed by the SEC and all things Slive!!!
Pope UGA XXIII
December 24th, 2010
9:54 am
Pretty accurate & objective assessment of this mess by GT.
Otherwise, all of the usual posts from both sides of the aisle
are pretty damn funny.
>>> yeah, we have some ineligible, but everybody knows that
all UGA players are stupid and criminals
>>> we run this state !! (but not much else at this time)
Can we please get this season over with ?? Thank you !!
PTC DAWG
December 24th, 2010
10:00 am
GT Lies & Cheats…
Merry Christmas…
dawgfan
December 24th, 2010
10:00 am
Frontman, so basically the NCAA requires more coursework than “The Institute?” But how can this be Techie? We have been told that Georgia Tech is at a competitive disadvantage to the “football factories” because of their supposedly stringent academic requirements. They don’t seem so stringent to me if they don’t even meet the NCAA’s bare minimum requirements. Something is just not adding up here Techie. How difficult can academic life be for a Georgia Tech football player if they can get a degree but still not meet NCAA academic requirements?
You’re not going to be able to spin your way out of this one Techies. All your excuses, myths, and lies have been totally EXPOSED. Its certainly not the first time. Back when you had to vacate all those wins from the O’ Leary era because you were playing a bunch of academically ineligible players you still stuck your heads in the sand and pretended like it never happened. Gotta keep the myth alive as long as your getting your arses rocked by Georgia.
PATHETIC.
Reggie Ball
December 24th, 2010
10:09 am
Dawgfan:
Right on, Tech never even taught me how to count to 4! I swear I thought it was 3rd down when I threw the ball away in Athens to lose the game my final year.
Ain't the Big 10
December 24th, 2010
10:13 am
If the players, particularly the ones who have already graduated they would play in the Bowl Game and would be suspended for next season. You have to love the
NCAA. Now if Tech moves to the Big Ten or Pac Ten it won’t have these type of problems.
Merry Christmas!
juvenal
December 24th, 2010
10:19 am
so ncaa”word” now, but not for a.j.?…never talked to my advisor at Tech after the first time…….Merry Christmas to all…….
Pimple popper
December 24th, 2010
10:19 am
Tech haters must feel like Christmas comes early? Another tech bowl loss sure would be sweet !!
Footballrules
December 24th, 2010
10:19 am
PTC DAWG….Jan Kemp….Happy New Year.
dawgfan
December 24th, 2010
10:22 am
Footballrules, how are you keeping that glass house warm during these frigid winter months?
LOL @ Tech fans.
AtlantaNative62
December 24th, 2010
10:37 am
Are you kidding me? How is drudging up three incidences over 25 years a “saga”? This “article” is simply a ridiculous effort to hurt the Jackets here at recruiting time. At least the Institute has the temerity to suspend players rather than trying to justify their actions as “youthful indiscretions”. Mark, I usually respect your writing – even when I disagree with you – but this truly is a pathetic piece of “journalism”. I bet most schools would love to have that kind of record over 25 years.
dawg777
December 24th, 2010
10:38 am
cam newton got alot of money from auburn boosters and the NCAA did nothing.the NCAA is a big joke.
AUBUMS
December 24th, 2010
10:41 am
Enter your comments here
Time
December 24th, 2010
10:42 am
Yep, those criminals at ThuGAtech strike again.
dawgs2004
December 24th, 2010
10:43 am
But I thought all tech players were smart???????? Guess not.
reality
December 24th, 2010
10:43 am
Sh*t happens. Academics are tougher at GT…even for the football players. I’m suprised that this doesn’t happen more often.
AUBUMS
December 24th, 2010
10:43 am
Techies not smart enough to get away with it like the AUBUMS. HAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA
SEC
December 24th, 2010
10:47 am
Im sure there will be alot of jabs in this article from dawgs fans. As a dawg fan myself i have much respect for GT and an academic institute and anyone who tries to take that away is an idiot themselves. That being said, it makes it much harder to keep certain talents and stay in the same recruiting pool as every university. Georgia itself is quality academic university but Tech is tech. Congrats to the two gentlemen who graduated and the other two let down their teammates.
producewiz
December 24th, 2010
10:47 am
suspending players from bowl games hurts the sponsor and the bowls.Unless violence or a felony,these bowls pay too much money for these teams to leave stars at home.And if I could,I’d advise those Ohio State players to get a lawyer.Since when does any body have the right to give you something, then tell you what you can do with them.NCAA has never won a lawsuit yet.Remember graduated assistant limit on their salaries.Sued the NCAA and won going away.NCAA has to charge member institutions to pay the loss.
a
42-34 Dawgs STILL Run This State
December 24th, 2010
10:48 am
LMAO at the failing techies.
Doesn’t surprise me in the least.
Billyboy
December 24th, 2010
10:49 am
Another lame article by mark b. Please try to do a little research and give all the information. Here’s a better idea. The AJC could suspend Mark B from writing any articles for 5 months. I might even renew my subscription. Go AJC
bb
December 24th, 2010
10:50 am
I fail to see how having academic standards and following them (regardless of the cost) is an embarrassment for GT.
Sports Review
December 24th, 2010
10:55 am
[...] quarterback Joshua Nesbitt will not play in Monday's AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl …A tradition continues: Four players suspended for Tech's bowlAtlanta Journal Constitution [...]
1eyedJack
December 24th, 2010
10:57 am
If you didn’t place yourselves on an academic pedastal we wouldn’t find pleasure in knocking you off of it.
juvenal
December 24th, 2010
11:09 am
% of special admits all one needs to know….now, how many of y’all actually going to shreveport? memphis?
Mike
December 24th, 2010
11:12 am
Bradley, Once again you look for something to write about in order to cut down our local teams. You never get it, do you? I can’t tell you how many people I have talked to that are sick of your articles. And once again, you are awarded our Pun-dick of the Week Award. Merry Christmas.
dawgfan
December 24th, 2010
11:13 am
Oh, and one more thing. LOL @ the timing of this announcment. Do you think its any coincidence that the Techie propaganda machine releases this on CHRISTMAS EVE when no one except sicko’s like me are paying any attention?
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh. That’s the sound of the Techie propaganda machine sweeping this under the rug.
Reality
December 24th, 2010
11:13 am
Ditto bb…UGA fans are so ignorant.
Mark holier than thou Bradley
December 24th, 2010
11:20 am
WOW an article this morning by Dough Roberson not out to accuse, point the finger, mock or laugh at GT or its players….something you will never see written by Mark Bradley..or Heather D at espn, the other spoiled brat out to mock, laugh and accuse someone at Ga Tech..
Great article about Michael Peterson
5150 P.O.A.D.
December 24th, 2010
11:21 am
Super B
Answer #1. Hall graduated with a Civil Engineering Degree.
Barnes graudated with a Management Degree.
Neither have been accepted into the graduate program as of yet.
Answer #2. Are you really that stupid? Look how TECH ranks in any publication.
Answer #3. Yes, the FB and BB players take easier Civil Engineering classes. Like UGA is now offering engineering. HAHAH UGA students said they want to be engineers, but they want to have a college life too. UGA would be easier and I would not have to live in the labs. Man I can’t wait to have a Drunk UGA engineer build my home.
Hill and Edwards didn’t pass TECH’s standards to play. If they were at UGA these 2 players would be on the UGA football all academic team.
hmmmmmm......
December 24th, 2010
11:23 am
So Robert Hall can beat his girlfriend half to death, and thats cool with the nerds, but suspend him for a bowl game and now theres a problem. He shouldn’t have been on the team anyway. What a disgrace.
Footballrules
December 24th, 2010
11:35 am
dawgfan…the series stood 36-31-5 in favor of UGA as of 1977, and PTC wants us to believe that Tech ies and cheats???? Sorry, the team that suddenly takes a commanding lead is usually the one that cuts corners. Happy Hannukah.
GTechsta
December 24th, 2010
11:38 am
You choose to bash players that have already graduated from college and the fact that Tech holds it’s student athletes to higher standards than the average NCAA program. You sir, are pathetic.
Fan of the Game
December 24th, 2010
11:39 am
By the example set with Ohio St. by the NCAA all players should be elligible for all bowl games. No one inelligible until next year. If Ohio St. had any class they themselves would declare the players inelligible.
Dumbest post on the thread is from..
December 24th, 2010
11:41 am
dawgfan December 24th, 2010 11:13 am
“timing of the announcement…”
1) The news was released yesterday – not Christmas Eve
2) The academic ineligibility is based on the grades from the Fall semester – finals week ended on 12/17 – grades would only have made it to the AA on Monday at the earliest and it takes a little while to review whether everyone is eligible. UGA still hasn’t announced if there are any eligibility issues with their players.
Fan of the Game
December 24th, 2010
11:43 am
Oh that is the way you spell eligible. My fault.
Matt Winkeljohn
December 24th, 2010
11:51 am
It’s all about the tattoo; tattoo U.
Paul in RDU
December 24th, 2010
11:56 am
One of the several excuses for the OSU players is that their families needed the money. Since the NCAA has established that what your family does has no effect on your eligibility, provided you know nothing about it, and you are only breaking the rules if you profit from selling your jersey / ring / etc. there is a simple solution.
Just give your stuff to you parents (preferably autographed) and let them see what they can sell it for – without your knowledge of course.
rumor has it that the 4 robbers who robbed a
December 24th, 2010
12:03 pm
gt student in his dorm room were uga players.
that is so sad.
Duckafawg
December 24th, 2010
12:13 pm
The joke by coke? tell me….how are those ticket sales going for that entralling Liberty Bowl matchup with UCF?????….hmmmm..dead quiet….as usual…..4700 of 10K…yeah you UGags travl soooooooo well….what a myth…dont even out yourself in the same class with SC, TN, AUB, AL, LSU….need i go on? Good job – The Bumpkin on Lumpkin
BoWeevil
December 24th, 2010
12:17 pm
AJ-C,
Nice move trying to add in something OFF-TOPIC about the Ohio State University
on the very day
4 Georgia tek FOOTBALL PLAYERS
FLUNK
OFF
the
FOOTBALL
TEAM
GTECG
December 24th, 2010
12:23 pm
Bradley, today’s is an unprofessional, cheap-shot article. I realize yours is a blog or commentary, not reporting, but c’mon, is this the best you can do?
mark you could have at least clarified
December 24th, 2010
12:25 pm
the issue wrt the two players who already graduated.
they were ineligible because they had not taken the required no of courses to be considered full time students hence they were ineligble.
they were in good standing and had already graduated.
so there were only 2 players who had grade issues.
so yes mark you jumped the gun a bit dontcha think?
getting back to the dawg comments. re how smart the players are between the two schools…
there is a whole lotta differecne between failing calculus or physics than failing jim harricks basketball final. dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
but a dawg wouldnt know that.
Jesse Stone
December 24th, 2010
12:32 pm
bb
December 24th, 2010
10:50 am
I fail to see how having academic standards and following them (regardless of the cost) is an embarrassment for GT
__________________________________________________________________________-
I wholeheartedly agree. An embarrassment would involve a cover-up or wrongdoing. These players did not take the minimum number of classes AFTER graduating, and the other two slacked off on their studies. I don’t see the embarrassment to GT, but maybe to a few of the players.
TechRon
December 24th, 2010
12:32 pm
Which is worse, our football team or our basketball team? Both stink. When does baseball start? Can we get ourselves a new AD, please?
Jesse Stone
December 24th, 2010
12:36 pm
D A Double U G
December 23rd, 2010
10:57 pm
Those Techies trying to justify their IDIOT players with the liklihood that Caleb King is also ineligible,……
UGA fans admit he is an idiot. We are not in denial like you Nerds. We do not claim our NFL minor league football players to be Aerospace Engineers.
________________________________________________________________________-
…and here it is. I wonder if players that UGA is recruiting are seeing this from some of their “fans”.
Headley Lamar
December 24th, 2010
12:39 pm
Ahh the Techies.
They are one of the dirtiest programs in the country yet they spout off about UGA all the time.
Didn’t you guys just get off your last probation?
Oh the Hypocrisy
Headley Lamar
December 24th, 2010
12:41 pm
ATLANTA — The NCAA placed Georgia Tech on two years of probation Thursday for using 17 academically ineligible athletes in four sports, including 11 in football.
They should have just let them play. Using ineligible players is kind of a Tech tradition isnt it?
wreckedwreck
December 24th, 2010
12:45 pm
Things haven’t been the same on the flats since Morris Brown lost its accreditation.