Update: After arrest, Crowell is dismissed from UGA squad
Feb. 2, 2011: Isaiah Crowell brings delight to Bulldog Nation. Alas, that was then. (AP photo)
At 5 p.m. Friday, Georgia coach Mark Richt announced that Isaiah Crowell has been dismissed from the squad. More to come.
Here they go again. Four summers after a team that would be ranked No. 1 in preseason saw its summer so roiled by player arrests that 16 of the first 20 questions asked of Mark Richt on Media Day involved discipline (or the lack thereof), the Georgia Bulldogs are about to embark on another season of great expectations, and again we’re talking less about football than foolishness.
Four defensive starters have managed to get themselves suspended for the start of the 2012 season, forcing the Bulldogs to move Malcolm Mitchell, their best wide receiver, to defensive back. That was bad. This is worse: Isaiah Crowell, the 2011 SEC freshman of the year, was arrested in Athens early Friday on three weapons charges, two of them felonies.
According to Athens-Clarke County Police, a Luger was found under the seat of the car Crowell was driving, a car from which an officer reported the smell of marijuana emanating. Crowell denied knowledge of the gun. Also in the car: Four other Georgia football players, three of whom are incoming freshmen. None of the four was charged.
This comes after a freshman season in which Crowell finished sixth among SEC backs in yards rushing but was suspended from the New Mexico State game after a failed drug test. He also limped off so often with a bad ankle that, by the SEC championship game and the Capital One Bowl, discontent among Georgia fans in the stands was aurally apparent.
On the one hand, Crowell is a superb player. On the other, he became a major distraction in no time flat. At halftime of the Vanderbilt game, Richt was asked by an interviewer why Crowell hadn’t played in the first quarter. “Because we love him,” was the coach’s answer. (Actually, the first-quarter holdout had been another suspension, this for “undisclosed disciplinary reasons.”)
And now he has been arrested, and not just for dinging a car in a parking garage or effecting an improper exit of an alley on a motor scooter. Crowell has been charged with felonies involving a firearm, and according to the UGA Student-Athlete handbook — perhaps the most-thumbed reference tome on campus — any felony arrest carries “immediate suspension from athletic competition.”
(Footnote: Crowell’s arrest came one day shy of the two-year anniversary of Damon Evans’ midnight ride through Buckhead, a misadventure that cost the Georgia athletic director his job.)
On Signing Day 2011, Crowell’s announcement for Georgia set off wild celebration. He was the capper atop the famous Dream Team, the latest in a long line of New Herschel Walkers. Only nine months later, Richt was quoted as saying, “There’s a tremendous opportunity for running backs in [the 2012] class to come to Georgia and make an impact.”
Sure enough, the Bulldogs landed the highly regarded Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley, though neither was quite so highly ranked as Crowell. Ordinarily you’d expect big-name recruits to avoid a program that had landed a big-name tailback the year before, but it had already become apparent that a team with Crowell as Plan A had better have workable Plans B and C.
There was a time when Georgia felt it needed this tailback so badly that it had 10 jersey-wearing incumbents array themselves in an offensive set and beckoned Crowell to dot the “I.” This became known as the “Missing Man” formation. It also became a self-reported secondary NCAA violation.
After Crowell’s second suspension, we posed the question: Was the famous recruit more trouble than he was worth? After this felony arrest, we have our answer. He has been the most-discussed Bulldog from the moment he unveiled that puppy at his signing ceremony, and in the swelter of summer we’re discussing him still, and not in a way that confers honor on the player or the school.
Yes, he’s a talent. Yes, he would have helped the Bulldogs win. (Heck, he already did.) In the grand scheme, however, the University of Georgia has no further need for Isaiah Crowell. He’s not worth this much aggravation. Nobody is.
By Mark Bradley
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384 comments Add your comment
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
5:31 pm
BravesFan79
June 29th, 2012
5:05 pm
There really is 2 black cultures out there, its a shame the bad gets alot more attention than the good.
Every race has many different sides. Like there are not other races that are in jail.
You have been living in a BUBBLE………………………..YOU are a racist and you need to go and view a prison so that you can see some of your race in the same prison.
hashbrown dawg
June 29th, 2012
5:31 pm
flat out…. mark richt is a poor judge of character.
like him or not thank god that our coach is a no nonsense guy like saban,
Roll Money
June 29th, 2012
5:31 pm
The gun was to protect that trunk full of cash
Joey
June 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
kerryb, that’s the worst thing about this to me, IC taking those teens out in the middle of the night. I just don’t see how the coaching staff could let that happen.
Glory Between the Hedges
June 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
Guess we will see him in Baton Rouge playing in 2 years haha
kerryb
June 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
Career over. Does anyone think any D-1 coach will take a chance on this clown? Next thing you here from Isaiah is that he’s been arrested in Columbus for dealing drugs or burglary. The cycle contnues.
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
5:34 pm
So many racist comments on here. Most of you need to get on your knees and pray for all of the sins you have committed.
GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR. I am sure alot of you have been to jail also. OH, if we could only do a criminal background check on alot of you.
Pago Pago DAWG
June 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
How many “deadlocks”/”hip-hop”/”slap dancers” on Boise State, Stanford, Utah etc??
Black Cardinal
June 29th, 2012
5:35 pm
So happy that my alma mater has high standards for admissions, wins in the classroom and on the field, and doesn’t have to deal with such craziness.
GO STANFORD CARDINAL!
Joey
June 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
kerryb thats the worst thing about this, that he was already being this kind of influence on our teens, out at 2 and 3 in the morning.
How did our coaching staff not know what those young players were up to?
hashbrown dawg
June 29th, 2012
5:40 pm
joey you should know by now that far right winged conservatives like mark richt try to pray the troubles away.
my guess is that mark has had these same kids in his office and they have prayed to jeeeeeeesus for redemption and the path to righteousness,. amen halleluiah,
kerryb
June 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
Richt needs to impose a curfew for every player under 21 and have monitors at the residence hall to enforce it. There is no reason for a kid under 21 in college should be out at a club at 2-3 in the morning. Especially the Freshman who just left home and are easliy influenced by those with bad character.
kerryb
June 29th, 2012
5:43 pm
How does it feel Isaiah to become the most hated man in the Bulldognation?
Joey
June 29th, 2012
5:45 pm
hash, time to go back to your room at the “Milledgeville Inn” and get out your crayons.
Glory Between the Hedges
June 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
I believe it doesn’t matter who is coaching at Georgia when it comes to players being arrested. I think it would still happen even with Saban so I don’t want to hear that holier than thou crap. I think there are so many other factors than just coach Richt being the problem. Its the players life and if they wanna make poor decisions time after time then see you later. The haters make jokes but Richt kicked several talented players off the team during his tenture at Georgia. Four key players are suspended during the Missouri game. I hate this had to happen, but im not surprised. Its not like Georgia was the only school that recruited this trouble maker.
Wyatt Earp
June 29th, 2012
5:49 pm
New Dorm for GA athletes —Clarke County jail
Glory Between the Hedges
June 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
Black Cardinal is a perfect example of the definition of an ass.
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
5:51 pm
SABAN will not recruit him if he goes the JUCO route. I foresee him at FLORIDA, LSU, TENN, FLA STATE, MIAMI.
skeeterweeter
June 29th, 2012
5:54 pm
UGA appears to be a rogue football team. It’s one thing after another. Did Mark Richt bring this thug mess to UGA from FSU? Or is UGA a breeding ground for thug athletes?
Real
June 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Georgia is the poster child for ignorance and stupidity. Why should it’s football team be any different?
Patrick
June 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Look at Crowell’s twitter account. Nothing more needs to be said. Haven’t seen that much hypocrisy in the name of the Lord since Quincy Carter carried his four illegitimate kids by four different women and raging coke habit in a giant SUV with the license plate “Jesus Saves.”
1eyedJack
June 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
Can any of us honestly say we didn’t see this coming? Anybody?
Chad Jenkins
June 29th, 2012
6:00 pm
Auburn will pay him to play for them in a couple of years WAR DAMN CHICKEN
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
6:02 pm
No wonder CROWELL’S Mother liked SABAN and wanted him to go there.
CMR has lost control of the program. McGarity is probably having 2nd thoughts about keeping him on board now,
Rivals did a survey in order to find out what recruits thought about the recruiting process once they signed. The results were pretty interesting. What was most interesting was that Nick Saban was voted the most intimidating coach in all of college football.
Saban’s name came up most often when players mentioned which coach intimidated them. His name often came up as soon as the question was asked. And the players often said the exact same thing about him.
Saban came in at 30 votes for most intimidating coach with Lane Kiffin and Will Muschamp came in with 5 and 4 votes respectively. Alabama was voted the school with the best facilities as well.
The players said Nick Saban didn’t smile at all. He didn’t attempt to make small talk and was strictly business. Non of the recruits mentioned Saban laughing once.
The study also mentioned that Nick Saban would sit each player down and tell them what he liked and what he didn’t like about them. After winning the BCS National Championships in 2009 and 2011 at Alabama, the recruits said they considered him to be elite and some were awestruck. Obviously, a lot of recruits were intimated as well.
P Rose
June 29th, 2012
6:03 pm
He’ll eventually wind up in prison, where Tony Dungy will mentor him; then the Philadelphia Eagles will sign him for $5 million, and he’ll do high-profile interviews about how he “learned from his mistakes.”
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
6:06 pm
Now Crowell and his mother Debbie may be left with years of wondering what may have been if Crowell had signed with Saban, who has always been seen as a coach who can keep players with a tendency to stray over the line in check.
That is exactly why Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram ended up in Tuscaloosa over a team nearer his home state of Michigan. Ingram’s mother knew how a younger Coach Saban had kept Mark’s father in line during his time at Michigan State and knew her son would be in good hands with Nick Saban.
Her faith in Saban was well justified as Mark went on to stay clean, become a role model athlete, student and man as well as picking up a national championship, a Heisman Trophy and a first round pick in the NFL and signing a life changing contract.
Had the Crowell’s made the same decision, would things be different on this sunny Friday afternoon in June?
The truth is, nobody will ever know. Some people are just bound to have troubles as they just can’t find a way to make good decisions in life. The question lying on the table is, could Crowell have been saved by a stronger disciplinarian like Saban?
puntthemarxist
June 29th, 2012
6:09 pm
You can take the thug outta the city, but not outta the man.
jim121256
June 29th, 2012
6:13 pm
Bad news for all of us… there’s a solution that can be put into play instantly. Simply, as one previous poster suggested, require that athletes be real college students. How many of these problem children would have ever come near a college campus if they didn’t play ball? This isn’t just a comment on UGA’s problems, but on those of college sports in general.
If we want student-athletes to behave like real college students, we have to start with kids who can be real students. If we aren’t willing to do that because we’d rather win the game on Saturday and make millions of dollars for the university, then we’re fooling ourselves when we expect that behavior.
Yes, I know that there’s always someone willing to take the problem children and win, but I’d like just once for some university to be honest about what they want. Oh yeah… I forgot, that happens sometimes! You just don’t see many Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Navy, etc. fans on these forums!
RGB
June 29th, 2012
6:13 pm
Well at least he looked goot in that over-sized hat and those dretlocks.
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
6:15 pm
Now Crowell and his mother Debbie may be left with years of wondering what may have been if Crowell had signed with Saban, who has always been seen as a coach who can keep players with a tendency to stray over the line in check.
That is exactly why Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram ended up in Tuscaloosa over a team nearer his home state of Michigan. Ingram’s mother knew how a younger Coach Saban had kept Mark’s father in line during his time at Michigan State and knew her son would be in good hands with Saban.
Her faith in Saban was well justified as Mark went on to stay clean, become a role model athlete, student and man as well as picking up a national championship, a Heisman Trophy and a first round pick in the NFL and signing a life changing contract.
Had the Crowell’s made the same decision, would things be different on this sunny Friday afternoon in June?
The truth is, nobody will ever know. Some people are just bound to have troubles as they just can’t find a way to make good decisions in life. The question lying on the table is, could Crowell have been saved by a stronger disciplinarian like Nick Saban?
is it possible that
June 29th, 2012
6:16 pm
crowell took the fall for this thinking that he was untouchable?
if so surprise surprise!
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
6:18 pm
The story is on ESPN right now.
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
6:20 pm
One felony chage carries a 1-5 year jail sentence, and the other is 2-5 years. More than likely he will get probation.
Alabama Dog
June 29th, 2012
6:21 pm
Good riddance!!!! One would think after a failed drug test/suspension last season, he had gotten his wake up call & straightened himself out!!! Another Prima Donna recruited by Richt that can’t stay out of trouble!!! Richt must go-NOW!!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! This has become too commonplace!!!
dawgsfan1990
June 29th, 2012
6:23 pm
I am as white as they come…no race card here by any means…and this totally sucks for both the team and the kid. ACPD sets up a road block at 2am on the road back from downtown to athlete/fraternity row. Five black kids pull up to the road block and the officer says “hmm i think i smell marijuana, can i search ya’ll and the vehicle?” Is that REALLY all that’s needed to create probable cause?? IC was probably scared to death and knowing there was no marijuana, consented to the search. Where was the marijuana? Were they drinking? Driving Impaired? Did the officer say “Hmm, I smell Luger under the drivers seat?” Unless he admits to knowing the gun was there, any lawyer worth anything will get him off of these charges faster than Malcolm Mitchell can run the 40 whether or not the gun was really his. What really sucks is we are back to Boo and Samuel in the backfield and IC will probably play JC ball next year and then be taking hand offs from “He made me kiss him” Zach Mettenberger for LSU. This totally sucks for both the Team and the Kid…and it seems to be nothing other than the notion “if you see a pile of black kids in a car late at night, there’s a blunt in there somewhere”…which may be true some of the time, but obviously was NOT the case here.
Bama Boy
June 29th, 2012
6:26 pm
Finally an UGA THUGGA got dismissed can get away with beating your girlfriend on smoking pot and get a half game suspension but not guns lord have mercyWhere is kingdaddy today anyway crying in his oats?
Cohutta Dawgman
June 29th, 2012
6:27 pm
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just leave your piece at home.
Reality
June 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
I’m so sick and tired of hearing about these stupid, dumb ass, athletes doing dumb things. IF any highschool players planing to attend college are reading these blogs PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE SCREWING UP WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID! Not only a college career, but very possibly a pro career. Kick Crowell out of U.G.A. NOW. He’s a loser.
real deal is...
June 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
this has become the norm with SEC football. The “win at all costs” attitude allows for the lowering of standards of athletes as decent citizens.
Jimmy "Jam" Garvin
June 29th, 2012
6:34 pm
Isaiah… Make a note…. Never, ever give police consent to search your vehicle…
barneyfife
June 29th, 2012
6:38 pm
Didn’t Richt keep Dave Van Halanger and move him to “Director of Player Welfare”? Now, we certainly can’t keep up with all these knuckleheads 24/7, but this is ridiculous. underage minor, goes to a club, smells like weed (why not charged with DUI and tested?) I know one must have the manifestations of impairment, but with those circumstances, any officer with half a brian could articulate that on an arrest report? I would bet a paycheck that THC was in his bloodstream (heck, it stays there for up to 28 days, and given his history, likely it was there). Way too many people falling down on the job on this one. But thugs in, thugs out.
rgb i dunno
June 29th, 2012
6:44 pm
they are all christians?
Benb
June 29th, 2012
6:45 pm
The problem starts with recruiting. More emphasis needs to be placed on character, academic responsibility, etc. High School coaches need to get tougher. If the kids lag in behavior or academics they need to sit even if it is a big game. Richt needs to get tough and stop being a baby sitter. These kids need to know what the consequences for their acts will be when they come to school. Unfortunately these kids have no appreciation for the opportunity they are given.
Satan smells
June 29th, 2012
6:50 pm
Nothing good happens after midnight, Players should not be out a 3 am,, Some rich donor please build an athletic dorm and UGA require all athletes to live there and abide by bed check rules.
Satan smells
June 29th, 2012
6:53 pm
All Alabama dogs eat and speak crap,, Richt is not the problem.
Roll Money
June 29th, 2012
6:53 pm
NEW RELEASE!
THE LONGEST YARD II
Starring Isaiah Crowell
Coming To a Theater Near You !!
50 arrests in four years
June 29th, 2012
6:54 pm
Or is UGA a breeding ground for thug athletes?
Yes.
dean
June 29th, 2012
6:55 pm
Hypocrites all of you! If Richt had not signed him you would have been all over Richt for not keeping on top of the recruiting. Now he becomes a Dawg but you trash him for acting at times like a 18 year old. He should be dismissed and I hope he figures it out soon. But most of you Dawg fans are a disgrace to our school.
Hey!
June 29th, 2012
6:55 pm
Bobby Cox was arrested for beating up his wife. Is he a thug too?
evil empire
June 29th, 2012
6:55 pm
people keep trying to throw this kid to Lsu…Lsu has 5 or 6 backs as good or better than ic now…the state produces good backs evey year…and CLM recruits good o-linemen to make good backs great…something cmr doesn’t seem to understand…