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
rgb i dunno
June 29th, 2012
6:55 pm
let me call your bluff and raise you one
ryan leaf dismissed from team or maybe your talking jose canseco?
Coach charged in sex assault”. jerry sandusky?
Jimmy Swaggart, Marvin Gorman, Jim and Tammy Bakker losse thier ministries after sordid sex scandals.
jack abramoff and scooter libby pleads guilty to tax charges”.
richard nixon resigns in disgrace.
and your stupid point was?
you fail and fail miserably.
dean
June 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Ben, agreed but do you know how successfull our recruiting will be if we take that kind of stance. It’s a good model but prepare to be Vandy 2.0.
kevin
June 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
There’s a FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM with thinking Nick Saban could’ve kept Crowell in line with his discipline: If an 18-21 year old doesn’t already have it within himself to be a man of character, yes a MAN BECAUSE 18-YEAR OLDS ARE MEN, then they have no business trying to handle the REWARD and RESPONSIBILITY of an athletic scholarship.
The only person who could keep Crowell in line is Crowell. Same goes for EVERY person, even those already in prison. PRISONERS have the daily decision to do the right thing or the wrong thing.
Burma Shave
June 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
Crowell is bye bye
Breathe a sigh of relief
Once again a player
Has brought Richt grief
BURMA SHAVE
Hey!
June 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
How about the ATL federal judge that was caught buying drugs from a stripper? I believe he graduated from University of Virginia. Obviously, UVA breeds criminals.
TampaGator
June 29th, 2012
7:01 pm
KerryB…..
I don’t think most people in Dawgnation hate Crowell (obviously, you seem to hate the kid). I think they are very disappointed in him and feel he has let them and the program down….which he has. With all that has happened with Georgia in recent months….all the suspensions and the disappointing losses to LSU and Mich. St…….and the hopes for this year…..I think a lot of Dawg fans are fed up with this type of behavior….especially right now when things have been so possible for Georgia in the last few weeks. More important, Crowell has disappointed his family and the hopes and dreams for him have been diminished….but I don’t think they hate him either. It is a good thing, however, that Crowell will no longer be associated with the Georgia program. He has been not so good an influence on the sidelines, in the locker room, at practice…..and now with young and impressionable recruits just arriving on campus. This could be a real good deal for the rest of the team, bringing them closer together and more committed to doing things the right way. So don’t hate. Be thankful.
kevin
June 29th, 2012
7:01 pm
Ben, you’re absolutely right, and it doesn’t necessarily turn you into Vanderbilt. Boise St. whipped UGA last year with recruits NOBODY in the SEC would’ve wanted. I’m not saying all of BSU’s players were character guys, but a team doesn’t have to be made up of 4* and 5* guys to be championship caliber. Sure, it helps, BUT NOT WHEN YOU CAN’T KEEP THEM ON THE TEAM B/C OF GRADES OR ACTIONS. UGA needs to recruit character. Period. See Keith Marshall.
James Adams
June 29th, 2012
7:01 pm
Right. Saban keeps those guys ‘in check’. If Clarke County police had the same mindset as Tuscaloosa police, we’d hear as much about Georgia players as we do Alabama players.
Big Crimson 75
June 29th, 2012
7:03 pm
Richt’s lucky to still have his job.
Wreckmaniac
June 29th, 2012
7:03 pm
Everyone is saying good riddance because CMR always 4 other 5 stars in every position and the fans are saying “Look at all these other studs”.. This just perpetuates the problem. The next “stud” will become the next drama queen and will go over the edge. At no time does anyone do anything to keep UGA from becoming a bigger joke than it already is. Sad really. Get ready for the next bunch of laughs from Athens. It will be here soon.
Wreckmaniac
June 29th, 2012
7:05 pm
Evans and Crowell will open up a consulting agency in Atlanta
Hey
June 29th, 2012
7:07 pm
“According to the police report, the Coxes had been entertaining friends when Bobby spilled a drink on the carpet of their northwest Atlanta house and Pamela made a comment about it. The report said that after the guests left, Bobby, 53, “hit her in the face with his fist,” pulled her hair and called her a “be-eye-t-c-h.” When they reached the house, the police reported, they heard arguing inside, where they found Bobby drunk and Pamela with the left side of her face swollen”
I’m assuming this is a cutlure thing, right?
TampaGator
June 29th, 2012
7:09 pm
GIve Richt credit……he acted quickly and decisively on the Crowell issue. He tried very hard to get Crowell to do the right things….but he chose differently and then took out new recruits and could have possibly brought trouble to them as well. I think that probably really got into Richt’s thoughts….the bad influence Crowell was on the team and the embarrassment he brought to the Georgia program today. Unforgivable at this time. See ya. Good decision. The right decision.
Now….Mr. Crowell. You screwed up big time. It seems to be a bad habit of yours. This is your opportunity to accept your bad behavior and go somewhere small where you will not be such a big head……and go get your self fixed and do something with the given talents (physical) you have been given. Don’t waste this once in a lifetime opportunity to do something really good with your life. This will probably be your last chance. Someone will give you the opportunity to come in and become a better person. Make the best of it. I would suggest South Alabama. Janoris Jenkins went their….”got fixed”….and became a #1 pick again. You can too. Good luck, young man. Make the most of this to make yourself a better man first…..and an athlete second. Then go have a career in the NFL because you did.
Roll Money
June 29th, 2012
7:12 pm
JUST IN ……… A source has identified a group of N. Saban’s guys placing a gun along with a smoldering roach under Isaiah Crowell’s car seat while Crowell and four of his team mates lounged in a bar enjoying ice cream floats and talking UGA football. More to come as the Georgia Bureau of SEC Investigators work through the case.
Hey
June 29th, 2012
7:12 pm
What’s more disturbing – killing dogs (animals) or punching your wife in the face like Bobby Cox did? I guess it depends on the “culture”.
hashbrown dawg
June 29th, 2012
7:13 pm
ding ding ding we have a winna.
in march of 2012 we had a betting pool on stingtalk.com
Re: Official Next Dwag Arrested betting pool:
Barrel of Rum…
Gotta go with Crowell. I’ll say possession of a firearm, DUI, and resisting arrest.
congratulations to barrel of rum or plain ol bor from stingtalk. he got 3 of 4 right on march 13 2012.
crowell check
guns check
mj/dui check
missed on the resisting arrest.
way to go bor.
__________________
Dewnsav
June 29th, 2012
7:14 pm
Pathetic posts on here…you jock sniffers loved him when he got a first down or a touchdown, but trash him when he errs…he will have to live with his poor decisions, not you…and other schools fans acting all high and mighty like they have no problems…I was hoping IC had learned his lesson and actually looked for him to have a great year…it is sad that this young man, so talented, obviously has some issues…I for one hope he gets his act together and leads a productive life…life will go on at UGA and I am looking for a good season…go dogs
KBP
June 29th, 2012
7:14 pm
How is this and any other arrest CMR’s fault? Bad recruiting? Really? Every SEC school recruited Crowell, Ealy, King, and most of the others who have been arrested. This is on Crowell. These kids get in trouble and CMR responds. Do you expect him to control their behavior? These kids have free wills and no one can control their behavior but themselves and that includes their parents.
Roll Money
June 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Enter your comments here
dawgfan
June 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Marshall and Crowell were both ranked the #1 running back in America. HOw can you say that Marshall was not ranked as high as Crowell? Sounds pretty even.
Roll Money
June 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
If CMR had’nt been in Washington DC working with the OBammy campaign maybe this would have never happened.
dawgfan
June 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Hey Wreckamaniac, to bad Coach Paul man boobs can’t even get a top rated running back. His little experiment over at the bumblebee stadium is going down fast. When you cannot recruit anyone over
3 stars you are in trouble.
Wreckmaniac
June 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Whats there to miss.? Its not that this guy was “Hushel”. He wasn’t the back that Samuel is. As as opponent, I wish he had stayed on the team.
BabsTolstoy
June 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
You know I think this is a perfect time to remind everyone that Auburn won the Championship in 2010, and they still have it. Oh wait a minute that’s got nothing to do with this, I just thought I would mention it. I’m always looking for a way to work that in. Enjoy leg humpers.
Wreckmaniac
June 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
DwagFan: 3 star, 2 star or even -2 star. It dosen’t matter. Tech has run all over the UGA defense for the past 4 years. I’m happy with what we have. I’ll take the ball myself and outrun Fat John Jenkins.
BabsTolstoy
June 29th, 2012
7:34 pm
You know the more I think about it, it really was amazing how everything fell Auburn’s way that magical season. But then again that’s what it takes to win it all, you need the talent and the breaks. Anyway it sure was a beautiful thing, and still is. A great, great memory.
Winners and Losers
June 29th, 2012
7:39 pm
Drug Test the other guys in the car!
Dope smokers hang around other dope smokers!
TGT
June 29th, 2012
7:39 pm
I’m as disappointed as any UGA fan, and I’m glad the University dismissed Crowell. Move on, nothing to see here. I hope he gets his life in order, but he’s just too much of a bonehead right now. Georgia a disgrace, please. At least the UGA Athletic Department openly deals with student issues and moves forward. I’m not concerned with what another SEC school does or does not do with discipline. The football team doesn’t dictate everything about The University Of Georgia. Maybe in Alabama or South Carolina this is the case, but there is sure a lot more to UGA than just football. Let’s just hope the young man can go somewhere, get a degree, and maybe play some football.
John
June 29th, 2012
7:40 pm
There is going come a point when enough people with UGA degrees are going to say 10-win seasons are not worth living with these reputation stains. And of course I’m just kidding. Glad that I went to a small college that had better values.
MaconGTFan
June 29th, 2012
7:44 pm
To all the people saying finger print the gun or maybe its not his and it’ll just blow over, possession is 9/10ths of the law. Doesn’t matter if it’s his or not. Doesn’t matter if it’s his car or not, he was driving which technically makes possession of the gun his and the car his. Unless he can afford a big time lawyer like a Johnny Cochran name, he’s screwed. I hate it for him and all the dawg fans, but that’s what happens when you consistently recruit these type of kids.
Make of it what you will
June 29th, 2012
7:47 pm
The police haven’t reported it, but inside sources say they also found red panties and hashbrowns in the car.
Red Stick
June 29th, 2012
7:51 pm
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.”
Why would LSU want him when they have the 4 backs returning from last season as well as Jeremy Hill, who enrolled, who may be the best of the 5?
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Make of it what you will
June 29th, 2012
7:51 pm
They also found the stuffed dog they gave Crowell when he signed.
The dog had been violated, but no details were given.
Red Stick
June 29th, 2012
7:51 pm
Meant to say Jeremy Hill enrolled in class at LSU in January.
Winners and Losers
June 29th, 2012
7:52 pm
I love it when UGA dawg fans say “oh this player was a cancer ”
When you need to address who brought in the cancer or properly isolate the cancer
Stennis
June 29th, 2012
7:57 pm
Did UGA test Crowell’s four homeboys for drugs? It’s a pretty safe bet that they had marijuana in their systems.
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
8:05 pm
Was there hash browns, red panties, a lady in drag in the trunk, Damon Evans drunk in the back seat with a female friend ?
Smart like a fox
June 29th, 2012
8:05 pm
lets name the next Bulldog mascot Thuga….lol….Thuga…..get it…lol
01HAWK
June 29th, 2012
8:05 pm
OH, I forgot…………………Were ther brownies in the ash tray that had marijuana in them ?
Elmo C. Grogan
June 29th, 2012
8:07 pm
Phuque him. We do NOT need that sort of trash.
evil empire
June 29th, 2012
8:09 pm
honestly, is there an arrest total that would force a coaching change in athens?…50 is a big number, which is why i ask…
Elmo C. Grogan
June 29th, 2012
8:09 pm
Oops. that’s racist, isn’t it?
Bob Sacamano
June 29th, 2012
8:12 pm
Richt aint got a hair on his @ss if he doesnt drug test the OTHER players in the car. The smell got in the car from the bar we just left….come on
Elmo C. Grogan
June 29th, 2012
8:14 pm
We recruit in the …, we get….
Go Jackets
June 29th, 2012
8:16 pm
I hate to say this, but there are certain towns in the Southeast that should have signs at the city limits that read “College Recruiters Enter at your own risk”. Memphis Tenn is No 1. Columbus Ga is a close No 2. Macon, Albany, Valdosta(my hometown), and Stone Mountain round out the top 6. I can come with STRONG examples if anyone feels like disputin me.
Elmo C. Grogan
June 29th, 2012
8:17 pm
BTW, I.m a Green Bay fan. We have coaches with testicles. We get dregs, for sure, and we spit them out. At Georgia, we seem to want dregs. Why in the hell would a scholarship football player need a 9mm on campus, much less one with an altered S/N? Answer: He’s a stupid animal.
Elmo C. Grogan
June 29th, 2012
8:22 pm
P.S. …and he doesn’t nknow how to hold the football. gets in the way of his pretty dreds. Spit him out.
blackstripes
June 29th, 2012
8:24 pm
How many games is he suspended for?
Go Jackets
June 29th, 2012
8:26 pm
We Will take Richt on the Flats, dude can coach, but he has NO discipline. He learned under Saint BobbyB in Tallahassee in the 90’s where the Hwy patrol loved the Criminoles. problem in Athens is the cops HATE the football players. You guys need to hire “handlers” 1 for every 4 players like Saban has. Thats why his kids arent in any trouble.
SSIgator
June 29th, 2012
8:32 pm
evil empire -
That Kool-Aid pipeline from Dalton to Athens better not spring a leak now. Mark “I can win games – just not the big games” Richt is going to need all the factory output he can get to sell this load of bs to the boosters and other fans of UGA football if for no other reason than to save his own tail now.