UGA football recruit Collin Barber suspended for game after being arrested for destruction of mailboxes
Collin Barber, who is committed to UGA on a football scholarship, has been suspended for at least one high school game and could face further disciplinary actions after being arrested.
The punter from Cartersville High School was arrested last Saturday by the Cartersville police and charged with four counts of destruction of mailboxes.
“I don’t have any more information available than what’s already out there about the situation because I haven’t met with all the parties, his mother, and everybody,” Cartersville coach Frank Barden told the AJC.
Will this affect Barber’s scholarship offer from UGA? “I don’t know the answer to that yet because I haven’t had any contact yet with Georgia,” Barden said. “I’ve got to get in touch with [UGA assistant] John Lilly down there and see what’s going on.”
The coach confirmed that Barber will be suspended for Cartersville’s next game and could face other disciplinary actions. “Kids, and everybody for that matter, they make mistakes. But obviously there will be some consequences. It may involve some extra running or being out for more games, things like that. I don’t know yet. Right now, we’re trying to talk to everybody and gather as much information as possible before we move forward any further.”
At Mark Richt Camp last June, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder was both offered on the spot and committed to the Bulldogs within minutes. (click on story link)
Last season, Barber averaged around 43 yards per punt. He is also Cartersville’s kicker, and placed 80-percent of his kickoffs into the end zone. He set the school record with a 54-yard field goal last year. He will punt at Georgia.
OTHER BIG NEWS OF THE DAY
- M.L. King WR Blake Tibbs got a long-awaited offer from UGA a few days ago. Will Tibbs commit to the Bulldogs? (click on story link)
- Lassiter FS-LB Kene Orjioke is officially Georgia’s “hottest college football prospect.” The 6-4, 217-pound senior transfer from California has 3 offers in 5 days, with UGA, Auburn, Tennessee and Clemson expressing heavy interest. Read more by clicking here
- Thomson DT John Atkins will announce between UGA, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Florida and Clemson on Friday. Atkins offers a few hints with his comments here.
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TOP 10 FOOTBALL RECRUITING STORIES
- Are Florida Gators in danger of losing RB Mike Davis? (click on story link)
- Look what we found: Georgia Tech quickly offers Lassiter transfer from California (click on story link)
- Too funny: Auburn-bound Shaq Johnson dominates NBA No. 2 pick in dunk contest (click on story link)
- Thomson DT John Atkins will pick UGA, Georgia Tech, Florida, Auburn or Clemson (click on story link)
- South Carolina or UGA? Chaz Elder postpones decision (click on story link)
- Basketball: Tony Parker to visit Duke, Ohio State, UCLA, Memphis and Georgetown (click on story link)
- Shaq Goodwin (6-foot-8) could “revolutionize the WR position” (click on story link)
- Alabama & Georgia Tech lead for AJC Super 11 DE Dalvin Tomlinson (click on story link)
- Nation’s No. 1 RB will make official visit to UGA (click on story link)
- What if a Georgia HS led nation in D1 football recruits and none of them signed with UGA or Georgia Tech (click on story link)
– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog
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156 comments Add your comment
so what
August 31st, 2011
3:34 pm
first
Wise Dawg
August 31st, 2011
3:34 pm
I’m not making excuses for Collin but the kid has been in the dumps after his father recently passed away. He should make a public apology, accept his punishment, and move forward with a lesson learned.
Real Mailman
August 31st, 2011
3:35 pm
Thanks to this kid, I had to get out of the jeep and carry the mail to the front doors of the houses. On the bright side, I burned a few extra calories and made some overtime.
so what
August 31st, 2011
3:35 pm
We are really going to need this guy next year, I hope that he will learn from his mistake and make the best out of a bad situation.
DawgInaTruck
August 31st, 2011
3:36 pm
I used to dive out of a car and land on the old AJC boxes with the green metal pole. My weight would take it to the ground and the real challenge was to get every box on a street-both sides-in the same night. I got cocky and made a return visit to a street and a homeowner was ready for me. He had “double-poled” his and, about half-way down, that bad boy rebounded and threw me back into the side of my brother’s car. We still laugh about that one.
DawgDog
August 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
Kids will be kids …. I suspect he’s embarrassed and learned a great lesson…. It’s really not a big deal.
Ex Mail Box Destroyer
August 31st, 2011
3:37 pm
At 17 one night a couple of my buddies and I preceded to destroy a total of 21 mail boxes in a certain university town where I grew up in NC with M80’s. Included in the carnage was the University’s Chancellor , Dean of Law School, several professors, high school teachers and ex girl friends. Got caught by ex girl friends Mother looking out window when we blew hers up 2nd time during the night and she knew car. Judge fined us and, had to pay for all mailboxes.
But amazingly was still offered an athletic scholarship my senior year by this same university.
Mad Dog 1
August 31st, 2011
3:39 pm
P.S there is not a hell of a lot to do in Cartersville.
poopdawg
August 31st, 2011
3:40 pm
Where’s my mail?
I played
August 31st, 2011
3:40 pm
For EVERY recruit or parent that reads this, please realize that once your son commits to a university, he is considered to be a representative of that particular university, even though he has not enrolled yet. Be smart.
Cartersville Mayor
August 31st, 2011
3:40 pm
Have you seen the cost of stamps these days? I feel like crushing mailboxes, too
LoganvilleDAWG
August 31st, 2011
3:41 pm
It’s not good, but if this is the worst thing the 2012 recruits do then we should be happy. I didn’t tear up any mailboxes that I knew about but I know I did some things that were stupid.
Cobb Dawg
August 31st, 2011
3:44 pm
Michael: On a separate, but somewhat related, topic: Whatever happened with the recruitment of Deion Bonner (from Carver, I think) after his involvement with theft in the UGA locker room? Is CMR still pursuing him, or has that relationship cooled since the incident?
Lucy.
August 31st, 2011
3:45 pm
UGa did nothing to LeMay for tampering with a (fe)male box.
OldSchoolTechFanatic
August 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
I am ashamed to say I did things like that when I was a teenager. It is not the same as getting caught drinking or stealing etc… . A one game suspension is plenty enough punishment. I hope he has learned his lesson and will focus on his college career.
b
August 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
should be suspended for rest of season.
I remember in 2002 two gainesville high baseball players were suspended for
rest of season after playing “mailbox baseball”.
Nate the Great
August 31st, 2011
3:46 pm
Agree DawgDog,
He’s a kid that did some mailbox vandalism. Didn’t steal, have inappropriate contact with a woman, assault anyone, or disrespect authority. Those are more serious offenses that may say something about someones character.
Mailbox smashing goes along with rolling someones house and egging cars/houses: stupid childish acts that aren’t done after highschool.
McDawg
August 31st, 2011
3:47 pm
let the courts work this through
Nate the Great
August 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
@b: He’s just a kid. A full season suspension is a little over the top, but you are probably the perfect person that never did anything childish. Must be a great view up in that ivory tower!!
Walmartdawg
August 31st, 2011
3:49 pm
Coach Richt needs to hire a babysitter.
Old Gold
August 31st, 2011
3:50 pm
At least he wasn’t picked up for murder.
nickz
August 31st, 2011
3:50 pm
Nothing like dragging a trash can behind your car and letting it go to smash a mailbox…good times
Recruiting | MrSEC.com
August 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
[...] field. They benefit recruiting, too.2. Georgia commit Collin Barber has been suspended after being charged with destruction of mailboxes.3. There has been plenty of movement with the Rivals 250 list for the 2012 class.4. Max Preps has [...]
Dawg-a-licious
August 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
Is this even news? Come on Carvell. Surely there are more important recruiting happenings going on.
michael
August 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
typical uga response…no big deal.
Cliff Clavin
August 31st, 2011
3:54 pm
Prosecute him for disrepecting all the fine men and women in the US Postal Service.
Who cares
August 31st, 2011
3:54 pm
Big deal. He’ll run laps, skip a game and be right back in it next Friday night.
joe
August 31st, 2011
3:56 pm
Newman is pi$$ed…
anotherdawg
August 31st, 2011
3:58 pm
Good one joe! lol
juan
August 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
I am not suprised with all the “fans” giving the kid a pass. Would you do the same for anyother kid?
He should be suspended for the season, pay for the damage, and understand that having a gift, is not s ticket to get a free ride out of trouble…it’s called personal responsibilitly
Newman
August 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
What Cliff said.
Seriously
August 31st, 2011
4:00 pm
If it was my mailbox I would break the kids legs.
1eyedJack
August 31st, 2011
4:02 pm
Let me know what the statute of limitations is on this type of thing and I’ll tell you a thing or two.
gtfanfrom1951
August 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
I hope he knows that’s a Federal Law he just broke. And it is a big deal.
RRTDawgs
August 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
This is no were near what those LSU players did but still we don’t this have type of players anymore bad timing to .
MoGA
August 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
Michael… sit down and let the adults talk
Bama Ben
August 31st, 2011
4:07 pm
I’m Mark Richt, and I think Cam Newton would be a great tight end. Doh!
Doug the Jacket
August 31st, 2011
4:07 pm
I’ll be the scholarship offer is withdrawn.
Troll Power Ratings
August 31st, 2011
4:11 pm
Get over it TECHIES. Go worry about Western Carolina.
RedandBlackDAWG
August 31st, 2011
4:12 pm
My ole man was a cop and if he had caught me tearing up a certain persons mailbox in our neighborhood, he would have tanned my hide. One of the few things I did that I was ashamed of when I was growing up. However, it was no mistake. When you tear up somebodies property, it is a deliberate act if you knowingly do it and it is not an accident. I hope this young man learns from this and becomes a better man and citizen for it. I surely feel sorry that he lost his dad, but he will have to come to the realization, that he has to cherish the memories he had of him. Would his dad have wanted him to do that? I never knew my real dad, but was raised by a considerate man that tried to instill in me, values I would carry through life. I still remember the lessons he taught me in life.
GO DAWGS and GATA
UGASlobberknocker
August 31st, 2011
4:14 pm
@Seriously…Really? were you 40 when you were born? and is a dented mailbox worth assaulting a minor over? If it had been my box, and I knew who did it, I would first give them the opportunity to fess up and pay for it..if they did that, no prob. Only if they blew me off would I call the po po.
Actually, I’m glad I wasnt a recruit when I was young. I prob would have been in the paper a few times. We used to take target practice at mailboxes with beer bottles as we drove by . The truly talented driver could be driving 55 mph, sling his bottle out of his window, over the hood of the car and time it just right to hit the mailbox while the car drove by.Bonus points if the box came down vs/ just a dent.Points deducted if bottle bounced back onto the car. Yes it was immature and dumb, but I was young dumb and immature and sometimes did stupid stuff. Like most kids do at some time in their young lives.At least he isnt at the crack house or beating up his girlfriend.
beebee
August 31st, 2011
4:15 pm
Richt: “Congratulations son, you’ve be selected for a football scholarship at the University of Georgia!”
Recruit: “Waaal, Gollleeee Coach. Ah jes cain’t beeleeeve it! Ah promis ye um gonna hold up the Bulldog tradition!”
private plan watching
August 31st, 2011
4:16 pm
There’s goes dream team 2… maybe Uga could start an incarcerated dream team?
Tech '10
August 31st, 2011
4:16 pm
I guess there was nothing better to do in Cartersville?? Also, how in the world do you get caught doing that??
Tech '10
August 31st, 2011
4:16 pm
Hope he learns some valuable lessons from this.
AltamahaDawg
August 31st, 2011
4:19 pm
1eyedjack, yes, I prefer not to say anything at this time, specifically, but I had this “friend”. How in the heck did he actually get caught, is my question.
Fred
August 31st, 2011
4:20 pm
Oh my, he murdered a few mailboxes. He should be drawn and quartered and then buried on unconsecrated ground, after which the earth there should be salted so nothing will EVER grow.
Murdering mailboxes is a country thing, you city boys wouldn’t understand. As someone pointed out earlier in the thread, it dies out after High School (if it even lasts that long). Something “funny” as a kid but not so much to an adult. If I had my mailbox murdered (and I have) I would just shrug it off as a harmless prank and go get another one.
Still remember that one old guy who had had one too many mailboxes murdered. He filled the last one with cement one Saturday night and Kevin nearly broke his arm when he hit it with the bat. We laughed for years over that one. Old dude NEVER lost another mailbox lol. I remember another guy who’s dad got REALLY hacked over it. We (and his son) got that one regularly. Just damn the laughs we had the next day hearing the diatribe and helping fix it. I don’t think he ever found out it was us and his son doing it.
Some of you folks need to lighten up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cxNR9ML8k
Bama in Atlanta
August 31st, 2011
4:21 pm
As long as he didn’t damage the mailbox by running into it with his scooter!
sheepdawg
August 31st, 2011
4:21 pm
CMR sure knows how to sign student athletes with integrity.. And this individual deserves a coveted place in our flagship institute of higher learning?
Eric
August 31st, 2011
4:23 pm
Is this news? Really? How many of us adult males who grew up in Georgia can say that we never destroyed a mailbox as a teenager?