UGA QB Mettenberger arrested in South Georgia (UPDATED)
Zach Mettenberger, a candidate to be the University of Georgia’s starting quarterback in the fall, was arrested on five misdemeanor charges over the weekend in the South Georgia town of Remerton.
Mettenberger, 18, was charged with underage consumption/possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of possessing fake identification, Remerton Police Chief Mike Terrell told the AJC.
The police report, obtained by the AJC, does not provide details about the circumstances surrounding Mettenberger’s arrest at 1:39 a.m. Sunday at the Flip Flops bar in Remerton, which is near Valdosta.
“I don’t have much available right now,” Terrell said in an e-mail. “We are still investigating the circumstances that led to his arrest.”
Mettenberger was transported to the Lowndes County Jail, according to the police report. He later was released on bond. He has a court date scheduled for April 27.
Under UGA Athletic Association policy, a conviction on an alcohol-related charge would mean a mandatory suspension of at least one game. Georgia’s season opener is Sept. 4 against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Mettenberger, from Oconee County, is one of three contenders for Georgia’s starting quarterback job. Rated the No. 11 quarterback prospect in the nation by Rivals.com in 2008, Mettenberger was redshirted as a UGA freshman last season and began spring practice last week in competition with Aaron Murray and Logan Gray to succeed the graduated Joe Cox as the starter.
The arrest came early in UGA’s spring break, which runs through this week. The football team is not scheduled to resume practice until March 16.
A UGA spokesman said coach Mark Richt was aware of Mettenberger’s situation and will be getting more information on the matter. Richt is out of town and would have no immediate comment, the spokesman said.
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617 comments Add your comment
bama
March 8th, 2010
11:28 am
yeah yeah talk about the past because thats all you got! Bama, Florida, Lsu have all went WAYYYYY past you and the only reason the vols and the barn school Auburn arent better its because they had coaching changes…its sad
Blue
March 8th, 2010
11:28 am
DaveDawg
March 8th, 2010
11:17 am
So I guess we should just start letting people decide which laws are valid/fair and which ones are not, and then they get to decide which ones they obey? Wow…great analogy with the military too! Ever had an original thought?
Bama....really?
March 8th, 2010
11:29 am
Let’s see, underage drinking, or cocaine distribution. Which one is worse? Oh yeah, I forgot about the shooting incident. Tuscaloosa and Baghdad, two places where it’s not safe to walk the streets.
Jimmy Johns free on bail yet?
DSGB
March 8th, 2010
11:29 am
actually remerton is the best place to get something like this b/c the city is so crooke you just have to pay a large fine and it will “go away”
fan
March 8th, 2010
11:29 am
WOW, I guess none of yall drank alcohol at the age of 19 when in college and I didnt know that your a redneck if you do drink, who would of thought?. For those people who are ripping this kid, your pathetic or you prob just didnt hang out on the weekends due to the Lord of Warcraft tournments going on. bama fans- yall were on probation earlier this decade so dont talk about bad programs and you’ve had 3 good teams in ten years and please dont try convince us that saban is a good person(better coach not better person) ex “I am not taking the Alabama job”. As for the CMR haters, what the hell is he supposed to do in this case? tell me idiots, he cant hold their hands all the time. Kids MAKE MISTAKES. Its not CMR’s fault here and if you think so your an idiot. I sure everyone on this blog has a friend or two that has gotten an alcohol related arrest or known someone that has. lets face it, cops are bad in athens, statesboro, valdosta, and carrolton when it comes to underage drinking but in this case mett was the idiot. Tech fans obiviously feel the need to dog UGA even though the ACC champs got their AZZ WHOOPED 30-24, again ok, 30-24, god that feels good. Oh and in basketball where the dawgs are below 500 and STILL beat GT with one the best teams GT has fielded(based on talent, not results) nerds how does it feel to be champs of the Almost Competitive Conference but aren’t state champs? No I m not a redneck, i dont fish or hunt or listen to country music, I have a job in sales. My parents went to UGA, those are my ties to UGA. That takes away most your lame azz comebacks. So I wonder what yall will say to make yourselves feel better? keep in mind, UGA’s worst>tech’s best.
Dawg Trace
March 8th, 2010
11:29 am
Not a big loss–he wasn’t that good anyway. Murray will start, Gray will backup. Dawgs win the SEC east. Move along now.
NCAA COPS- THE OFFICIAL FACTS
March 8th, 2010
11:30 am
Georgia and Auburn are tied for 3rd place with 5 other programs for the most major infractions cases brought against the program by the ncaa. Just a fact. Bama has had 3 major cases brought against them. All in the 90s and 2000s. The textbook case would count as 4 except most of the violations were incidental and secondary and there was no MAJOR violation committed. The 5 players who were gaming the system to help friends/girlfriends get free textbooks received no illegal benefits and the school received no competitive advantage. Even with these 5 players the violations were counted as secondary since the school took immediate corrective action.
So the count according to the NCAA cops is still UGA/AU with 6 major infractions cases versus 3 or 4 against Bama.
JUST THE FACTS SIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
southside
March 8th, 2010
11:30 am
As a freshman at UGA in 1957, if you could sit on the bar stool and say beer it was sold to you. This kid will do gassers until he throws up and all will be forgotten.
bama
March 8th, 2010
11:31 am
OMG you nut have your team are nothing but crooks! T town is perfectly safe place to be its just like athens except it has the smell of a winner
dan
March 8th, 2010
11:31 am
I think the punishment should fit the crime. I think there definately needs to be some investigation into the “obstruction of justice” part. And if Mettenburger was being a horse’s ass, then yeah losing his scholarship might be warranted. But that’s something that Coach Richt is going to have to determine.College kids are going to do stupid things. It’s not like the kid was selling drugs out of his car or trying to car jack someone like those thugs in Tennessee just did this past fall. As of this moment, I’m not sure I’d kick the guy off the team, but I think being benched for 5 games and losing the QB job would send a strong message.
WonderDawg
March 8th, 2010
11:31 am
You can die for your country when you’re 18 years old, but can’t legally drink a beer. You have to drive 55 mph on roads engineered to drive 75 mph on. We can’t drill for the 1000 years’ worth of oil under our noses cause it might keep an owl awake at night. Just a few of the thousands of idiotic laws the do-gooders in DC have bestowed upon us …
non-biased fan
March 8th, 2010
11:31 am
Bama may be hanging out at Wal Mart, but they are doing it with a national championship
GTforever
March 8th, 2010
11:31 am
UGA fans take note that GT fans did not come on here and blast your QB like some of you did to Shaw, and all he did was transfer. Stay Classy.
Steiner
March 8th, 2010
11:32 am
The defending national champions:
Heard Louisiana Lafayette was coming back on the schedule….Better button up….
bama
March 8th, 2010
11:33 am
we lost to Louisiana Lafayette 3 years ago but were still a lot better than you….
Scott Wallace
March 8th, 2010
11:33 am
I just hope he is not suspended for our next Black Out.
We need to have another one.
Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Dawgs! Sic em!!!
2010 will be our year!!
SouthGaBrave
March 8th, 2010
11:34 am
For all of you who even think that Mettenbeger is a thug, you really have no clus what you are talking about. He is the definition of a white bread, rich boy. He got caught doing something that countless young college students do, not that I’m saying it’s right. He will pay severely for his actions, both with public humilitation and a probable 2 game suspension that will all but remove him from the QB competetion.
ATL Fan
March 8th, 2010
11:34 am
howdoesitfeel, You’ve got to be kidding. I didn’t see anywhere in the article that ZM was holing up someone at a convenience store. Not a felony charged. I don’t wish to be hypocritical but he shouldn’t have been doing it. Hopefully he learns a lesson.
kindergarden math
March 8th, 2010
11:34 am
Remerton is a one square mile municipality , which is literally down the street from Valdosta State University and is completely surrounded by the City of Valdosta. Remerton is essentially a bedroom community for VSU students, primarily consisting of apartments and duplexes. Their are several bars which accomodate underage drinking and stay open past the closing time of Valdosta bars. Their municipal court dockett consists primarily of alcohol related offenses and speeding tickets. They have an unusually large police force for their geographic and population size, which is conducive to generation of revenue in their municipal court. That having been said, they do enforce the laws in their little town. Maybe more of the scrutiny should be placed on the “student athlete” in question and his alleged illegal conduct. Without knowing the facts, the charges suggest that he was not only illegally drinking, but fought with the police or others, although if the disorderly conduct has to do with an alleged altercation with the police, then they have already cut him some slack by not charging him with felony obstruction of an officer. Then again, any felony charge would go to Superior Court, where the City of Remerton would not benefit from the fine, which would go to Lowndes County. Keep it in municipal court and the fine stays in Remerton. In any event, at ease Dawg fans. Valdosta has several UGA grads who are attorneys, including a former UGA quarterback. This will be handled. After all, a quarterback for UGA is entitled to special consideration, no matter what in which part of the state he travels .. There is just too much money involved in UGA football for it to be otherwise. After all, we have to keep football income high, so that the coaches can keep their outrageous salaries, while the legislature and BOR threaten to kill the 4-H program and reduce the county extension offices by half. So what if the farmers’ crops suffer through the loss of county agents? Having successful food crops and protecting Georgia’s agribusinesses pale in comparison as to how the football team performs against our traditional rivals on Saturday afternoons. People, get your prioirities straight, !
WinderDogg
March 8th, 2010
11:34 am
at recruiting violations…they are coming…Saban’s a crook!
bama
March 8th, 2010
11:34 am
yes we all know he is WHITE breed so it will get off perfectly fine
Bama fan
March 8th, 2010
11:34 am
Steiner,
Good one about LA-Monroe coming back on the schedule. Funny thing is they beat us by 7 in regulation while UGA beat us by 3 in ot in 07. I guess LA-Monroe was better than you guys also.
BTW did you know that since the LA-Monroe game that Bama is unbeaten at home? What does that say about the rest of you that they beat us but none of you since that season has beaten us except for UF in the seccg in 08?
bama
March 8th, 2010
11:35 am
he*
Bama....really?
March 8th, 2010
11:35 am
You lost to Louisiana Monroe sir. Not only are you an idiot, but a bad fan as well.
TopDawg
March 8th, 2010
11:35 am
Hope Richt uses him as an example and throws the book at him!!! Use him as example to ward off any other knucklehead behavior. You can say he is 18 blah, blah, blah. Athletes held to higher standards! That’s the way it is and they sign up for that when they sign letter of intent. Richt better be hard on this one!!!!!!!
Steiner
March 8th, 2010
11:36 am
THIS JUST IN: COACH RICHT HAS RESTRICTED THE GEORGIA FOOTBALL PLAYERS FROM GOING ON SPRING BREAK….THEY MUST REMAIN IN ATHENS FOR THE WEEK IN THEIR DORMITORY….NO TV EITHER…..
js
March 8th, 2010
11:36 am
UGA leads all of College football in arrests the last 2 1/2 years. There coach is named Saint Richt. Anybody seeing the irony here. Most of the arrests were for small violations, but they still show UGA players making poor decisions. UGA makes fun of Fla, Bama, TN for having thugs play. It’s obvious the whole SEC uses thugs. Go to Athens, get arrested, play football, lose to FL. Does that sound fun to you?
Mettenberger learns lesson the hard way | Jeff Schultz
March 8th, 2010
11:36 am
[...] yes, there is a problem here. Zettenberger is a Georgia quarterback. So the fact that he has been charged with five misdemeanors, all stemming from underage drinking, is going to make news, particularly when he is part of a [...]
bama
March 8th, 2010
11:36 am
no actually the uga fan above me said Louisiana Lafayette, I really dont remember who they were since we havent lost at home since unlike you guys when we beat the pants off you in your own house
Papadawg
March 8th, 2010
11:36 am
Jackets I Guess your players are clean choir boys and don’t get into trouble. Yeah right we all know better. I got into trouble drinking a beer myself @ 19 and it didn’t turn me into a criminal. Lighten up on the kids and let Coach Richt take care of it like I KNOW he will
Shane
March 8th, 2010
11:37 am
Richt, keep recruiting thugs and stupid kids. No way you’ll ever win the SEC.
Unless you consider he has already won it. Twice.
spanky
March 8th, 2010
11:37 am
Well, at least he wasn’t riding a scooter! Then, he’d really be toast!!
San Francisco Dawg
March 8th, 2010
11:37 am
I remember when 18 meant you could drink in college and we did….if you can be sent to Irag at age 18 you should be allowed to drink…
Bama....really?
March 8th, 2010
11:38 am
Parking/Traffic make up over half of those infractions. Athens/Clarke County PD goes out of it’s way to make sure they get a few a year.
AltamahaDawg
March 8th, 2010
11:38 am
Gatormania, a lot of Dawg fans posting on the gators blog about Gary Brown a few weeks ago was there?
Just the facts sir
March 8th, 2010
11:38 am
non-biased fan,
The coaches trophy which presents the bcs trophy had a sponsorship deal with Walmart that included showing the bcs trophy at 2 local walmarts. Had Texas won the game Texas also would have been required per the contract to showcase the trophy at 2 local Walmarts.
RxDawg
March 8th, 2010
11:38 am
Well, I guess that settles that QB battle.
Mikey
March 8th, 2010
11:39 am
I’m sure the kid deserved what he got.
FYI- Remerton is a little incorporated “city” that is surrounded by Valdosta city limits.
They have a few square blocks and among their “possessions” are a few bars and restaurants frequented by VSU students. They make all their revenue off of traffic and disorderly/DUI type cases.
Fleischman in Chi Towns Bed
March 8th, 2010
11:39 am
BAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHA!
Great job Coach Richt, amen.
Mikey
March 8th, 2010
11:40 am
sorry kindergarten….did not see your post….
Oconee boy
March 8th, 2010
11:41 am
ya us oconee boys are complete thugs. but for real everyone drinks. he dont deserve it
Shane
March 8th, 2010
11:41 am
Steiner,
Good one about LA-Monroe coming back on the schedule. Funny thing is they beat us by 7 in regulation while UGA beat us by 3 in ot in 07. I guess LA-Monroe was better than you guys also.
LOL Alabama actually lost to Louisiana Monroe??? LOL
Saban is the most overrated coach in the history of Football. He has had two really good years but other than that he has been mediocre at best. Also he stunk it up royally in the pros.
Fleischman in Chi Towns Bed
March 8th, 2010
11:41 am
Bama….really? – when the last time your team PLAYED or WON in a National Championship game? You were probably still crapping your pants and sucking on your momma’s big fat teeeeot.
Tappa Kegga Brew
March 8th, 2010
11:42 am
Road Trip!
Dirty Souf
March 8th, 2010
11:42 am
Haha…Georgia and Bama fans calling each other rednecks.
Just like the pot calling the kettle black….
Gregg T
March 8th, 2010
11:42 am
One son-in-law is a Tech man, another an Tenn grad, my neighbor’s kid goes to Alabama, my other neighbor is an Auburn guy. A bunch of neighbors are Gator “fans” because they are on a roll. I live in Fan Hell, GA. The one thing they all have in common is that they swear that no one from those institutions participates in underaged drinking or other general stupidity. They are too busy studying, even on Spring Break.
reebok
March 8th, 2010
11:43 am
this will have no effect on UGA’s QB competition. this will be long forgotten by august.
GA4LIFE
March 8th, 2010
11:43 am
This player definitely should be suspended from the team and scholarship taken away. He doesn’t deserve to be on the team with this type of behavior. But yet people are quick to say “Oh he made a mistake, or he used bad judgement”. I think his judgement was pretty clear when he purchased that fake id. I’m sure his judgement was crystal clear when he walked into that bar and started drinking knowing that he was underage. So don’t make excuses for this “KID” cause he knew exactly what was going on, he knew exactly what he was getting into and he knew what he was doing. How embarrasing for his mom who works in the same office with Coach Bobo. She has to floored. She should make him pay for his own education and give his scholarship to some one more deserving. He could of been in Athens studying homework or that thick playbook. What a looser!!!!
GO VOLS!
March 8th, 2010
11:43 am
OK, if Duke fans want to make fun of UGA being full of thug athletes, go ahead. BUT Alabama? Crooked, backwards, know-nothing Alabama? Give me a break. Yeah, I’m sure Alabama has a lot of scholar athletes on their roster.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
March 8th, 2010
11:44 am
Those Bama players drink just as much as any where else – Saban won’t put up with bad pub so they are confined to certain bars where they are protected.