Two other UGA players named, not charged, in police report (UPDATED)
UPDATE, 3:45 P.M. MONDAY:
ATHENS — Two teammates of arrested Georgia football players Dontavius Jackson and Tavarres King are named in the UGA Police Department’s report on the weekend incident.
Cornerback Branden Smith was a passenger in the vehicle driven by Jackson but was the only one of the five people in the 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche not arrested because he “was determined to have not been drinking,” according to the police incident report obtained by the AJC today.
Also, an identification card issued to Vance Cuff, a Georgia cornerback, was found on a female passenger in the vehicle and taken into evidence, according to the incident report. Cuff was not in the vehicle.
The report said Jackson, who was arrested on DUI and five other misdemeanor charges, “admitted to having consumed 2 shots while downtown” after initially telling police he had not consumed any alcohol. Jackson “appeared to not be trying to provide a sufficient sample” on the breath test, according to the report, and told police during a field sobriety test that a left knee injury affected his balance. The report said Jackson “stated that he had rear ended another vehicle” moments earlier.
King and two other passengers, not UGA athletes, were arrested on charges of underage possession of alcohol.
POSTED 7:33 P.M. SUNDAY:
The two Georgia football players arrested on alcohol-related charges this weekend were suspended from the team Sunday night by coach Mark Richt.
Backup tailback Dontavius Jackson and starting split end Tavarres King have been suspended indefinitely from all team activities, Richt said. More specifically, Richt said, Jackson will be required to sit out at least the first six games of the season — half of the schedule — and King will miss at least the Sept. 4 season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Richt said he is still gathering information, which could lead to additional penalties.
“I’m disappointed in their decision-making and lack of judgment, and they will both pay a stiff price,” Richt said in a statement. “All our players need to understand that it’s a privilege to be a Bulldog, and their conduct needs to reflect the standards we expect.”
Jackson and King were arrested early Saturday after their vehicle was pulled over by UGA Police. Jackson, 20, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, underage possession of alcohol, following too closely, leaving the scene of an accident, violation of the move-over law and violation of learner’s permit. King, 19, was charged with underage possession of alcohol. Two other passengers in the vehicle — not UGA athletes — also were charged with underage possession of alcohol. A fourth passenger was not arrested.
The alcohol-related arrests of Jackson and King came just days after UGA athletics director Damon Evans resigned in the aftermath of his June 30 DUI arrest in Atlanta.
Jackson and King are the sixth and seventh Georgia football players arrested this year.
UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson told the AJC that Jackson and King were arrested after a series of events on East Campus Road early Saturday morning.
Williamson said two patrol cars were at an unrelated traffic stop when a vehicle — later determined to be driven by Jackson — passed at an inappropriate speed and failed to move over. As one of the patrol cars began pursuit of Jackson for allegedly violating the move-over law, a third officer put out a radio report of an incident moments earlier in which a vehicle had left the scene of a minor accident after rear-ending another car. The description of the vehicle that allegedly left the scene of the accident matched the one being pursued for the move-over violation, Williamson said.
When the vehicle was pulled over, Jackson was driving and had four passengers, Williamson said. Police determined the vehicle had damage consistent with the earlier accident. There were no injuries in that accident, Williamson said.
The vehicle, a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche, is registered to King, Williamson said.
- More details on the arrests are here.
- And go here if you’re ready to talk some (on-the-field) Georgia football.
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601 comments Add your comment
A D 's Gone Wild
July 11th, 2010
9:03 pm
The interim AD needs to overule CMR on this one. Jackson needs to be dismissed or Hire back Damon Evans as AD. Such hypocrisy !
SOOHSO
July 11th, 2010
9:03 pm
This goes on and on and on and on………….
bob
July 11th, 2010
9:03 pm
You can’t really expect Richt to suspend a starter for a game that counts can you?
Big L
July 11th, 2010
9:05 pm
Let me clarify my position. I think Don’t hate is bigoted trash but do not take my comments to kean that it’s okay the other way. If you think dropping the n bomb is okay in response, then you are riding the same trashy boat.
KimZ'sPackage
July 11th, 2010
9:06 pm
How is Richt not being on the HOT SEAT looking right now? I hear smoe true Dawg fans are real MAD on this and other blogs too.
sandyspringsjacket
July 11th, 2010
9:07 pm
CMR is a big hypocrit. That is why this keeps happening. THe players love the THUGA family, they laugh at Richt behind his back and have no respect for his preaching. He recruits marginal students, talks about God and but never acts with authority or dicipline. A lauughing stock in the SE. Just like his mentor Uncle Bobby.
dawgster
July 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
To some of you on here that think they know it all and want to throw stones at Coach Richt need to cool it and wait and see what the final decision is as it was stated that “Coach Richt wast gathing additional information and there could be additional penalties”…If you remember QB Mett, the possible starting QB for the dawgs was kicked off the team, after additional info, so give it a rest and lets see what takes place…Some the comments about what happened and what you would or would not do are laughable…Maybe they should be kicked off the team, a DUI is a very, very serious offense and thank goodness nobody was hurt…Football players are not the only ones that drink and drive as we all know and way too often it ends in a tragedy…I don’t at all think Coach Richt or the staff are taking this lightly but you gather all the facts and then you make appropriate decisions as warranted…That is what my parents did and thats how i think most parents deal with their children as they grow up and become young adults…Now with all that being said i believe the dawgs need to look at all the avenues available that can address the continued problems, and hopefully it will start taking hold…but who knows these are 18-20 year old kids that think they are invincible…Again, these kids are extremely fortunate that so far they are dealing with suspension and not dealing with injuries or deaths involving an accident..We all can be thankful for that….
Since Vince
July 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
Mark Richt better get to the Dome in a hurry or his era is ova !
The Truth
July 11th, 2010
9:08 pm
40 arrests since 2007. 40…
40…
40…
40….
Someone needs to take the wheel up there….maybe the AD, oh, wait….sorry….
Equitable
July 11th, 2010
9:09 pm
GEORGIA HAS OVER 40 ARRESTS SINCE 2007!
Big Boys Dont Cry !
July 11th, 2010
9:10 pm
STFU dawgster you blind homer !
Techredneck
July 11th, 2010
9:10 pm
It amazes me that the JAWJA fans ridicule the Tech campus for all the crimes that go on there(and I will admit it does happen too often), but my God people its seems your athletes are the thugs and repeat offenders on your campus. And please don’t say ” duh, drunk driving an’t so bad”, whats wrong with a kid having a few drinks?
Jane
July 11th, 2010
9:10 pm
Why do we act as if we are appalled that college students are underage drinking & why are we not concerned with the thousands who are not athletes. What about the thousands of UGA students on the Hope Scholarship that are underage drinking & some driving. What about the scholorship math, english, oe education major who is arrested in downtown Athens for unsdetage drinking or public drunkenness every weekend. What about the frat house keg parties where almost everyone in under 21!!! why are their names not on the front page of the AJC? In addition to Coach Richt suspending these 2 players, he should also be launching an investigation into why are athletes the only students being publicized by the AJC!!!
Big L
July 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
And a BCS win too. Ya’ll techie haters would’nt know anything about a bowl win.
Carolina Gator Lover
July 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
And I thout just maybe 2010 would be a turnaround year in Athens. It would be great to have a year with more wins than DUIs. Looks like we will have to wait until 2011.
Jim
July 11th, 2010
9:11 pm
Do not see the hypocracy here. Evans – 40 yrs old, in charge of running a program with kids and young men in it. These players – kids who did what a ton of undergrads do on a regular basis. I would not punish my kids when they were younger the same way I would expect an adult to be punished. Easy does it here.
jabster
July 11th, 2010
9:12 pm
Jacket Fan. WGASA about simple possession underage (King, not Jackson). Seriously. Make him run the stadium steps and let him play.
If y’all really ran this state, the failed 21 drinking age would no longer be an issue.
http://www.chooseresponsibility.org
3Dog Tired
July 11th, 2010
9:12 pm
I’ve had it with the past 12 months of on and off field events. If Jackson is allowed to stay, don’t expect anything good from this program until major changes at top come in play.
Big Boys Dont Cry !
July 11th, 2010
9:13 pm
Jane…. The Academia side needs to deal with it as well. Send their azzes home too.
Tired of Drunk Bulldog Fans Being Two-faced
July 11th, 2010
9:13 pm
The problem is with Adams the President, primarily, and secondly, the Alumni. Adams is the one that needs to fix the ‘get tanked every weekend in the fall’ mentality!
m
July 11th, 2010
9:14 pm
NOOOOOO- everyone let’s chill here. How many of you actually take time to pray for Richt and the team. Instead of all the bashing going on why not try some prayers. Richt cannot hold their hand 24 hours a day. We all have our own choices, no matter what we are told. Some make wise ones and others not so. We, as UGA fans, need to band together and pray and great things will happen. How many will be willing to do that???
Big Boys Dont Cry !
July 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
Jim…… where have you been you blind homer?
Bruce Mac
July 11th, 2010
9:15 pm
If you really are a UGA grad and or buy tickets, etc. then write the University and I guaranty you they will respond and they care what you think. I have done it several times and always get a response. If you are a fan of Yech or UF or UT, we don’t care what you think. We respect our coach and support his decisions. Minor possession is consistant with a teenage mistake and anybody that thinks he should be kicked out of school is an idiot.
dawgfan
July 11th, 2010
9:16 pm
My vote for dumbest post of the day goes to Jane. Congratulations.
KimZ'sPackage
July 11th, 2010
9:16 pm
Dawgster Mett is the only player to ever get more punishment after an internal investigation. All coaches say that but Richt has just once done it. I think Mett thought he was going to get buy because his mom works for the athletic depart and he heard all the stories before. He just knew he would skate until CMR put his First foot down. Yes, we can wait and see but we have been there done that. Maybe CMR will do more I don’t know. I do think the rules need to be like from God to Moses ie Written in Stone.
Jane
July 11th, 2010
9:16 pm
YOU HYPOCRITES!!!! How many of you posting these comments did NOT drink your Freshman, Sophomore and Junior years in college? …..Yeah, I thought so…..LOL
Big Boys Dont Cry !
July 11th, 2010
9:18 pm
m……. we’ve been a prayin and a hopin and a wishin for years now. The rod shall not be spared no mo! The chilldrens are a spoilin !
Geezer
July 11th, 2010
9:19 pm
If CMR couldn’t sit with a recruit for 5 minutes and tell who is likely to be a punk and bring on this kind of problem, he is too stupid to coach anywhere. Since he is not stupid, he overlooked the obvious and Jackson and King are the result. There will be others because there always are at UGa.
Jane
July 11th, 2010
9:19 pm
my vote for dumbest response to a post, dawgfan…..you must be one of those drunk undergraduates. Congrats
Tired of Drunk Bulldog Fans Being Two-faced
July 11th, 2010
9:20 pm
The whole UGA program has a serious drinking problem as part of the inherent culture. According to a recent recent study, UGA has the 3rd highest alcoholism rate of division one schools of its grads 10 years after graduation.
sandyspringsjacket
July 11th, 2010
9:21 pm
DawgFan, Jane’s post was dumb, but m….whoaa. Dawg fans get together and all pray. Yup that will work.
You better pray the Jackets don’t score 40+ on your prison inmates in late November, that is if any THUGA inmates are on parol and avaialble to play.
father garducci
July 11th, 2010
9:22 pm
Bogus, they should both get a slap on the butt and some free chips to ride yellow cab next time they get sideways, getting drunk and smoking herb only brings oneself closer to Jesus….
Big Boys Dont Cry !
July 11th, 2010
9:23 pm
Jane … go take a ride with Damon……
techies smack dey ho's up
July 11th, 2010
9:24 pm
maybe king and jackson should have just smacked dey ho’s up like ROBERT HALL from GTECH. it would have been swept under the rug and he would start the 2nd quarter of his first game and ajc would have never made mention of it.
Notso Fast
July 11th, 2010
9:24 pm
With all that has gone on in College drinking & driving, I’m shocked that this happened. Coach R has always bent over backwards to help his players and you shouldn’t expect anything more. He had his Dream Team to think about.
jabster
July 11th, 2010
9:25 pm
It’s apparent that UGA doesn’t even run Athens-Clarke County, let alone the state of GA.
BTW: 18-20YOs–legal ADULTS, like it or not.
dawgfan
July 11th, 2010
9:26 pm
Hahahahaha…A Gator piece of white trash talking smack about DUI’s. At least Jackson wasn’t passed out in the middle of an intersection like a certain piece of Gator trash was last year.
I would like to revise my vote for dumbest post of the day. Wow.
Errrrrbody get Tipsy
July 11th, 2010
9:26 pm
Red panties anyone?
Bubba Grump
July 11th, 2010
9:26 pm
Boy……….no excuses for the guys but the Athens police sure throw the book when they get a chance it seems!
LOVES GEORGIA
July 11th, 2010
9:27 pm
Everyone is giving Georgia a hard time about the punishment handed out by coach Richt. Georgia Tech lets players that have been arrested for drug felonies and beating up girl friends play all the time. Tech players that drink and drive in atlanta are like pastors because they do not standout among all the robberies and social unrest in their backyard.
Jane
July 11th, 2010
9:28 pm
Big Boy Don’t Cry,,,,I will as soon as you get your red panties back from him…..
SOOHSO
July 11th, 2010
9:28 pm
Make them wear red panties at practice!!!
wildbill
July 11th, 2010
9:29 pm
Things at UGA haven’t changed. Back in the 60s, several football players would go to the VFW on Saturday nites, liquor up, and usually end up in a brawl with other students and/or locals. I won’t name names. I miss the athletic dorms where an assistant coach would check on the players. Too bad they were outlawed. I saw a bullet hole in a dorm room door. Those guys had all the fun!
ryan
July 11th, 2010
9:29 pm
I guess UGA is a party town Tuscaloosa is out in the middle of nowhere Atlanta someone always getting shot at Knoxville you have hillbilly bar fights
Savannah DeWitt
July 11th, 2010
9:30 pm
1st – not one penny of our tax dollars goes to UGA Athletic scholarships. The Athletic department more than supports itself and gives back to the University.
2nd – I believe that King will never find himself in that position again. If he is punished and stays on the team and graduates, he will become an asset to society. Without a scholarship, he’ll struggle his entire life for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those stone throwers drank in their teens but were fortunate to not be in the public eye or get caught.
3rd – 1/2 a season is pure torture. Again, Jackson finishes his degree he’ll become an asset to society. Without it, he’ll struggle.
Richt made a promise to look after his players and attempt to teach them to become young men. I trust his level-headed judgement much more that the those screaming “fry-em”.
willieg hates drunks
July 11th, 2010
9:30 pm
BAN ALL ALCOHOL IN ATHENS ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS AND ANYONE CAUGHT WITH IT GOES TO COUNTY JAIL FOR 2 YRS THAT WILL TEACH THEM
father garducci
July 11th, 2010
9:30 pm
Eat, drink (booze), smoke (da herb) and be merry co-eds for tomorrow you may die…..
poopdawg
July 11th, 2010
9:33 pm
BIG BOY DON”T CRY got torched by Jane, Jane good point.
Tired of Drunk Bulldog Fans Being Two-faced
July 11th, 2010
9:33 pm
Follow Fr. Garducci’s BS and you just may die sooner.
Adams has a big problem on the campus and he needs to deal with it.
Time to Make Believers
July 11th, 2010
9:35 pm
It’s time for universities and colleges to make believers out of football criminals. I am sooooooo tired of the street thug mentality. There’s a pill for mental illness but there isn’t a pill for stupidity.
I guess the gutter nature seems to come out no matter what is done. I think CMR should have kicked Jackson off the team and given King a four game suspension. I am sick and tired of the dreadlocks, tattoos, burns, facebook photos, low riding pants, the “you know” every word.
Looks like most places including UGA are just looking for talent and not quality. If a player is stupid enough to be drunk driving after the Damon Evans fiasco, he isn’t smart enough to be on my team. Come on CMR let the players know and if they make choices contrary to your expected behavior, put them on the road for good. This is a continual embarrasment for all the members of the Bulldog Nation. Get the team together, kick their butts and put them on notice that these types of actions will not be tolerated. One game suspension just isn’t enough to jerk their chains and put them on notice. I thought King was higher class than this. Looks like he is gutter level, gang life, out all night, thug who really don’t belong on a quality University team.
I can see mistakes but this was intentional behavior after the Evans affair. Get rid of the bums regardless if we win or lose. Let’s have a program filled with class, integrity and young men who represent the University well.