Richt: King’s 2-game suspension reflects tougher penalties for arrests
(Updated 4 p.m.)
ATHENS — Caleb King, Georgia’s starting tailback in both of its victories this season, won’t play in the next two games because of his arrest for failure to appear in court to address a speeding ticket.
Coach Mark Richt on Tuesday suspended King for the two games, saying he hopes the punishment teaches a lesson to the tailback and other players.
In years past, a case such as King’s might have drawn a shorter suspension, if any at all. But with King the 11th UGA football player arrested this year, Richt acknowledged the two-game ban reflects a tougher approach to punishing players for off-field incidents.
“Oh yeah, no doubt about it,” Richt said. “But they knew that.”
King won’t play in Saturday’s home game against Vanderbilt or the Oct. 23 game at Kentucky. He’ll return for the Oct. 30 game against Florida in Jacksonville.
The 11 Georgia players arrested this year, on charges ranging from battery to public intoxication, have drawn varying penalties from Richt. Four of the players were dismissed from the team. Another decided to transfer after being suspended for six games. Three others got one-game suspensions.
The latest suspension came one day after King was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police on a bench warrant issued by a judge in nearby Walton County. The warrant was for failing to appear at an August court date regarding a June speeding ticket, which cited King for traveling 76 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone on Highway 78.
“I expect all our players to take care of their responsibilities on and off the field,” Richt said. “When players don’t do that, it damages the reputation of the player, our team and our university. My goal is for Caleb to learn a lesson and for other players to learn from his experience.”
King’s penalty was double that drawn by fellow tailback Washaun Ealey, who was suspended for one game –- the season-opening victory over Louisiana-Lafayette –- after his late-August arrest for hit-and-run of a parked vehicle and driving with a suspended license. At the time of Ealey’s arrest, there also was a bench warrant against him for failure to appear in court on speeding and vehicle registration charges.
Asked if King’s stiffer penalty reflects a tougher standard, Richt said: “Yes sir.” Asked if it reflects a need to send a message, Richt said: “Obviously.”
Although Richt emphasized that each player “has a responsibility to do the right thing,” the coach said he and athletic director Greg McGarity are having “an ongoing conversation” about ways to reduce the off-field problems. “I really have a lot of confidence that [McGarity] has some good ideas in that regard,” Richt said.
Already, Richt said, his staff is periodically checking to make sure players’ driver’s licenses are in good standing. “We’ve been doing that monthly,” he said, “but now we are going to do it weekly.”
Richt said, however, that it would be almost impossible for the staff to know when a bench warrant is issued for a player’s failure to handle a traffic ticket, as in the King case. “You basically would have to get in contact with every single county in the state of Georgia on a daily basis to find out if something like that popped up,” Richt said.
Several players said the team is well aware that off-field problems will have serious consequences.
“Enough has happened that I think the team is tired of it, the coaching staff is tired of it and the athletic director and everyone associated with the University of Georgia is [too],” quarterback Aaron Murray said. “We definitely have seen a little too much of everything that is going on. We’ve just got to be smart as a team … on and off the field.”
Said wide receiver Tavarres King: “Everybody knows at this point in time, if you get in trouble, you’re going to get a pretty good lashing.”
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842 comments Add your comment
Mel in Midtown
October 12th, 2010
3:11 pm
Caleb did a much better job running from the law than he has done between the hedges.
edumacated
October 12th, 2010
3:11 pm
Hey gt, just how many current Tech players are enrolled in engineering programs? Just asking?
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:12 pm
Maybe a Florida spy needs to follow Blair Walsh for the next few weeks. Without Walsh UGA can’t score against a good team with a D.
MURPHY
October 12th, 2010
3:13 pm
gt,
so let me see if I understand your meaning here. You are saying your football team is not good because of your schools education policies.Therefore your school can recruit the top players in the country?
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:14 pm
edumacated you need to ask Delbert because he has posted that many times and the UGA players majors too. If you go on Ramblinwreck.com you can see the players and their declared majors. Do so work yourself if you really care or are just being a smart azz.
BG
October 12th, 2010
3:16 pm
What other school in the SEC would have suspended King for 2 games for a speeding ticket and failure to show? NONE!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawg_Mike
October 12th, 2010
3:16 pm
@ UGA insider-
Glad to see that Chris Rainey is back practicing with the team.
shane
October 12th, 2010
3:17 pm
Kimz
Only on Tuesday do I take it like a woman. Come on we discussed that the other night.
AlwaysAVol
October 12th, 2010
3:18 pm
Finally. A coach than handles things in a sane and fair manner and over half you guys want to hang him out to dry. I think the punishment may even be a bit harsh, but I think Coach Richt did the right thing. And I’m a Vol….
edumacated
October 12th, 2010
3:18 pm
Hey KimZ’sPackage,
I don’t cruise the web pages of teams I don’t root for, or for that matter, even care if they have a football program. Tech is irrelevant, as far as I am concerned.
So why again are you on this board?
NCDawgFan
October 12th, 2010
3:19 pm
Sounds like it’s time for “Thunder and Thunder” aka Chapas and Munzenmaier!!!
Mark Richt
October 12th, 2010
3:19 pm
I think we just need to stay focused and look for areas to improve. The most important thing is getting better every week.
The Temporary Mascot formerly known as Russ
October 12th, 2010
3:19 pm
President Adams promised me a degree. I had hoped to get the first engineering degree but that is not working out. A mascot from another school said being an engineer is no big deal. Coach told me there is a degree program that I should look into in the College of Canine Cuisine. I may go for it. Only at UGA!
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:19 pm
Murphy the AJC article about UGA wanting more Enginerring degrees were not to get Athlete students but students that couldn’t get in TECH and were going out of state to other enginerring schools. The Students said at UGA they could get an Engineering Degree and have a Life not having to study all the time. I am not lying. look it up on AJC.com from last week. So a UGA kids wants to have an engineering degree and be a drunk at the sametime. HAHAHAHAH you got to love UGA for sure.
Caleb King
October 12th, 2010
3:20 pm
We did improve. My arrest was not nearly as bad as that drunk linebacker
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:20 pm
Shane don’t tell our secrets.
shane
October 12th, 2010
3:21 pm
LOL. Your right. Wrong message board for that. My bad.
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:21 pm
BG this is about UGA not lil Johnny and how his mom punishes him. WORRY ABOUT UGA and the Dawg Problems.
jaxdawgfan
October 12th, 2010
3:22 pm
It isn’t the ticket that’s the issue here. It’s that 1) King flagrantly ignored the law as if it didn’t apply to him and 2) this isn’t his first transgression. Anyone with that kind of attitude doesn’t deserve to be a Dawg. Putting him in time out for 2 weeks won’t change him. But, since that’s what happened, I think he should spend Saturday afternoon and evening picking up tailgater garbage, too. Adams ought to like that.
Michael J Fox
October 12th, 2010
3:22 pm
This whole thing has left me shaken.
Caleb King
October 12th, 2010
3:22 pm
Next week I will get arrested for Jay walking which is better than speeding.. Hey I think I am getting this “improving every week thing” by the end of the season I will just be getting tickets for parking in the falculty parking lot
shane
October 12th, 2010
3:23 pm
Wow Michael J. That’s just wrong.
Mel Gibson
October 12th, 2010
3:23 pm
Your headed down a slippery slope Caleb
Whatever
October 12th, 2010
3:24 pm
What happened to the zero tolerance policy? Did you really believe that anybody associated with UGA’s program could count that high? Also, we need to remember this wasn’t King’s first offense. I imagine they couldn’t count that high either.
The real result of ALL of the UGA player idiocy
October 12th, 2010
3:24 pm
No matter how much hate there is for one school or another …………..all SEC football fans would agree that AJ Green doing his selfish dumbassed clothing sale and the summer of fun by the rest of the kids and including that moron, Ealey ( he did it twice ) and now, Caleb King, that UGA has been hurt adversely by it all. UGA is 2-4 and that isdue to all of this player stupidity and they need to be ousted. Period.
If Green plays vs SC and Ealey does or does not fumble in that game, UGA STILL wins. Same is true of the Arkansas game ………..Ealey does or does not not fumble and AJ gets only one TD,
then UGA wins and probably wins big. Ditto for MSU and by then, UGA would have been more ready mentally to play ball vs Colorado and UGA wins that game. Ealey blew that game however, with his shanked 34 YD FG. Keep in mind, UGA has better skill talent than any of these 4 schools and including the Mallet and Lattimore factors.
Bottom line? UGA has been badly hurt by these animals and now facing a quality KY team in awhile, and UGA with only one back and C Thomas, UGA might get hurt badly again.
Richt must go. He recruited them and now, let him take a trip with them all. I am so done with all of this mismanagement. That is precisely what it is ……… mismanagement.
As a UGA grad, I look not at their infactions but what it COST my alma mater and for that reason, I say kick them all out of school and fire CMR. Let them feel it for awhile.
I also think that new AD Greg McGarity views it just like I do.
Go Dogs.
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:24 pm
Mike Fox you went even too low for this BLOG and that says a lot.
edumacated
October 12th, 2010
3:24 pm
There are way too many Tech folks on here who had their lunch money stolen back in elementary school.
Tommy Tubberville
October 12th, 2010
3:25 pm
There is going to be a job opening in the SEC! Thank God I hate Texas everything is bigger than my giant ears.
MURPHY
October 12th, 2010
3:25 pm
Kim Z,
Question. Go to Tech(Middle of downtown Atl-only good part is Cheetah and the Varsity) for your engineering degree,or go to Athens(no mugging,no guns being fired every five minutes) for your engineering degree?
shane
October 12th, 2010
3:26 pm
I vote Cheetah. Just Saying. Lol
Atlanta Thug
October 12th, 2010
3:27 pm
I wouldnt go to athens thats the Football teams turf.. dem some tough mamajamas
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:27 pm
edumacated UGA fans fill the blogs so other teams fans come hear to kick a DAWG because it is so much fun. You guys run run run run your mouths and take it when people do the same to the MUTTS.
seabass
October 12th, 2010
3:27 pm
At Fla. you can make death threats and get nothing at UGA you get a speeding ticket an people want you off the team. This is media and mainly AJC’s fault.
edumacated
October 12th, 2010
3:28 pm
Hey Murphy, it doesn’t take a slide rule to figure that one out. Athens!
Bill Campbell
October 12th, 2010
3:28 pm
He Atlanta Thug I though I shipped all ya’ll to clayton county before the olympics
Michael J Fox
October 12th, 2010
3:29 pm
Tell me you didn’t chuckle when you read it.
Shirley Franklin
October 12th, 2010
3:29 pm
You did Bill but I brought them all back.. seemed kinda lonely without them.
Kasim Reed
October 12th, 2010
3:30 pm
This is my city now! Down with the HOBO’s!!!
BUTCH DAVIS
October 12th, 2010
3:30 pm
guys, guys, guys. lighten up a little. i’m not suspended for lack of institutionl control so c.k. being suspended two games is nothing. it’s who you know in this business and it’s best to be a coach not a player or an athletic director.
edumacated
October 12th, 2010
3:31 pm
KimZ’sPackage,
You actually have to get us down before you can kick us. At last count, you guys haven’t been doing so good have you? That’s why the only thing you can do is come on here and claim your school is better, which it isn’t, and you all know it deep down in your little nerdy hearts.
You are so sad.
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:31 pm
Go to Athens and get drunk and FRIEND RAPED. If the Tech students didn’t walk downtown(off Campus) alone then they would not be in danger for the most part. In Athens the students are the problem so other students don’t know who to fear. At Tech students should know where to go and not to go. Atlanta has more people than Athens and a better chance for issues. I carried on Tech all the time. I never worried about the school catching me or a Mugger coming after me.
MURPHY
October 12th, 2010
3:31 pm
shane,
thanks for your support. lol Athens does have Chelse’s not to shabby but no Cheetah. Oh and we have a Varsity! lol
shane
October 12th, 2010
3:32 pm
Kimz
NC State called. They want their foot back.
cg
October 12th, 2010
3:33 pm
Of course King will be back in time for the big games against FL and AU. We must keep our priorities straight.
shane
October 12th, 2010
3:33 pm
Count me in! In T-Town we have Dreamland and Sorority Row. It all equals out. Lol
MURPHY
October 12th, 2010
3:35 pm
KimZ,
A Tech girl walking by herself? HMMMM-Lets see? I have seen the Tech girls-If i was a mugger i would pass you up also!
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:35 pm
I don’t have a foot but 8 1/2 & 6 around if that will do NCSU can have all they want.
TECHSTER
October 12th, 2010
3:35 pm
Two uga players in a car. Whose driving? THE POLICE!!!!!!
Kasim Reed
October 12th, 2010
3:35 pm
Dont Worry we are cleaning up the ATL
KimZ'sPackage
October 12th, 2010
3:36 pm
Shane Dreamland ain’t the same since Big John passed.