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.”
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
842 comments Add your comment
Jborodawg
October 13th, 2010
9:37 am
UGA DAWG, GT Bob, ugaalumn81, and Harry and the rest of you CMR/UGA haters…I reckon this stuff bears repeating:
“…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.”
“…Richt says staff has been checking players’ driver’s licenses on monthly basis…”
“…Four of the players were dismissed from the team. Another decided to transfer after being suspended for six games…”
“…“I expect all our players to take care of their responsibilities on and off the field… My goal is for Caleb to learn a lesson and for other players to learn from his experience.”
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.
He suspended Caleb for the NEXT two games. You can’t put off punishment. Punishment has to be immediate, not at the public’s whim. If all this occurred this week, he would have missed the Kentucky and Flawduh games.
Not to mention, CMR instituted and still requires the “CHAMPS/Life Skills” program. He’s had on-going programs since day one. The players must accept responsibility for their actions. The off-field problems are not from lack of effort from Coach Richt and the rest of the staff. He has NOT lost control; that’s asinine.
Not to mention, did you know that UGA has more academic award recipients than ANY university in the South? CMR is one of only seven head coaches who has won 90 or more Div 1 football games in his first nine seasons. I’m not sure which team or which bowl, but the UGA Football Media Guide says, “…The Bulldogs…took money from a recent bowl gifts package and…purchased approximately $3000 worth of electronics for the Athens Boys and Girls Club. There’s a lot of good going on with the program too. If it’s all wins and losses to you, root for a pro team.
Jborodawg
October 13th, 2010
9:39 am
Getagrip: Amen!
Getagrip
October 13th, 2010
9:42 am
By the way, some of you throw the word thug around way to much it’s almost as if your trying to replace another more reviled word in the english vocabulary. I say this because, I don’t recall anyone using the word thug when posting about Aaron Mettenberger,’s troubles, nor do I see the word being used in reference to the rather large number of students (predominantly white) that have been arrested at UGA over the past few years. And let’s be clear, I’m not making this a race issue. I’m just saying, the more things change the more they stay the same.
d1reality
October 13th, 2010
9:42 am
Did Mark Richt’s recruits ever have any issues at Free Shoes University???????????????
TardDawg
October 13th, 2010
9:50 am
Typical UGA thugs.
SWD PRIDE
October 13th, 2010
10:00 am
Why not use former runningback Ken Malcome ?
Jborodawg
October 13th, 2010
10:10 am
It’s not just UGA…it’s fairly wide-spread.
Jeff Benedict, Sports Illustrated …
“…So far this year through August, 125 college and professional football and basketball players have been arrested on…misdemeanors involving violence, weapons or substance abuse. That’s pretty astounding. At this rate, the number will be up around 200 by year’s end…Seventy of the 125 players arrested so far this year play college football. What’s interesting is the way these cases are handled by the coaches.
Oregon star running back LaMichael James wasn’t in the lineup for the Ducks’ season-opening 72-0 win over New Mexico. Last season James set a Pac-10-record by rushing for 1,546 yards as a freshman. But during this offseason James was charged with menacing, strangulation and assault after an altercation with his former girlfriend. In March he pled guilty to a single misdemeanor harassment charge and was sentenced to 10 days in jail, but didn’t serve any time. Instead, James was permitted to wear an electronic surveillance device. Oregon coach Chip Kelly suspended James for one game.
Compare James’s situation to that of Oregon State redshirt lineman Tyler Thomas. On Aug. 22 police in Corvallis, Ore., say they found Thomas naked and intoxicated in a stranger’s home. When ordered down on the ground, Thomas reportedly went into a three-point stance and lunged at the officers, who fired stun guns to subdue him. Thomas was charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and resisting arrest. Although he has yet to be convicted of anything, he was dismissed from the team following his arrest.
So why did Thomas get the boot for an alcohol-induced arrest while James got a slap on the wrist for pleading guilty to harassing a woman? Look no further than the Facebook page “LaMichael James for Heisman.” Clearly, better athletes get better outcomes, both in the criminal justice system and on college campuses.
Some other things jumped out at me when I reviewed the 125 cases. One is the seriousness and frequency of the cases involving student-athletes. For instance, during the last week of July alone, 10 college football and basketball players were implicated in incidents that involved serious threats to public safety…
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jeff_benedict/09/08/athletes.crime/index.html#ixzz12FOLRX8F
Bob
October 13th, 2010
10:34 am
It is NOT impossible to check each players status on the DMV. There are programs for your computer that can be structured with every players License number that would run all the time so if anything came up, would pop up as soon as it was listed. Insurance companies can look up a driving record in seconds. I’m sure someone at UGA can program 1 small computer to run 24-7.
Jim Pyle
October 13th, 2010
10:37 am
I realize my opinions are just that….mine. But I would point out to Coach Richt that raising younguns who are on scholarship is not the name of the game.Citizenship is important but not at the expense of the program. He is employed by UGA to win ball games, to bring in money to the school for use to support other programs. His goal is to produce winning teams. He does not contribute to that goal when he suspends a player for one, two or more games.; he is punishing the UGA football program and the other players who do their jobs and stay out of trouble ands go all out to win. While suspensions are required, there should be other things to deny a player who needs correcting for infractions. Unlike workers who get suspended, players do not lose their pay or entitlements, so the only effect is to stay healthy for another game or two. All scholarship atheletes are obligated to conform to the rules as all other players and people are. If they want to dance, they have to pay the fiddler. Their choice. Stay straight or go home.
Snake Doc
October 13th, 2010
10:42 am
This about says it all! ” Clearly, better athletes get better outcomes, both in the criminal justice system and on college campuses.”
Thanks for the post jborodawg.
To getagrip – Get A Grip!
I’m not a hypocrite – I just don’t believe in preferential treatment that favors anyone over anyone else. Of the 4 players kicked off the team this year. What was their status coming in to the season? What were their infractions?
Do you know what contempt of court is? Is this not a serious offense? You suggest its no big deal; ask a judge what he thinks about a person who shows contempt for the courts and laws of this nation. Report your findings on this subject back to all of us why don’t ya!
what we really have is a problem in society as a whole. Unfortunately, the elite, the wealthy, or the privileged are given preferential treatment and others are judged too harshly. Parents, coaches, teachers, the courts and administrators are too lenient with the children of today. “we don’t want to hurt their feelings”, We don’t want to make them feel bad about themselves” and many other excuses are thrown about as ways to keep from damaging a child’s self-esteem or feelings.
All this is bunk. We need to return to personal responsibility – meaning you must take responsibility for your own actions.
Getagrip
October 13th, 2010
10:50 am
Jborodawg, great post, but no one will respond to it because it calls them out on the hypocrisy that is rampant in the world of ‘amateur’ athletics.
Jim pyle to your comment, ‘ citizenship is important but not at the expense of the program’, fear isn’t always a great deterrent.
Snake Doc
October 13th, 2010
10:53 am
And the sad part is, and most don’t understand this, that this is not about King.
Its about the 11 arrests of UGA athletes this year alone. Thats the point!
So you say MR is a good man. He is, I won’t argue that point at all. The question is why does he lack the necessary where withal to demand Integrity, honor and personal responsibility among his players. Sure he talks about it – Does he practice it? That question is debatable.
And to you who say contempt of court is no big deal – What does integrity, honor, and personal responsibility mean to you?
Brad Komminsk
October 13th, 2010
10:59 am
maybe when the Pope gets all of the priests to keep it zipped, he can help St. Mark with the problems at UGA
Typical
October 13th, 2010
11:11 am
UGA is just as ignorant about zero tolerance as they are about how to spell. Atta way to prove your point about not putting up with this stuff any longer! Thumb your nose at the legal system and assume you are above the law? Fine! Take the Vandy and Kentucky game off, but be back and ready for Florida. Mark Richt is a hypocrite and a fool. The man doesn’t deserve to be a head coach. He is a joke and needs to be fired.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)
October 13th, 2010
11:20 am
Dawg>Gator” SC would have to lose 3 more SEC games because SC beat UGA in the head to head game. Maybe if SC loses 4 or 5 more, etc., etc., etc.
********************************************************************************************************************
All these references to Kentucky being a creampuff are apparently coming from those who did not see the Kentucky/Auburn game Saturday. Auburn barely escaped and Auburn is one of, if not the best team in the SEC
CDAWG
October 13th, 2010
11:25 am
just heard that the UGA paper says that King is being investigated by the NCAA for accepting loans.
DawgNation
October 13th, 2010
11:38 am
Vandy and KY NOT significant games??? Must be Tech or gator fans.
Getagrip——The term Thuga started with the Tech trolls and has been picked up by the Georgia haters. It has been shorten now to Thug from the original play on the UGA acronym. I don’t think it has anything to do with race but just plain stupidity.
d1reality
October 13th, 2010
11:54 am
“”"So far this year through August, 125 college and professional football and basketball players have been arrested on…misdemeanors involving violence, weapons or substance abuse. That’s pretty astounding. At this rate, the number will be up around 200 by year’s end…Seventy of the 125 players arrested so far this year play college football.”"”"
And 12 out of those 70 play football at Georgia – so are we to believe because there were some arrests at other schools that uga is not any different – gimmee a break.
Dirty programs always say “everyone else does it so we are no different” – well it looks like uga is special here.
d1reality
October 13th, 2010
12:00 pm
“Vandy and KY NOT significant games??? Must be Tech or gator fans.”
I guess when you are knocking on the cellar door – these are significant games.
Joemac
October 13th, 2010
12:05 pm
CMR just lost alot of respect from alot of people. He sits CK down for 2 games, calling it “Fair”. I think the punishment surprised no one, because he thinks he has a good enough team to win the next 2 games, but, oh no, we cannot suspend him for Florida. We need him to try to win the game. No, FAIR would have been 3 games including Florida. That would have made a positive statement. The statement CMR made was anything but positive, and that is the sad part. He still puts the discipline of the players second.
One day maybe he will come up to Les Miles standard. Remember, Miles kicked his starting QB off the team, thus hurting his chances to have a really good season. He put the welfare of his team second, and put discipline first. That will be the undoing of CMR… lax discipline both on and off the field, and they feed of each other.
Hmmmmmmm
October 13th, 2010
12:44 pm
What a JOKE! Tougher standards, how about little or NON existant standards. Especially for the guys who start, or who are so called “stars” of the team….. Give me a break TC, it’s not like this is the first time this kid has been in trouble! You diehard UGA fans are delusional! There is little or NO discipline on your football team! That is precisely why your program has become the JOKE of the south!
Cali
October 13th, 2010
12:58 pm
Maybe Boss Hog and Enis need a talking to about how to deal with our players….Aren’t we all on the same team here? It seems like these cops are targeting our players for the slightest misstep. I know they shouldn’t be breaking the law but a simple phone call to CMR about Caleb’s warrant would have handled the situation instead of arresting the kid. He goes to make sure his brother is ok and ends up in the Pokey? Only in the South.
JR
October 13th, 2010
1:09 pm
Most everyone speeds. And gets a ticket in their life. Missing a court day is inexcusable, however.
C.Jack
October 13th, 2010
1:53 pm
Let me get this straight. Richt thinks McGarity has good ideas as far as the off-field problems go. Didn’t Florida have a plethera of off-field problems when he was there? Lay the “hammer” down Richt and this will end.
RambleOn84
October 13th, 2010
2:14 pm
To me, the blackmail thing with the girl who loaned him money is much more serious. If this is true, then Caleb is subhuman scum.
RambleOn84
October 13th, 2010
2:17 pm
Cali,
So arresting someone with an outstanding warrant is something would happen “only in the South?”
I assume you are implying this is somehow racist…shut up and get over yourself. What should the officer have done? Ignored the warrant?
You care about this because you like him as a player for your favorite team.
But let me tell you something: coddling people does not help them. He needs to learn responsibility and accountability; people making excuses for him is how he got this mentality in the first place.
YELLOW FUZZ
October 13th, 2010
2:29 pm
BREAKING NEWS: UGA starting QB Aaron Murray has been arrested for transporting the bodies of 5 dead prostitutes illegally across the Mexican border for the purpose of buying drugs in his car without insurance or a valid driver’s license.
Richt has suspended him for the Vanderbilt game.
Just a reminder
October 13th, 2010
2:31 pm
The last arrest that occured and the player was kicked off the team, CMR was asked if from here on out there would be zero tolerance. CMR didn’t respond…there was never a definite zero tolerance policy established, therefore CMR is not going against his word. Arrest on failure to show up for a traffic violation is definitely not as serious as a DUI, a hit and run, or an assualt! I think the punishment is harsh enough and regardless of who we play, we aren’t the best team in the world right now and we can always use Caleb. He has proved himself to be the bet tailback we have this year! Someone needs to step up to the plate now.
Richt walks warily down the street with the brim pulled way down low
October 13th, 2010
3:30 pm
LMAO @ Yellow Fuzzy!
ugagrad74
October 13th, 2010
3:32 pm
I hate to mention this but when some of the champianship teams had a player that does something that reflects the program the whole team was punished. Some 30 years ago when a player got caught doing something wrong the next day the whole team had to run extra laps and sprints. You would never believe how peer pressure affected the rest of the season. Football teams are “family.” When one person causes a disturbance in the force, everyone suffers and suffers together. Right now the “Bulldawg Nation” has suffered, because these same problems continue. Well, it did include the top man, Daman. We paid him off and got him to resign for his behavior though……..
GT76
October 13th, 2010
3:58 pm
What gets me is the thug is too stupid to roll over and cover his fumble in the $%^@#$ endzone! Another dumbassed hershel Skiztzo!
I hope that most of the real UGA alums, students, parents. etc, know that King could have killed the offensive line with a machette and they would expect him back for the UF game.
Typical
October 13th, 2010
4:05 pm
YellowFuzz- I heard it was just the first series of the Vandy game. I mean c’mon, it’s just murder and drug trafficking! It’s not like he did anything to warrant real punishment. I’m sure Saint Richt will hold his hand and pray with him.
gtforever
October 13th, 2010
9:37 pm
Wow, more strict discipline handed out by Coach…….. LMAO, what a joke UGA has become…. Who would have thunk it?
Another One Bites the Dust
October 13th, 2010
9:38 pm
Glory all around…….
srcdawg1
October 13th, 2010
10:40 pm
it does not matter if ck is suspended for 2 games or the season. this guy will not make much difference on the field. he was beat out last year and has not lived up to his so called potential.this guy is really a very bad running back.
srcdawg1
October 13th, 2010
10:52 pm
YELLOW FUZ, my condolences to you. it was just sent over the wire’s. one of the prostitutes was id as mother YELLOW FUZ. my sincere condolences for the loss of your loved one.
Educated fools of GT
October 13th, 2010
11:10 pm
Yep 11 arrests, but thank God they haven’t lowered themselves to GT wannabee status.
Georgia Tech stupid before they came,stupid after they leave, home of the smug and pompous ass.
OldFan
October 14th, 2010
12:35 pm
Well it’s good to see that after 9 pages of postings, we’ve finally figured this one out. Fact is, there are a lot of stupid ways to solve this problem–from fire them all to forgive them all. But in the end, we’ve put CMR in a tough position. We’ve made the off-field behavior the reason for the on-field failings. But in sports, like most things in life, a thin sliver of performance doesn’t necessarily have a direct connection to morality. I’ve known a lot of brave and excellent young soldiers who still manage to do a lot of really stupid, sometimes immoral, things when they’re not in uniform. Maybe what we’re seeing are really two different problems. Just because they seem to have a common description, lack of discipline, doesn’t mean they have a common cause. If CMR’s job is to win games, then let’s hold him accountable for making these young men athletes on Saturdays. If his other job is to turn them into good citizens, then lets have the Athletic Dept and the Administration treat them as students. I hold CMR accountable to tell the right folks in the University to do their jobs as they would for any other student in getting these players minds right. CMR can be an example, but he’s still a hired hand with a job to do on the field. It’s the UGA leadership that should be determining what it will tolerate and what it won’t and than meting out the punishment. They need to step up and stop hiding behind the football coach. Let him win or lose games. Make them decide what kind of student shows up to play.
GR82BAG8R
October 14th, 2010
3:59 pm
Until Tech beats Georgia two years in a row, Yellow Jacket fans have no business talking trash to Bulldog fans. Until Georgia does something useful with all those 5 star athletes that Tech can’t recruit, Georgia fans have no business belittling Tech’s lack of bowl wins or 1-8 record against them. They both do, however, and it all does make for good entertainment.
patrick
October 14th, 2010
8:31 pm
ITS A TRAFFIC VIOLATION
I'm Just Saying
October 14th, 2010
10:09 pm
Does our lack of discipline ON the field have anything to do with our lack of discipline OFF the field?
Gary
October 17th, 2010
8:43 pm
Along with the game suspensions, I would suggest the loss of scholarship and earlier curfews, for those, who repeatedly break rules.
I am not a supporter of college atheletes drinking and, when they can’t do that, responsibly, they should pay STIFF penalities.