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
Arrested Development
October 12th, 2010
12:21 pm
Asked if this reflects a new zero-tolerance approach to arrests on the football team, McGarity said: “It’s up to the coaches, but yeah, I think Mark has had enough. And he’s made it very clear to the players what is expected.”
Ralph
October 12th, 2010
12:21 pm
Richt lost control and respect for thUGA when he started recruiting lowlife’s, and that is what he was taught by the FSU CrimiNoles.
Only minor game suspensions of first and second stringers for being arrested during zero tolerance statements means the opposite. thUGA is a national joke.
JDW
October 12th, 2010
12:21 pm
So GTBob, I guess you never got a traffic ticket?
jimbob
October 12th, 2010
12:22 pm
Richt’s official discipline policy:
For Starters: Arrest = slap on the wrist
For non-starters: Arrest = kicked off of team
Way to go Saint Richt, way to teach those thugs you recruited some life lessons. If your a good player you will get away with murder, not so good players? see you later.
Arrested Development
October 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
See I told you there wasn’t a zero tolerance policy in place.
Wow
October 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
You UGA fans are absolute Homer’s. You will continue to see potential recruits of both good and questionable character continue to choose the surronding institutions that you all so envy. What 17 or 18 year old kid would risk going to school somewhere I possibly risk getting riduculed or @ worst going to jail for something such as riding a scooter w/ a helmet or on the sidewalk. Not to make it excuses, but these are young men growing into adulthood trying to make decent decisions. Who would want to come here a risk all of the above for the sake of giving you people bragging rights to an institution that many have never attended. Who cares about representing UGA just because one is from the state of GA, if overzealous cops and holier than thou fans are going to use a young mans transgressions to improve there own low self-esteem. Get a life people or analyze how FL, AL, AU, TN, SC, LSU, KY, Vandy, AK & even the schools in the backward state of MS laugh all the way thru the top 25 @ you people. Keep this up & we’ll hear about your program w/ NAIA type student-athletes competing in the nothing but December Bowls (i.e Emerald, Idaho Potato, etc…) BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR GEORGIANS
C King
October 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
I’m just an over-rated punk anyway.
crime dawg
October 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
CMR is coaching for his job this year, there’s no way CK sits Fla,or Aub. slap on the wrist and walk away. Thanks K-lab da king.
Mike Jay
October 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
Hehategator said :
“DUI and not paying a ticket is equal. Should be kicked off the team”
I really hope you are kidding? One of the above can kill an innocent person, one is simply dumb and lazy.
2 games is excessive compared to the punishment other teams are doling out for much worse behavior. However, When judged against all the other crap that has gone on this year at UGA it seems about right.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 12th, 2010
12:25 pm
I said last week that it will be interesting to see what Richt will do when a star player gets arrested. Well, that didn’t take long. Now I guess you DAWGS will find how much of what Richts will match what Richt actually does.
The reason the ACC COPS(hehehe I love that the ACC COPS) had to check Caleb Kings License becaus he would have to drive one of the Vehicles back to campus. See King’s brother didn’t have a license and that started the problem. Then the Owner came to get the car. See the owner couldn’t drive 2 cars at the same time. So the ACC COP had to make sure the owner of the car had to be checked to see if he could drive. Well King then had to drive one of the vehiccles back to campus. Right? Well that gave the ACC Cops every right to check is King was legal to drive the car back to campus.
DID I MAKE THAT EASY ENOUGH FOR YOU DAWGS?
Heheheheheh the ACC COPS busting SEC DAWG players! That is just too funny.
LAKE OCONEE YELLOW JACKET
October 12th, 2010
12:25 pm
nickj0321:
Thought it should have been death by firing squad….#4 will again be going north and south against that awesome jacket defense….We will crush him this year…..
Gallup Pole
October 12th, 2010
12:26 pm
Perhaps, the Athletic Dept should post a list of arrests that you can be just suspended for and those arrests that will kick you off the team….
extrapoint
October 12th, 2010
12:26 pm
I say throw the book at these kids. Of course, I’ll be asking the judge next week to be lenient on my little transgression. Somehow, it seems different when WE are before the Judge when it comes to punishment.
ToccoaDawg
October 12th, 2010
12:26 pm
This is fair. King knew to take care of this and didn’t.
MacAttack
October 12th, 2010
12:26 pm
I expect UGA’s players to be much stronger and more physical next year, with 23 hours a day in their cell they will have plenty of time to do pullups and pushups and should come out of prison bigger than ever!!!
woofn
October 12th, 2010
12:27 pm
nickj0321, there is and was never a zero tolerence…not at uga or any other college. There’s different screw ups that get different reactions and punishment. Kicking players off the team for dumb mistakes ain’t the route to take as it wouldn’t be for the average student in school. Obviously the more serious the mistake the more likely for more punishement.
Tom
October 12th, 2010
12:27 pm
So, how soon will the NCAA be interviewing the gal who loaned CK $500?
TheItalianDawg
October 12th, 2010
12:27 pm
2 games suspension is way too harsh!
GTBob
October 12th, 2010
12:27 pm
JDW, I have gotten plenty of traffic tickets and like a normal person I paid them.
johnny fontane
October 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
He was going to miss the next 2 games anyway due to injury. As usual.
astrouga
October 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
Argh…should have tossed him. I am tired of all of the arrests. He should have learned this lesson from the other 10 arrests this year. Isaiah Crowell is packing his bags for Bama right now — thanks King, Richt.
WOW
October 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
Rainey is back at UF
Ace
October 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
Was Richt pressured? Will there be another? How does 2-4 feel? Now that UGA football is the laughing stock of the SEC, is it ok to LAUGH ?
A True Dawg
October 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
It is a lot easier for those on here pointing fingers and judging a young man than what Coach Richt has to do. Caleb screwed up and is suspended for two games. He should not be kicked off the team. Missing two games and public humilation is enough punishment. Coach Richt is in a bad situation. He can not win regardless of what he does with Caleb. He can’t hold these guys down for 24 hours. The players have to be mature enough to make the right decisions. Trust me that Richt is on these guy’s butts. I for one do not envy him for one minute. Everyone makes mistakes and when one does hopefully it is well learned and not repeated. Remember, most of these young men are doing petty things. Not much different than any other college age young man. I do not condone Caleb’s actions and he needs to pay for it but on the other hand he does not need to crucified. I am am embarassed on what is going on. I think we all are sick and tired of arrests. However, let Coach Richt make his decisions and lets rally behind him and give him our support. It is a lot easier to throw a stone than get hit by one. I would think that 99.9 percent of those posting on here love UGA and want what is best. Coach Richt is a good man and a good coach. Bad things happen from time to time in all programs. Seems our program is heavily publicized and the press is making a mountain out of a mole hill. Back in the “day” when Coach Dooley was in charge, hardly any thing was ever documented publically. We had some problems back then but anyone that ever played for UGA knew the last thing you wanted to do was to meet with Coach Dooley or Coach Russell for something that you might have done that was “stupid”. I know I was scared and I think the rest of the team was as well. Maybe the fear factor is not as strong as it once was. I know today’s youth does not seem as respectful. A lot has to do with their upbringing. I can preach on here all day but in a nutshell give Coach Richt your support. He is the leader of our program and has accomplished some great things and with our support he will further his accomplishments.
Go Dawgs!!!
Joe Chapman
October 12th, 2010
12:29 pm
Welcome to the Police State of Walton County!!
5150 P.O.A.D
October 12th, 2010
12:29 pm
If the Dawgs do win the SEC east then we all know the SEC is really weak this year. USC played the game of their History to beat one of the best 3 teams in the country, If Bama doesn’t win the SEC west and the SECCG then their will be no SEC team playing for the MNC.
harold
October 12th, 2010
12:30 pm
GEORGIA NOW KNOWN AS “THUG U!”
Really
October 12th, 2010
12:30 pm
I personally think that he should have been senteced to death for what he did. I mean only 2 games for this terrible crime!
Bride of Chucky Knapp
October 12th, 2010
12:31 pm
Fire Jeff Schultz! He obviously is not getting through to this team!
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 12th, 2010
12:32 pm
Come on people this incident helps the coaching staff have an excuse to give us fans as to why we recieved another beat down at the hands of FL
Time to Die!
October 12th, 2010
12:32 pm
I am back and will be playing against you Dawgs.
5150 P.O.A.D
October 12th, 2010
12:33 pm
He Hate Gator imposter
I am glad you found somebody besides me to steal a name from and show your azz.
ToccoaDawg
October 12th, 2010
12:33 pm
Nicely put A True Dawg, Nicely put. This is just AJC wanting to stir up people over NOTHING.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 12th, 2010
12:33 pm
I mean UF is bringing back Rainey because they are nervous that the Dawgs may beat them.
just askin?
October 12th, 2010
12:34 pm
Would someone please address the issue of the SEC being the premier conference in college football if a band of losers like uga may actually come back and win their division? Don’t get me wrong, never gonna happen, but I just find it humorous all these dog fans slobbering over the remote possibility of winning anything in the sec. Let other teams win a conference they consider inferior and they love to laugh at the accomplishment, yet here they are getting a boner at the remote possibility of winning a deflated sec. Hypocrites!!!!! Just remember that should the stars align and you guys manage to win your division, you did so with at least three conference losses.
Jim
October 12th, 2010
12:35 pm
I believe in punishing players for misbehavior but you have to understand that this is a VERY important Bulldog player. It is not like he is some walk on or a redshirt – if that was the case he should have been kicked off the team.
You and I both know that Georgia cannot be a nationally competitive team if we are going to start worrying about character and honor rather than good players.
Some people don’t like it but the Bulldogs ARE Georgia. Without our wonderful football team, I bet only a handful of people would attend Georgia. That might not be right but it is the truth.
He Hate Gator
October 12th, 2010
12:35 pm
5150 P.O.A.D -You have actually been somewhat sane lately with your post. No need to steal your handle as of late.
late
October 12th, 2010
12:35 pm
i’m joining late but why were they out at 5am anyway, or were they up early for workouts?
Jim007
October 12th, 2010
12:35 pm
Two games for a second offense ?
What happened to Zero Tolerance ?
Georgia needs to get rid of Hyprocrite Richt Now !!!!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK
October 12th, 2010
12:35 pm
This is why the CIRCUS continues in Athens. King shows no respect for authority. Richt still doesn’t get it. Big changes coming.
Jim
October 12th, 2010
12:36 pm
Go Tech!!!!!!!
Sorry
October 12th, 2010
12:36 pm
Jim007 – there is no such thing as zero tolerance
Brett Farve
October 12th, 2010
12:38 pm
It could be worse.
chattadawg
October 12th, 2010
12:39 pm
as an aside, anyone else notice from the police report that the officer pulled CK’s brother over because he failed to turn right on a red light? i guess “probable cause” was the tinted windows.
Guy
October 12th, 2010
12:39 pm
Jim007 – please post the link that says Richt says that there is a new zero tolerance policy. Thanks!
Keyser Soze
October 12th, 2010
12:40 pm
Flat tire,
Do you seriously think anything going on in NE Georgia makes anyone in Gainesville, FL nervous? Perhaps gives them a good laugh, but never nervous.
GT75
October 12th, 2010
12:40 pm
Second arrest. Arrested for failure to appear in court. Arrested while picking up a car driven by his brother who is also his room mate who had just gotten arrested. Had apartment raided by police in search of stolen property. How many fine upstanding citizens you know that had all these things happen to them? Do you see a pattern?
browndog
October 12th, 2010
12:41 pm
UGA could easily lose to both Vandy and Kentucky so having CK serve a two game suspension is a big deal!
Pat
October 12th, 2010
12:41 pm
What an idiot. Caleb King sucks.
Ace
October 12th, 2010
12:41 pm
Let’s talk about the wins, crummy teams eh’?