Herschel Walker weighs in on UGA’s off-field problems
Herschel Walker expressed concern about the number of Georgia football players arrested this year, saying coach Mark Richt has “got to take control” of the issue and the players “have to take responsibility.”
The former Georgia football great, who led the Bulldogs to the national championship as a freshman 30 years ago, was asked about the issue during an appearance Wednesday on ESPN’s “College Football Live” program.
“That’d concern me a great deal,” Walker said. “The losses, that is going to concern me as well, but when you got kids that got off-field problems, we need to get into and see what’s going on. Because when you got off-the-field problems, there’s something going on with that program.
“And I think Coach Richt has got to get a hand on it. I love Coach Richt. He’s a great coach, and there’s no doubt: I do not think Coach Richt should be fired. We got to find out what is going on within that program when you got 11 guys since March that have been off-the-field problems.”
Of the 11 players arrested this year, four were kicked off the team by Richt, one left the program after getting a six-game suspension, one got a two-game suspension and three received one-game suspensions.
“He’s got to fix it,” Walker said of Richt. “He’s the leader there on that team, so he’s got to take control.
“Athletes got to have responsibility,” Walker added. “That’s one of the problems I think athletes have today. They don’t want to take responsibilities, but they have to take responsibility. You’re in college; you’re not out in high school anymore; you’re in college. . . . If you got a problem, you got to be penalized. Now, Coach Richt does that, but I think you got to be a little bit more harsher.”
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410 comments Add your comment
34 Cent
October 21st, 2010
9:04 am
The only player Richt kicked off the team was the freshman scrub, after Richt and Adams announced the zero-tolerance polocy for non-starters. The other players were either in jail for an extended period or kicked off by Adams when he was campainging for NCAA Czar. Recall Richt’s star recruit at FSU, Randy Moss, who was in jail for 60 days for drug dealing and couldn’t go to class. Richt and his poppa couldn’t figure out a way to fix that one.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
October 21st, 2010
9:06 am
Herschel hit the nail on the head, that the problem is larger than CMR, it is the entire program. UGA is still living in 1980 while other teams are basking in more recent championships, which is the crux of the problem with UGA.
The entire coaching staff needs to be gutted, but there are too many politics, especially with Bobo, that this is not going to happen. UGA fans are just to arrogant to make any changes.
Roc
October 21st, 2010
9:09 am
Thanks Jiggy. Guess I’ll have to venture out to the local watering hole to catch it.
Scotty
October 21st, 2010
9:10 am
Tell em big H! Say what you will about Herschel you never heard of him having any “off the field” problems or trouble. Talk about being in the limelight; he handled the fame and pressure of being in the hunt for and winning the Heisman great! I also think Hershel would be a tremendous plus for UGA to have on the coaching staff, strength conditioning, running back coach; if nothing else his mere presence in my opinion would be an inspiration for the team! I have a lot of respect for the big man!
Hunker Down
October 21st, 2010
9:18 am
Everyone on our schedule wants to see CMR stay at UGA, it will make beating this ACC style football team easier.
M
October 21st, 2010
9:19 am
Wow, this guy is giving advice after bearing all in a magazine nude. Damn dude. Shut up man!
NASCDAWG
October 21st, 2010
9:21 am
OK, this is coming from am guy who had to leave early because he got an agent and recently posed nude. Though he was a great college running back there is not much else that he has done since. Talk is cheap, if he is concerned he needs to get his hands dirty.
dawgfan
October 21st, 2010
9:21 am
I think Herschel would find that Athens is a much different place now than it was in 1980. Just sayin’. You mean to tell me some of the illiterates we had playing football back in those days weren’t hitting parked cars, shooting off fireworks, or failing to pay speeding tickets? Yeah right. Get real.
I mean, Jake Scott drives a freaking motorcycle over Stegman coliseum and he’s a hero. Caleb King drives a scooter the wrong way down a one way street with no other traffic around he gets the “thug” tag.
Times have changed…
Vining Homo
October 21st, 2010
9:25 am
stremf, skrong. keeping it realer than a mofo
Smokewagon
October 21st, 2010
9:27 am
M – You’re a big man hiding behind your computer telling Herschel to “shut up”.
DawgFan
October 21st, 2010
9:28 am
Saban says Alabama is running out of fat white girls so recruiting should pick up at other schools.
Richard Dawson
October 21st, 2010
9:29 am
FIRE MARK RICHT.
Hire Herschel.
sav'h dawg
October 21st, 2010
9:30 am
Which one of Herschel’s personalities is making these suggestions?
Knute the "Rock"
October 21st, 2010
9:31 am
Chili’s on target………..put the next offender in the cage with Herschel and let the rest of the team know they will be next …….. if they screw up.
M
October 21st, 2010
9:32 am
Smokewagon, Shut up too dude. You can’t advise someone if “you” are in the wrong ok. I enjoyed him as a player. That was never the issue. Are you not hiding behing “your” computer??????????
Burger Boy
October 21st, 2010
9:33 am
Please excuse his grammar. Remember he did go to Uga and he was on the football team.
Bobby
October 21st, 2010
9:36 am
In Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge, if a player gets stopped by police, the player is taken to the coaches house and handed over with nothing else happening. In Georgia, they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Georgia has it right. Just makes it tough to have a good record though. Same thing happens academically. Players are protected academically at alabama, Florida, and LSU. No so at UGA.
Skitty Fritty
October 21st, 2010
9:36 am
Where is the outrage about Rainey being reinstated at Florida?
Jacket Queer
October 21st, 2010
9:36 am
Tech is number 1 buddy
Chief
October 21st, 2010
9:38 am
All we need is Burt Reynolds as the QB and we can round out the squad.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
October 21st, 2010
9:38 am
Saban says Alabama is running out of fat white girls so recruiting should pick up at other schools.
—————————–
That was funny
59bulldawg
October 21st, 2010
9:39 am
Bremen Dawg, just curious. Which athlete in 2010 should have been given a free pass? Seems to me what or what not was enforced in 1980 is totally irrelevent to today. Yeah I get that some folks think the University and Athens/CC police are targeting athletes these days. But I just don’t buy it and think it’s an excuse that doesn’t place responsibility where it rightly belongs . . . on the athlete. Not criticizing your point of view, mind you . . . just taking issue.
ACC Style Football
October 21st, 2010
9:40 am
I’d rather have ACC style football that includes 14 straight top 5 finishes, 2 National titles, first team to ever go wire to wire no 1, (ACC Team), than a conference with 2 teams that have 30 arrest each over the last 5 years?
Losing to Colorado was painful wasn’t it? The loss to Kentucky will be worse. hehehehehehe, GO NOLES!
Joshua Barlowe
October 21st, 2010
9:40 am
Nice to see Hershel still has that awesome UGA education. Nice grammar.
redpanda
October 21st, 2010
9:40 am
Hey Gator fans, check out this new website http://www.youarenothingwithoutyourcrybabymessiahtimtebow.com
Logans Run
October 21st, 2010
9:41 am
Notice Herschel said that he does not think CMR should be fired. That is the sentiment of almost all former UGA players. Only a few short-sighted fans that want CMR fired. Richt is righting the ship. He will be at UGA a long time.
Smokewagon
October 21st, 2010
9:42 am
Not hiding here spouting off M. What does Herschel’s pose have to do with his opinions about Georgia football??? Get a life dude.
tc
October 21st, 2010
9:45 am
It is unbelievable to see anyone critical of Herschel’s comments. I did not realize how many democrat bull dog fans there are. I am glad to he hear his comments. CMR is doing a lousy job and still should be fired.
dawgfan
October 21st, 2010
9:46 am
59bulldawg, I don’t think the police are targeting UGA athletes. They are just doing their job, something they probably weren’t doing back in Herschel’s days. You are freaking kidding yourself if you think this stuff wasn’t going on back then. Hell, back in the 70’s most people probably didn’t even know what a DUI was.
Criminole
October 21st, 2010
9:47 am
We lose 6 games a year, play in a wimmpy conf, cant fill up our stadium (ever) but we can still talk crap
magic
October 21st, 2010
9:47 am
someone need to tell Hershell that his hair style has played out to get with the program DAMM
DawgFan
October 21st, 2010
9:48 am
tc ,Bulldog is one word.
Smart like a Fox
October 21st, 2010
9:49 am
lol…he may be the dumbest person who ever ate a peanut, but he sure got that right. thats rich isn’t it.
Pilot
October 21st, 2010
9:51 am
Billy, Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
Schmeckdawg
October 21st, 2010
9:51 am
Why do you people think Herschel would be a great Strength & Conditioning Coach? He is definitely a physical specimen; however, he supposedly has never lifted weights so what is he going to teach the players. Again, supposedly all Herschel does is thousands of sit-ups and pushups everyday. Now recruiting, I agree with 100%.
Go DAWGS, drill the mildcats!!!!!!!!
59bulldawg
October 21st, 2010
9:51 am
Logans Run, you may be right about your “righting the ship” theory. Really, nothing would make me happier than for Richt to finally get his act together. But personally I still think it’s time for Richt to go and if that makes me “short-sighted” in your opinion, well then so be it. As for your theory, well there’s still a lot of football to be played this season and you may want to withhold final judgement til after the season if you’re judging strictly on wins. But even if Richt wins out, he still needs to address glaring problems with two assistant coaches and team discipline. Brother I just don’t see it yet.
jacket22
October 21st, 2010
9:52 am
Well Well after years of the same problem a couple of former players step up and say richt has to take control. Why didn’t they step up when this first became an issue? This isn’t the first year UGAY has had players arrested! Only issue here is that as long as the program was winning more than they lost no one cared how many thugs were on the team and spending time in Clarke County lockup, fans, coaches and alumni all turned a blind eye as long as the wins rolled in. Now that they have lost a few games everyone all of sudden wants to jump up and put their 2 cents worth in. We all know that richt is not going to change anything and take control of the program-heck he was the coach who instructed his players to storm the field and draw a penalty in the Florida game a few years back, richt has the same mentality as his players-they act like they are Gods and free to do whatever they want and no one should be allowed to stop it. Perfect example of richt’s discipline idea..”We will not tolerate anything further, our players should take responsiblity for their actions and if they don’t I think they know what will happen” Oh wait it was Ealey that got locked up-wait we need him on the team can’t kick him off like I did what’s his name that freshman linebacker who didn’t play anyway. If you institute a Zero Tolerance policy it should be ZERO, NADA, NYET in other words NO means NO. It should not be Zero for 6th string and a 1 game suspension for 1st and 2nd string players. But that is life at ugay..win at all cost and turn a blind eye to everything else..Her-shall ballet boy Walker proved it by waiting so long to speak up-and you idiot ugay fans applaud him for stepping up now and even defend his inability to speak comprehensible English and praise his ignorant ebonics laden quotes. VERY TYPICAL!!!!! THWG!!!!!!!!
Herschel Walker's advice for Mark Richt | ChuckOliver.Net
October 21st, 2010
9:53 am
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2010/10/21/herschel-walker-weighs-in-on-ugas-off-field-problems... [...]
david
October 21st, 2010
9:54 am
CLASSIC AJC BAITING. The misleading headline trying to give the illusion of a rift between Walker and Richt. Did Schultz come up with this?
Haha, I guess when no is buying or reading your liberal paper anymore, you do what you gotta do to stir up interest…
59bulldawg
October 21st, 2010
9:55 am
DawgFan, it really doesn’t matter what was or what was not going on “back then.” These athletes know right from wrong now . . . 30 years ago just isn’t relevent to their problems with police.
huckhound
October 21st, 2010
9:55 am
A reminder to the retards and non-Bulldogs (one and the same, really) that our “history” does not begin and end with the 1980 team. In the final 2007 polls, we finished Number TWO in the country. Thats’ not so long ago, dudes. What are non-Bulldogs doing on this board anyway. Don’t you have a team to follow?
Red Neck
October 21st, 2010
9:55 am
Which Herschel is talking?
What's Important
October 21st, 2010
9:56 am
I believe that listening to Herschel’s message should be more important than critiquing his grammar. His message is very simple, grow up, be a man and do the right thing. In his nude poses there was no frontal nudity (it actually showed less than if he wore a Speedo) and showed how an aging body can still be toned and beautiful. Herschel is a successful author and business man, so his UGA education cannot have been a total bust as some would like to believe. Again, don’t be so busy checking the syntax that you don’t get the message.
Barry
October 21st, 2010
9:57 am
Herschel is clueless. Most of these things are for stuff like “non excessive speeding” and stealing a $20 used scooter helmet. Just not big stuff.
It’s not the NUMBER of arrests, it’s the SEVERITY of the crimes that you watch for, and unlike Tenn’s players kicking a guy–leaving him to die, or Florida’s guy texting a death threat, Georgia’s errors are minuscle comparitvely.
Herschel offered NO SOLUTIONS, only CRITICISM. Should have gone to Richt directly, stsyed in house, no loyalty to Richt.
Lost a lot of respect for Herschel for throwing Richt under the bus.
SMITTYSTHEMAN
October 21st, 2010
9:57 am
Can’t believe the AJC would put this in their publication. To give headlines to someone who has done nothing other than carry a pigskin and can’t even speak clearly, what a joke. Coach Richt is the best thing that has ever happened to UGA, Vince included. All you bandwagon Dawg fans are pathetic. I would be proud to have a son under the tutelage of Coach Richt. Even the greatest of coaches go through down years. Has this been a bad season of off-the-field stupidity by a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds? You bet. But Richt can’t babysit 24 hours a day. He’ll turn it around. Good grief!
Tide Roll
October 21st, 2010
9:58 am
OK Dawg fans I’ll take my meds. As long as ya’ll agree to counseling. Tell the psychiatrist you’re in DENIAL. It will save the expense of an evaluatuion. UGA FAN TO SHRINK: ” Isn’t it neat that Coach Richt is allowing the players to grow beards?” Gooo Dawgs! SHRINK TO UGA FAN :” CAM NEWTON is at Auburn, and you lost to Colorado you moron.” Nurse come quick! No more outpatient treatment fo this person. Medicate and institutionalize immediately!
59bulldawg
October 21st, 2010
9:58 am
BTW DawgFan . . . you must not have been around in the 70s. I can assure you that DUIs were taken just as seriously then as they are today.
Mel
October 21st, 2010
9:59 am
Any kid who gets arrested should be kicked off the team. Period. Maybe then they would take things a little more seriously. They’re not children anymore. They’re legal adults. Time to act like it.
Thuga
October 21st, 2010
10:01 am
Cousin H is right! Some of the offenders today don’t care about shaming their family, school or friends. They do it the THUGA way. That’s the way we roll today. Back in Cousin H’s day if someone got into trouble there was going to be heck to pay starting at the top with the college and coaches and then on home to the family. Todays “player” is just that. A real player like we see getting into trouble in the pros. Maybe we have sold our soul to have a “CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM” at the expense of getting players who have no concern for representing the school and their families. When we are recruiting maybe we should look a little deeper than what happens on Friday nights with these kids and see what they do and how they act during the week. And what kind of family life they have. Used to be coaches had great influence over the kids. Not so much today. WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN You dawgs know what I’m talking about. CMR had the same issues a FSU. Just saying…he is a fine man but he’s in a tight spot too. WIN WIN WIN Face it, it’s a business today, it’s not about fielding a good team to represent the UGA. It’s about the MONEY!
Peace out dawg!
LucasOflaretty
October 21st, 2010
10:02 am
I’m glad to see Herschell endorsing Richt to stay on and continue coaching at UGA. Hershell should be hired as “MUSCLEBOUND” TRAINER and he should have all the athletes at UGA on spinach, just like Popeye.