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
Freddie G
October 21st, 2010
12:53 pm
Odell—-I don’t even listen to anything Buck Belue has to say anymore, I rather listen to Kevin Butler, Tarkenton,and Pollack. Buck believes constantly denying the problems help the program. We all want Coach Richt and the program to do well, but we have to say it when there is a problem. I appreciate when people like Herschell,Tarkenton and the other prominent Bulldogs who have played or have some influence speak of the problems.
Dawg Doctor aka Vet
October 21st, 2010
12:54 pm
In 1988, while still a player for the Dallas Cowboys, he danced with the Fort Worth Ballet for a single performance.
In his 2008 autobiography Breaking Free, Walker revealed that he suffers from dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as “multiple personality disorder”. He claimed that due to his disorder, he cannot remember the season he won the Heisman Trophy, let alone the moment. He also claimed that during one episode, he had held a gun to his own head. He stated he did not ever remember doing this. He is getting help for this disorder, and feels he has recovered by gaining back control.
buck
October 21st, 2010
12:55 pm
any one know where i can get a gram? oh, sorry wrong chat room.
IndyJay
October 21st, 2010
12:56 pm
I did read were Coach Richt, is taking a stand on something. If his players don’t Fumble the ball and Win the game they get to grow a beard!!! Way to take a stand Coach!!! Forget about the 11 arrests since March lets worry about Facial Hair.
Dawg H8R
October 21st, 2010
12:57 pm
Kevin Butler=who cares!
Fran Tarkenton=Pyramid Schemer!
David Pollack=Why is he so skinny nowadays?
Hershel Walker=UGA was the highest bidder!
Farmer Brown
October 21st, 2010
12:59 pm
The Pigs are targeting the Dawgs.
Pizen
October 21st, 2010
1:00 pm
The bottom line is that Mr. Walker is correct. CMR does need to get control over the team members and their off-site activities. And what Mr. Walker could work on is his diction, not his grammar. Diction relates to the spoken word; grammar relates to the written word. And all props to Coach Bill Curry and the Georgia State Panthers for a fantastic first year.
Dawgy Style
October 21st, 2010
1:03 pm
Why doesn’t the Pigs arrest Tech Players? They party too.
DawgByte
October 21st, 2010
1:03 pm
I have nothing but respect for Hershel. He’s a successful business man and at 48 can kick some major ass. When Hershel talks Georgia football, everyone in the program should listen. I support Richt, but Hershel’s dead on… Richt needs to get control of this team, instill discipline and stop babying his players.
Yesterday Pollack & Bell interviewed Richt and I did NOT like what I heard about Fall training camp. Richt’s excuse for backing off is to go into the season with as healthy of a football team as possible and he referenced the 2008 season in which 28 players were injured going into the season. My counter is this… if you practice the players not to get hurt, they’ll get hurt. There’s no substitute for working hard at practice and going all out. The second a player lets up is when they will get hurt.
The Teach
October 21st, 2010
1:06 pm
Country grammar is a way of life in the South. Like it, love it or leave!
Gail
October 21st, 2010
1:06 pm
Need to go back to athletics dorms. Or at least a football player dorm. That makes it a lot easier to know what’s going on, and I believe they had enforced curfews.
Fran T
October 21st, 2010
1:06 pm
Hershell, Come back for that last year of eligibility, I’ve seen the latest pics, I’m sure you could help us! Go Dawgs!
Absurd
October 21st, 2010
1:07 pm
DawgFan….how can Alabama possibly run out of fat white girls? That is the states #1 product!
Thomas
October 21st, 2010
1:12 pm
Some of you who are criticising Herschell about his grammer must not be listening to people on TV and Radio daily, and to some of our leading politicians. Were you all listening to the former leader of the free world, the former President Bush? This is America more than 50% of the population does not have a good grasp of the english language.
Leave Herschell and let him say what he sees as a problem, regardless of how he delivers it, he has contributed more to the university than all you hypocrites.
UGA72
October 21st, 2010
1:12 pm
I live in the S.C. Lowcountry, in the Charleston and Myrtle Beach Time-Warner Cable markets. None of the channels that carry SEC games are showing UGA-KY on their Saturday lineups. Can anyone tell me why, and does anyone know where I can find the game on Time-Warner?
CDAWG
October 21st, 2010
1:13 pm
DawgByte, you are correct. It is a double-edged sword whether a team chooses to be or not to be physical in practice. A Team has to be physical and intense in practice or they will play soft in games. Injuries are part of the sport. 2008 was a freak year. I watched a team do angle tackles every practice and through the playoffs. The result was they won the championship!
DIT
October 21st, 2010
1:14 pm
Wow, all the Herschel haters….. I see there are still some hard feelings on how he use to run all over the other programs. All he stated is the same thing everyone has. CMR need to control his players. The haters crack me up!
The Teach
October 21st, 2010
1:15 pm
@ Fran
According to my records , Herschel has one year of eligibility remaining. However, he must past the Compass test prior to enrollment.We look forward to testing Herschel. Thanks .
President Bush
October 21st, 2010
1:16 pm
Hey Thomas – Are you missing me yet? You know you are!
CDAWG
October 21st, 2010
1:16 pm
I am going to re-post this. I would like to hear someone, anyone’s take on this. CDAWG
October 21st, 2010
12:49 pm
I am curious, out of the 11 UGA players arrested how many were recruited by other teams? Alabama, Auburn, USC, LSU, UT, and the others go after the same players so why are they getting arrested at UGA but not the other schools?
coach
October 21st, 2010
1:17 pm
do any of you have ANY idea what we’re doing up here in boise??????
76-DAWG
October 21st, 2010
1:17 pm
Half to three fourths of the postings has answered something totally unrelated to the topic. For those of you that are under 20 , find a Disney blog. For those of you that are over 20 stop being so negative and pay attention to the topic. It shows your ignorance when you say the same thing on every blog. A lot of the negative answers make no sense . UGA is a big time college program and it takes years for changes to occur. The AD just hired a new Defensive coordinator. It will take at least 3 years to evaluate how good Grantham will be and where he fits in. I think it’s going to turn out that he is a great recruiter. CMR has proven he is a great coach with his record over the last 10 years. There are going to be ups and downs, that’s life.
Herschel Walker was a great football player who only thought of one thing . FOOTBALL. He concentrated , 24/7 on being in top physical condition and mentally ready for what needed to be done on the field and off. The reporter ask the greatest player in UGA history a question and he gave a very valid good answer. Leave it at that. He doesn’t understand how so many players have the time to focus on study’s, staying in top playing condition, get ready for the season or the next game, meaning learn the play book, and still have time to get into trouble. The UGA players who are getting into trouble are NOT 100% dedicated to UGA and the football program and have questionable mental focusing capabilities.
One thing that I think would help is to build a great Athletic dorm and make all football players live there for the first two years to give them time to adjust to college life and grow up.
Dawg Doctor
October 21st, 2010
1:18 pm
Herschel is a stand up guys.
harrick
October 21st, 2010
1:18 pm
he took my test but it was three strikes and he’s out.
Jenn Sergel
October 21st, 2010
1:20 pm
Herschel was misquoted in the interview.
parity
October 21st, 2010
1:20 pm
we are family….but some of us in the uga nation tell mom and dad EVERYTHING!
boog
October 21st, 2010
1:21 pm
I’m sure Richt appreciates these insightful comments from a guy whose never coached a down in his life. And only THINKS he actually has a clue.
DIT
October 21st, 2010
1:22 pm
CDAWG – Tough one to answer. Hate to think that they all went to UGA because they thought that they could not get arrested??? My guess would be until CMR can get the respect that Saban, Myer etc… can achieve, the arrests will continue. I’m a huge CMR fan, but as Herschel stated he has to be in control of his players. No, he can’t watch them every second of the day, but he has to gain their respect by demanding it. He needs to be more extreme in his punishments. That might even mean booting more kids off the team, depending on the offense. Just my opinion!
FIN
October 21st, 2010
1:22 pm
does any one have any clue as to what i get paid (with perks) to play on the uga golf team??
vince
October 21st, 2010
1:24 pm
yes, tricky dick and i were college roomates.
fire Richt
October 21st, 2010
1:24 pm
just fire this under performing coach…we will get nowhere with this guy. trust me on this. the UGA program has slipped further into being mediocre. it’s ashamed for the state of GA…
Dawg History Major
October 21st, 2010
1:25 pm
Herschel is the second best player in UGA history. Hines Ward is first.
Jim
October 21st, 2010
1:25 pm
Other Universities have had these same behavior problems before. It seems like they all come at once sometimes. If you commit the crime, serve the time. Otherwise, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!
fire Richt
October 21st, 2010
1:26 pm
Enter your comments here
fire Richt
October 21st, 2010
1:27 pm
just fire this under performing coach….the UGA has slipped further into being mediocre and irrelevant every year. what a shame for our state of GA
Coach Bobby Bowden
October 21st, 2010
1:29 pm
You watch what you say bout Mark Richt .I taught him everything darn thang he know, dawg gone it!
mark
October 21st, 2010
1:30 pm
sorry guys when i was looking at myself in the mirror i just didn’t see the blue and red lights and where are my red panties?
Taylor
October 21st, 2010
1:31 pm
Before people like Mr. Walker comment about the off the field troubles at UGA, they need to take a close look at the Athens-Clarke County Police and the UGA police. I have had three children go through UGA the last 8 years. Believe me the same things go on at other schools but they get brushed aside everywhere else but Athens Georgia. Tell Mr. Walker to go drive through Athens after twelve o’clock midnight. He will have about a ninety percent chance of being pulled over for some made up reason. The police in Athens are like the gestapo and it is all a money making scheme for Clarke County. I am not saying my children are angels but I am saying they were all good students, loyal UGA fans and now all three have succesful careers and two have families. You almost have to spend your whole time at UGA in the library or SLC to live in Athens for four years and not but subjected to the wrath of the Athens-Clarke County police or even more so the UGA police. For the UGA haters that don’t think it goes on at your school, you have your head in the sand.
mark
October 21st, 2010
1:31 pm
thanks coach!
DIT
October 21st, 2010
1:31 pm
76-DAWG – I could not agree with you more!
traylor
October 21st, 2010
1:32 pm
…you northern schools!
ESPN analyst
October 21st, 2010
1:33 pm
UGA needs to hire Bobby Petrino to turn the Dawgs around. He turned the Hogs around in Arkansas.He can do it.No mo, Bobo. Bobo must go.
Ellen Fix
October 21st, 2010
1:35 pm
I don’t get it, never got it, never will … but I thought going to college was about getting an education. never understood why all the hullabaloo about the football team (except as my husband informs me, the one real reason: MONEY). Maybe if UGA and every other college yanked all the $$$ away from the athletic department and put it into some of the many other worthwhile college programs, we’d have kids staying out of jail and staying in school. Shoot, instead of Saturday or Sunday football games, why don’t they televise the band or the orchestra or the science department putting on a show? These athletes need priorities: They are in school to get an education, not to earn fame and fortune on a pro ball team. Of course, it would be naive for them to prioritize otherwise than the latter, because they see dollar signs in a future football career. (Or, their grades and book-learning are so weak, it’s the only thing they can think of to do in their lives.) So if money is such a strong motivating factor, this tells us that they need to first be taught the value of a well-rounded education, followed by teaching them the role of ethical decision-making in their lives, followed by some innovative approaches to learning basic subjects, before they are allowed to pat the head of UGA VIII. Meanwhile, wouldn’t it be a refreshing change to watch the UGA debate team, or a life-painting class competition, or a student piano recital this Sunday?
coach shannon
October 21st, 2010
1:36 pm
we just don’t have these problems here since the cartel took over.
buffdawg
October 21st, 2010
1:38 pm
the legal drinking age in 1980 was 21 in georgia, 18 in south carolina
no
October 21st, 2010
1:40 pm
buffdawg, the legal age was changed to age 19 in 1979, then 21 in 1983.
The Truth
October 21st, 2010
1:40 pm
Is the Georgia football coach in trouble? His AD’s resignation (in spectacular fashion) certainly didn’t help matters. “Evans was in Richt’s corner. He was viewed as an important buffer between Richt and Georgia’s higher-ups, including UGA President Michael Adams … With Evans out, the game changes. Richt may have won 90 games in his nine seasons in Athens, but this is all about current events. The 8-5 season in ‘09 did not sit well with the masses.” The schedule isn’t challenging, so anything less than 9 wins would be a failure.
Ace
October 21st, 2010
1:41 pm
Most of the doggie fans I know say the doggie blow, even when I tell them they might win this week. Give it a few years.
GADawg43
October 21st, 2010
1:41 pm
I know these arrest are very concerning to CMR and i think he is stepping up with tougher punishment. Caleb gets 2 games for his deal and washaun only got a game earlier for a much worse offense. Im sure they are preached to everyday about making good decisions but you can’t follow these kids around and make them do the right thing. I am confident that CMR will right the ship with stiffer punishments. GO DAWGS!!!
CDAWG
October 21st, 2010
1:42 pm
Taylor, I agree with you. I have kids there now. They tell me how the police sometimes ask them in broad daylight where they are headed. I appreciate the protection but I too think they are a little over the top.