Tailback Caleb King and two other Georgia football players won’t play in the Liberty Bowl because of academic issues, UGA said Sunday.
The other players are backup cornerback Derek Owens and reserve offensive lineman A.J. Harmon.
According to UGA, King won’t be allowed to play in the game because he violated the athletics department’s attendance policy by missing five academic-related appointments, while Owens and Harmon are ineligible for the game under NCAA academic rules. Those rules require players to earn at least six credit hours in the semester preceding a bowl.
Georgia plays Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The game will be the fifth this season missed by King, who is the Bulldogs’ second leading rusher with 430 yards on 80 carries. He was held out of two games because of a high ankle sprain and was suspended for two others because of an arrest for failing to appear in court to address a speeding ticket.
King, a junior, started four games this season at tailback. Washaun Ealey, who started seven games at the position, is expected to get the start in the Liberty Bowl, with Carlton Thomas also likely to see action.
Harmon, a redshirt sophomore, played in four games this season, while Owens, a freshman, appeared in all 12 regular-season games. Neither Harmon nor Owens started a game.
King, Harmon and Owens will be eligible to participate in spring practice.
The Georgia team reported Sunday to Memphis. Some players were delayed by weather-related travel problems. The team’s first practice in Memphis is scheduled for Monday morning.
366 comments Add your comment
auburn fan
December 26th, 2010
11:40 pm
Crowell has all the makings of a problem child. Injured much of the year and displayed poor spotsmanship in the playoffs. It doesn’t get any easier at the next level where you aren’t bigger, faster, stonger than everyone else.
charlie
December 26th, 2010
11:48 pm
Enter your comments here
MCG DAWG
December 26th, 2010
11:49 pm
auburn fan….100% agree with your comments. The kid has the makings of a PRIMA DONNA!
charlie
December 26th, 2010
11:52 pm
bu;; sj
it’s not Ohio st
Texas Wreck
December 27th, 2010
12:07 am
Let me say that two of Tech’s suspended players have their degrees and did not take enough hours to play in the bowl, which counts on the next semester. The other two did not make grades. It happens, even to PE majors at UGA. The worst part is that three Tech players broke curfew in SHREVEPORT- what the hell were they doing?? Let’s see if the Bulldogs find something to do after hours in MEMPHIS…… Eleven arrests and climbing…..Student athletes my butt…always athletes but few are students and Caleb is one of the worst offenders. Posts by RAID must have been written by the UGA Athletic Department since they can not say the word ineligible much less spell it.
Brooks
December 27th, 2010
12:13 am
Just as long as we have A.J. everything is fine. Ealey should be effective and Thomas can provide some fresh legs and quickness. Georgia just needs a W on Friday and then we can move on. 7-6 after the start we had is not that bad. King has been overall disappointing even though he has shown flashes of being a big time back. Crowell is a must get. Malcome is still yet to be seen and Ealey/Thomas won’t get it done. Can someone please explain to me why Georgia can’t land a 4/5 star receiver every year. Will be interesting to see UCF on Friday. Their QB worries me because he can run the ball. We have had serious issues with QB’s running this year. Like the Dawgs but could be a close one. Dawgs-34 UCF 23. Go Dawgs!
DaShawn
December 27th, 2010
12:32 am
Agree with all here. Washaun Ealey is a superb back. Crowell is prone to injury and does not even come close to matching Ealey’s records. Since ealey’s getting over 5 yards a pop, hand him the ball 25 times a game, and go 13-0.
Jim
December 27th, 2010
12:36 am
I think Monroe’s RedCoat is full of bulls_ _ _! I also think he has never, ever attended UGA and most likely has never even attended a UGA football game. Most of the idiots making all of these absurd comments have probably never even seen the inside of a college classroom and have no idea what it is like to carry the course load, practice most every day, and play football.
Ron Hyatt
December 27th, 2010
1:04 am
Live from Memphis, the Mediocrity Bowl! Ah, for the days when people would be offended by this crap. Oh, wait, the reason there weren’t 500 bowls 30 years ago is only because there weren’t 500 channels. People are Mediocre and crap.
Alan
December 27th, 2010
1:08 am
Caleb King will be playin’ in da NFL, Bros. King & my man Ealey make a powerful 1-2 punch. King top RB in the country. Complete back: block, catch & run as well as any RB in the nation.
Watch this on Caleb:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg7wA68MAVg&feature=fvw
jkb
December 27th, 2010
1:24 am
Can we please limit this to people that went to either school? Sick and tired from hearing from both the Wal-mart GA fans and the Nerds.
corey
December 27th, 2010
1:27 am
alan are you high
corey
December 27th, 2010
1:29 am
i personally think we offer caffey from gradey a kid who wants to play for uga, but instead we offer kids who we have to beg for and they turn into prima donnas LIKE CALEB KING..we need kids who truly want to wear the red and black
jkb
December 27th, 2010
1:32 am
Tech, give it up. Dang, you guys had it rolling as a basketball program and messed that up. Then failed to cash in on that “faux” National Championship team in 1990. What are you going to do with those slide rules now?
7576DAWG
December 27th, 2010
2:26 am
I hope that missing the bowl game really bothers King because to be declared ineligible because you didn’t attend class or a required meeting related to the subject is about as immature as it gets for someone either 21 or 22 years old. It’s not going to matter much for either King or Ealey if Crowell signs with UGA because the first and second string Tailbacks next year will be Ken Malcome and Crowell.
bitter tick
December 27th, 2010
2:27 am
celeb, sum it up in one phrase, another fine tallent gone bad!!!, this kid could have been close to perfect with great work ethic’s
did he every see hershal’s work out on youtube?????????????
my advise is to get a easy sl— that does not dammand much and concentrate on working out and having a great senior year yooooooo, PS just saying, easy boddie can set your mind right kaleb
Pago Pago Dawg
December 27th, 2010
2:28 am
We should say goodby to aj and king…they’re not real DAWGS!
bitter charlie trippi
December 27th, 2010
2:48 am
I weighted in at 160 pounds and won the maxwell award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PS just saying keleb
Morning Rush
December 27th, 2010
3:09 am
[...] >> Marvin West, Shopper-News: Vols’ Dooley 1-0 in bowls, has a ways to go >> Tim Tucker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Academics sideline Bulldogs’ King for Liberty Bowl >> Jim Kleinpeter, Times-Picayune: [...]
Mountain Dawg
December 27th, 2010
4:03 am
WGAS???
tennessee tom
December 27th, 2010
4:20 am
damn somethings don’t change,georgia is the best at doing less with more that any other school in the sec,think they have the # 4 spot in the league rapped up for yrs to come
7576DAWG
December 27th, 2010
4:22 am
Enter your comments here
7576DAWG
December 27th, 2010
4:31 am
What amazes me the most is these college players act like they have made it big time already and don’t have sense to realize they only have a few years after they leave high school to show how much they love football and want to make it their carrier with work ethics that they will need in order to play pro ball and when you hit college that is the time to really pour on the skills and really prove you deserve to go to the next level.
C-Town
December 27th, 2010
4:31 am
Steward-Ealey got thoses numbers in a weak Class A, Crowell is the best RB in the nation ESPN 150
Hit-A-Single-Stop being a hater,Crowell was the player of the year in Class AA, The game vs Calhoun he still had 94 yards with a 60 yard run call back….So whats the big deal about the game
Big dawg HF…Jasper Sanks was 2nd in rushing in the SEC in 1999,just under a 1000 yards….when has C.king ever led anything in the SEC? So Sanks was better than King..Sanks > King…
59bulldawg
December 27th, 2010
4:45 am
Caleb has certainly underachieved thus far at UGA. He’s not the back I expected when we recruited him and he seems to not understand personal responsibility in the least.
Bulldog Friend
December 27th, 2010
5:02 am
As usual, this blog is filled with negative comments about a UGA player. Everyone has a right to their opinion.
However, I do not believe that these negative comments, for the most part, are made by true UGA alumni or fans.
Buzz Me
December 27th, 2010
5:07 am
Caleb is no King
mambo
December 27th, 2010
6:25 am
Caleb King had every possibility to be a great player at UGA and has been a complete bust. His parents, if he has any, must be very proud.
GATA4ever
December 27th, 2010
6:25 am
The problems at my school just go,On and on and on…Yet,They still want my $$$ every year to watch this silly act.Something has to give and soon!Well,it’s NOT me next year!Some prime seats(4)just opened up.
JB
December 27th, 2010
6:45 am
Is it just me, or does our Current men’s basketball team seem to be struggling with this early, easy non conference schedule?
Jasper Sanks
December 27th, 2010
6:49 am
Looks like Caleb King will leave the same kind of legacy I left at UGA.
FedDawg
December 27th, 2010
6:52 am
How ironic….Tech fans on this blog last year talking about the Dawgs trip to the “Toilet Bowl” in Shreveport…Oh and don’t forget to drink the blue water…AF gonna kick that butt so hard your gonna have to clear your throat just to fart…
Dawg Town
December 27th, 2010
6:57 am
No big deal—UGA can beat UCF easy without king. Next year, caleb will be ready for a breakout year and lead the sEC in rushing Mark it down-GA wins the SEC east in 2011!!!
Paddy
December 27th, 2010
7:01 am
C. King no sense to go to college and get a degree if you can’t keep appointments. Either you will never get hired or get fired in short order. In todays economy lazy gets you sent to the house real fast. You will see very soon. Your days at UGA are fast coming to an end.
Caleb King
December 27th, 2010
7:17 am
thay said all i had a do wuz run da fooball. nobudy said nuttin bout no skoo wurk.
Glenn
December 27th, 2010
7:20 am
I mentioned last week, in the similar GA Tech blog, that I heard Caleb was also ineligible.
Regardless of which school/program these kids attend, I think these types of public announcements stink and should be reevaluated. Everyone has a Right to Privacy, and I believe this type of matter should fall under this umbrella. If these kids become ineligible, no reason why they won’t be playing should be listed.
Now before someone says these kids are getting scholarships so everyone has a right to know, I would counter by saying that Georgia has it’s HOPE Scholarship, which provides financial assitance for academics for in-State residents. While these kids have to maintain a certain gradepoint average to keep the “funds,” if they don’t, and lose them, should there be a public proclamation of their failures? I think not.
Criminal activities, on the other hand, fall into a different category. Unless records are sealed, names are public record…
UGA wins....AGAIN
December 27th, 2010
7:21 am
@ Dawg Town….wake up brother, you’re dreaming about the way Caleb King was supposed to be. He’s a bust….lazy, tentative, and can’t keep his academic appointments. He’d be a great JUCO back.
whatever
December 27th, 2010
7:24 am
So UGA will be playing in the TOILET BOWL with 3 fewer players?
Big freakin’ deal.
Answer man.
December 27th, 2010
7:31 am
It’s the Liberty Bowl, the important thing to remember is….hmmm. Can’t come up with a damn thing. Oh well.
War Eagle!
reality
December 27th, 2010
7:34 am
I’m not suprised. Those Underwater Basketweaving classes can be pretty difficult.
collegeballfan
December 27th, 2010
7:43 am
Look at the bright side of this. The integrity of the University is maintained by the Athletic Department. It is one thing to miss a game because of NCAA violations but quite another to fall victim to the university’s own standards.
In the past at UGA the desire for wins took precedent over the academic integrity of the University. See the Jan Kemp mess.
Both UGA and GT are sitting players who violated the school’s own academic standards.
A glimmer of hope remains.
dougmo2
December 27th, 2010
7:51 am
Hey bloggers, please use spellcheck.
Moonpie
December 27th, 2010
8:04 am
Time for Richt to cut ties with Caleb. He should be let go from his scholarship.
» SEC: Mississippi State disputes report Bailey off team John Clay’s Sidelines
December 27th, 2010
8:06 am
[...] Three Georgia Bulldogs will miss Liberty Bowl because of academics, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC. [...]
Corny Hull
December 27th, 2010
8:06 am
Hope we don’t read about Mr. Caleb King in 3-4 years being arrested for writing fraud checks, his way of earning(?) money. These type guys will look back in ten years and see that they blew a chance to get a degree. Running stadium steps ( if they still do it) must not work on the new athlete!! What a shame.
Poopdawg
December 27th, 2010
8:08 am
King has the rules don’t apply to me history. Talent evaluation errors have been hurting us especially on the defensive side . Malcolm should have played in 2010.
NoFKNdog
December 27th, 2010
8:09 am
What can I say? All of you so called dog fans know it.
Moonpie
December 27th, 2010
8:10 am
Cant pay a ticket and cant show up for class. What a model student athlete we have here?
gt
December 27th, 2010
8:11 am
This is not just a Georgia problem. This is the type athlete showing up at the door of Georgia colleges to play football now days. This is the reason the programs look like football teams coming off the bus but are more like chain gangs reporting to work. When you pay coaches millions of dollars with one objective, to win, they have to in their minds bring in these characters. I suspect in the Georgia case more is under the cover than just these sacrificial lambs. This local press, that loves to hop on the Newton or Bush , is like the husband talking of his neighbor’s problems while his wife is carrying on several affairs. Your work is at home and you are not getting it done. Either through pure laziness or the comfort of a good thing why shake it up you are allowing not only for this mess, you are allowing for some pretty sorry football too. I think the high schools of this state share a lot of this blame. Most of these athletes are not even at a 9th grade level of education when they are released to college. The same test cheating scam that is sponsored by and rocking the Atlanta public schools, prevails in most of the state and particularly in high school football. Grades mean nothing, testing is compromised for non and athletic type alike. If all the world was football or basketball, have at it. It is not, and the whole state suffers from this sorriness. The real test scores will show the brain is dead and so is the press in this state. I think we are in the low 40s with the cheating in reality we may be last. One thing I do know is dumb football players can’t be coached. Lipstick on a pig that is getting uglier every year ain’t working.
NoFKNdog
December 27th, 2010
8:14 am
Oh, where is the big mouth sucker duh double u duh? He, and the rest of you stupe dogs, can place your soup coolers straight on my big hairy butt.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!