UGA lifts Ealey’s suspension (updated with comments from Richt)
(Updated 9 p.m. Saturday)
ATHENS — Washaun Ealey’s suspension lasted less than three weeks.
The Georgia tailback, suspended indefinitely from all team activities by coach Mark Richt on Feb. 8, has been “reinstated to full team standing,” UGA said Saturday.
That makes Ealey, Georgia’s leading rusher the past two seasons, eligible to participate in spring practice, which begins March 10.
“He’s done a very nice job of doing what I asked him to do,” Richt said Saturday night, “to take care of his business what I call the Georgia way, staying on top of things and being punctual and being prepared. . . . He’s done it with a very good attitude, and now I think he’s ready to integrate back in the rest of what’s going on at Georgia. I’m happy for him.”
Earlier Saturday, Richt said in a statement that Ealey will rejoin team activities Monday.
Ealey, a rising junior, was suspended after failing to report on time for an early-morning punishment run.
The incident was not Ealey’s first brush with trouble at Georgia. He was suspended from last season’s opening game because of an arrest for hit-and-run of a parked vehicle and driving with a suspended license.
“I didn’t think he was handling his responsibilities as well as he should,” Richt said Saturday night, referring to the Feb. 8 suspension. “When I felt like he was back on track, I was going to have him go back to doing what everybody else was doing.”
Ealey played in 12 games for Georgia last season, starting seven and rushing for 811 yards and 11 touchdowns. He rushed for 717 yards as a freshman in 2009, when he played in nine games.
His role could diminish with the arrival this summer of Carver-Columbus tailback Isaiah Crowell, a prized recruit who signed with Georgia this month. Richt said on signing day that he expects Crowell to play “heavily” as a freshman and possibly to get the first carry in the Sept. 3 opener against Boise State in the Georgia Dome.
– Staff writer Ken Sugiura contributed to this report.
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534 comments Add your comment
i've seen Lemay
February 28th, 2011
3:32 am
and he around the 205 mark,hear ar rivals measurements.
Pro-style quarterback
Matthews, North Carolina
Butler
View Map
Ht:6′2″
Wt:200 lbs
40:4.59 secs
Class:2011 (High
Stinger
February 28th, 2011
6:37 am
Let’s see, so basically he recieved a time-out and stood in the corner. Such terrible punishment. He’ll never be the same. LMFAO. What a friggin joke Mark Richt is. Did they go swimming together yesterday after the reinstatement?
proud UGA grad
February 28th, 2011
7:32 am
No matter what Richt does it doesn’t please most people who post on here. he kicks a player off he’s unreasonable; he reinstates, he is too soft. As the famous quote goes, “You can please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”
And as far as the fans from other teams,,,who cares what you think…go find your own blog.
sandman053
February 28th, 2011
7:40 am
@ proud UGA grad…I couldn’t agree more. I am so glad their teams suck so bad they have to spend time on our blogs…probably have email alerts set up
Buckeye
February 28th, 2011
7:43 am
kb,
There’s one in every crowd and you are it.
Another Monday at 6-7, on the bubble and storms brewing.
Jim
February 28th, 2011
7:59 am
Will it matter? They will still be the same ole boring Georgia team they have been for years, I would say 6-6 maybe 7-5 ..
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
9:05 am
Most of the comments are far too stupid to respond to.
sam
February 28th, 2011
9:08 am
I swear, those smart ass critics that bash whoever in here needs to look in the mirror…..Seriously, what do they know about foorball anyway…..likely, very little…….Remember your mother saying “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything”? This is a blog to comment about the article written and frankly you morons are making it NOT MUCH FUN to read….What qualifies you to judge CMR or any of the coaches….I get exasperated sometimes when a play doesn’t work but I love it when it does…………If your a UGA fan cut the crap, and get on board..If you are a pocher, move on to some other blog….Goodbye
jrmdvm1
February 28th, 2011
9:10 am
test post
Top Dawg
February 28th, 2011
9:11 am
That will teach him Richt! A 3 week suspension in FEBRUARY!!! Whata joke and we wonder why we need a change of leadership with our football program. Chris Peterson should be kicking off the season in the dome in red and black!
Ga Dawg 97
February 28th, 2011
9:13 am
Hey all you kool aid drinkers: sorry if losing records aren’t acceptable to some of us Dawg fans!
Jessie
February 28th, 2011
9:22 am
Ealey will transfer. He has been treated unfairly by Richt over and over. Richt picks on Ealey for some reason and was more strict on Ealey than guys like AJ Green or Murray, both don’t take the weight room seriously and play terrible in the 4th quarter due to awful conditioning. Looks like another case of Mettenberger, Gray, now Ealy, Richt never seems to learn that you only play the guys that EARN it, not those that are entitled or favorites.
Change or guys will keep transferring because they don’t trsut Richt to be fair.
Buck
February 28th, 2011
9:23 am
I remember when Ealey fumbled, he got benched, then when Murray had the 4 turnovers against Florida & 2 more against UCF, Murray got a pass.
Rashaun
February 28th, 2011
9:25 am
How come Joe T jumpin on ealey bout working out, when Ealey average 6.6 yard a carry in the 4th quarter, and lettin Murray go scott free, when Murray terrible in 4th quarter cuz he so out of shape? Ain’t right man, something not right in Richt.
Riddick the Furyan
February 28th, 2011
9:28 am
Here we go again….St Mark patting the stubborn on the head and everything is OK…..Are the Boneheads still in charge in Athens?
Mobile Dawg
February 28th, 2011
9:29 am
I agree with Sam, I don’t have much positive to add so rather than constantly bash the program I mostly read with amusement, frustration, and sometimes aggravation at how so many can overlook so much, sugar coat it and swollow it. We have a pretty good recruiting class coming in, a new OL coach, new S&C coach, new LB coach. How much difference can these guys make? Only time will tell. The thing that concerns me most is the mental approach the players take. Have things gotten so stale here that it will be business as usual, can CMR direct the change in attitude that needs to take place. It hasn’t been much fun being a Dawg the last several years for a lot of us that follow the program. I fear the Leadership isn’t up to the challenge, I can only hope I’m wrong.
Rashaun
February 28th, 2011
9:29 am
Da lesson is : don’t out perform Richt fav’s or he’ll make you msierable hopin you transfer (Logan Gray), or if you make a minor mistake, Richt will then kick you off the team (Mettenberger) or ove-react with a long suspension (Ealey, multiple times).
Richt is most unfair coach in SEC.
Jessie
February 28th, 2011
9:33 am
Barring Ealey from the buildings for 3 weeks, smearing his name in the mud, because Joe T “felt like” Ealey wasn’t working out hard enough? Are you kiddin me? Ealey 3rd in NCAA td’s in 4th quarter, and pops bout 7 yards a carry in the 4th quarter, Ealey increased td’s from 3 in 2009 to 11 in 2010, and Joe T jumpin on Ealey and assinin him punishment runs?
Skinny AJ never got no punishment runs for not working out hard.
Riddick the Furyan
February 28th, 2011
9:33 am
I want to take a nap on Jill Arrington’s chests….Come On Techie…admit it, the only chest you wanna lay on is ManBoobs Johnson
Mark Richt is soft on his players
February 28th, 2011
9:35 am
Everybody knows it and it shows.
Jessie
February 28th, 2011
9:35 am
What is about top 10 ranked QB & RB position players that Richt keeps messing up on? Mettenberger transfers, wins a National Championship at Butler, gets offers from most every SEC program after the drinking thing. Logan transfers. Now Ealey.
3 guys in a row? Are the guys the problem, or is Richt?
sam
February 28th, 2011
9:37 am
Rashaun, you call what Mettenberger did to that highschool girl a minor mistake? This is cherry blossom time you know, but why can’t you people understand anything………….
Cant Beat Gatauh
February 28th, 2011
9:37 am
Dawgs are so soft like fabrics softna.
Dallas
February 28th, 2011
9:39 am
Funny thing is, Richt’s usually wrong about the guys he kicks off or pushes towards transfer.
Ws Richt right that Murray was some kind of superstar QB enough to lose 2 top 10 ranked Elite 11 QB’s in Mettenberger and Gray?
Nope. Murray went 6-7 in his first season, Richt’s worst season in his 20+ year career. And Murray has yet to beat a team with a winning record. Murray lost to Florida, lost the Bowl game, and couldn’t score a TD on div rival South Carolina.
Joe Cox has red hair.
February 28th, 2011
9:39 am
Fire Dave Perno.
Rashaun
February 28th, 2011
9:40 am
Yeah Mettenberger’s deal was minor, why did LSU & Bama offer him a scholly if it wern’t?
Riddick the Furyan
February 28th, 2011
9:40 am
Jessie…Mettenberger’s problem wasn’t so much underage drinking as was playing with some girl he kept calling Chester and grabbing/telling her he wanted in her drawers
Mama he's a midget man.
February 28th, 2011
9:43 am
Aaron Murray will stink this year. This guy is good calibre for a team like Furman. He is not a good SEC QB.
Mobile Dawg
February 28th, 2011
9:43 am
Richt has seemingly made a lot of wrong decisions in the past. It just doesn’t seem that he has a good plan, system, pattern that he follows through thick and thin. He seems to “wander” in his decison making process which makes him look lost, weak as a leader.
Rashaun
February 28th, 2011
9:43 am
Dude you off man. How come Saban and Miles, 2 National Champ coaches, offered Mettenberger a scholly, unless Richt over-reacted to a minor thing?
proud UGA grad
February 28th, 2011
9:44 am
Good grief Rashaun…are you on the team??/How do you know Richt plays favorites…you sound just like the middle school mentality my wife teaches every day. They use whatever excuse to cry foul when disciplined..”it’s not my fault; you didn’t punish so and so; i aint’ did nothing” and the excuses go on.’ Always trying to find a way to justify bad behavior is the mnorm unfortunately for kids today…I just didn’t know middle-schooler posted on here during the day. Rashaun, shouldn’t you be at school?
Rashaun
February 28th, 2011
9:45 am
Murray ain’t no workout warrior, that for sho, but Murray don’t get no punish runs….ain’t right man.
Rashaun
February 28th, 2011
9:47 am
Weird why top 10 QB or RB keep leavin Richt–Mettenberger, split, Logan Gray, goodbye, Wshaun Ealey, out of here…who’s next, Lemay or Crowell?
Mama he's a midget man.
February 28th, 2011
9:48 am
Father Richt Flanagan wants Choir boys. Mettenburger wouldve have won uga more games last year. Mett just likes to chase stuff.
Buck
February 28th, 2011
9:49 am
Rashaun, you’re right, Murray can have four turnovers a game and add no weight gain and receive no discipline. Ealey got benched for one turnover.
proud UGA grad
February 28th, 2011
9:49 am
Rashun, Rashun, listen dude….where do you get your info? Are you the punishment moniotr?
Joey
February 28th, 2011
9:51 am
All Ealey has done is average more yards per carry, and more touchdowns per carry than Herschel Walker. Average 2x more yards per carry than Mark Ingram in the 4th quarter. What thanks does Ealey get? Punishment runs, and exiled from the facilities and suspended for 3 weeks.
Eat and Tweet
February 28th, 2011
9:52 am
Why is Thomas Brown not taking pictures of Aaron Murrays cheeseburgers?
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
9:54 am
Runningback depth chart after spring
Malcome
King
Thomas
Ealey
Pencil in Crowell right behind Malcome. They will grow up together.
King and Ealey will be the waterboys for them.
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
9:55 am
QB depth chart after spring:
Murray-will be clear #1
Lemay-will be clear #2 and will play more than one series per game this fall
Mason-#3 and will not play any
Brandon
February 28th, 2011
9:55 am
How’s this for future LSU line up?
Mettenberger?
Bruce Figgins?
Aaron White?
Washaun Ealey?
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
9:57 am
Mettenberger=Daniel cobb
figgins will be our 1st or 2nd team fullback this fall
White will play a lot at TE this fall
Ealey will be 3rd or 4th string RB this fall for UGA
If Ealey leaves, it will be to GA Southern
Brandon
February 28th, 2011
9:57 am
Lemay & Mason & Malcome will transfer, so QB depth chart like:
Murray (until he gets hurt because he ain’t got no passblockign rb’s)
Bingham
RB depth chart:
Crowell
Thomas
Brandon
February 28th, 2011
9:58 am
Future LSU dream team?
Mettenberger?
Bruce Figgins?
Aaron White?
Washaun Ealey?
Malcome?
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
9:58 am
Mason may leave but Lemay will play about 30% of the snaps this fall. Malcome will start at RB and he and Crowell will split the reps
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
10:00 am
Jordan Jefferson will be the starting QB for LSU this fall
Mettenberger will hold a clipboard
The other folks you mention aren’t going anywhere.
Brandon
February 28th, 2011
10:01 am
Richt already promised Murray & Crowell heavy reps.
schmeckdawg
February 28th, 2011
10:01 am
@ Brandon, what in heck are talking about?
Brandon
February 28th, 2011
10:02 am
I’m talking about a bunch of guys Richt don’t want, heading to Butler to win a National Championship, then transferring to LSU to join Mettenberger to win another one.
DawginLex
February 28th, 2011
10:03 am
schmeck,
don’t waste your time. He doesn’t have a clue. He is just stirring the pot.