UGA starting TB Washaun Ealey granted unconditional release by Bulldogs (UPDATED)
Washaun Ealey led the Bulldogs with 811 yards rushing and 11 TDs as a sophomore last season. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Athens – Can a team lose its leading rusher and actually become a better team?
The Georgia Bulldogs are about to find out. They granted Washaun Ealey — their starting tailback and an 800-yard rusher last season — his unconditional release on Monday.
The announcement was made in a vague, three-paragraph news release distributed by the UGA Sports Communication office Monday night. It was characterized as a mutual decision.
“Washaun and I have had several conversations in recent weeks,” head coach Mark Richt said in the release. “We both have come to the conclusion that a transfer to another institution would be in his best interest.”
Georgia officials confirmed that Ealey is academically eligible to play next season. Ealey could not be reached for comment so his next destination is unknown.
Ealey’s mother, Joanne Ealey, said she was unaware of this latest development.
“I don’t know anything about that,” she said. “I need to talk to my son.”
Ms. Ealey said her son had discussed the possibility of transferring to Georgia Southern or some other school in the past. She said she was OK with that, “as long as he’s getting an education.”
By granting Ealey his release, Ealey will be immediately eligible at a lower-division school. However, he would still have to sit out one season if he transfers to another Football Bowl Subdivision institution.
While the Bulldogs will be losing a productive back who showed flashes of brilliance, they will also be losing a disciplinary headache. Ealey was suspended at least twice in the last seven months and Richt was constantly on him to conduct himself “the Georgia Way.”
Richt hinted that relations between Ealey and the team were still strained late last month when he was asked about the him during a meeting of the Augusta Bulldog Club.
“Washaun has a ways to go still to show me that he deserves to start or even play right now,” Richt said. “He has a ways to go in my book. We’ll see.”
Ealey was suspended indefinitely from the team in February for missing an early-morning disciplinary run. He was reinstated in time for spring practice in March but was sidelined with a hamstring injury after only four practices and did not practice again. He was also suspended from last season’s opener because of an arrest for hit-and-run of a parked vehicle and driving with a suspended license. Richt was particularly upset about that incident because Ealey had assured coaches he wouldn’t drive while his license was suspended.
A rising junior from Stillmore, Ealey played in 21 games for the Bulldogs with nine starts, including seven last season. He rushed 1,528 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons at Georgia.
Ealey’s status as starting tailback was already in jeopardy. He was benched early last season due to fumbling issues. And the Bulldogs in February signed Isaiah Crowell, the nation’s No. 1-ranked running back prospect. They also return senior Caleb King, junior Carlton Thomas and redshirt freshman Ken “Boo” Malcome at the position.
Milan Turner, Ealey’s high school coach at Emmanuel County Institute, said he had not yet talked to Ealey but planned to sometime later Monday night.
Ealey was one of two players Georgia signed out of ECI in 2009. The other one, linebacker Dexter Moody, had his letter-of-intent revoked shortly after national signing day due to a major disciplinary infraction at the high school.
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483 comments Add your comment
Southern Comfort
May 10th, 2011
10:08 am
Nov 17, 2012. Your new head coach is in for a rude awakening.
JOHNNY D
May 10th, 2011
10:11 am
Maybe a good idea to retire jersey # 3 after seeing how the last 2 players faired with it.
Southern Comfort
May 10th, 2011
10:11 am
april,
Do your homework on Georgia and Georgia Southern.
It will be obvious who is in decline.
Southern Comfort
May 10th, 2011
10:13 am
Johnny,
I think I already saw it on e-bay.
Smith
May 10th, 2011
10:16 am
UGA won every game where Ealey got 20 carries or more. The only question is, why did Richt waste so many games where he didn’t give Ealey enough touches, especially when Ealey averaged more yards per carry than greats like Herschel Walker.
AltamahaDawg
May 10th, 2011
10:17 am
If Richt is indeed playing Saban’s trick as some claim, let me say……..coach, this scholarship strategy only works if you are OVER, not already short of your alloted players, big dummy.
As for Washaun, good luck kid. The fact your mama doesn’t know what going on with you tells me this was an uphill battle from way back, and 99.9% of those commenting on here, have no idea what it’s like to walk in your shoes. I think a change of scenery will be good for everybody involved.
red&silver
May 10th, 2011
10:20 am
Some of you have no class at all!
EARL
May 10th, 2011
10:22 am
gREAT MOVE FOR eALEY, ALTHOUGH LIKE LOSING METT LAST SEASON, IT WILL COST RICHT 2 WINS IN 2011, LOOKING AT 4-8 NOW. LOSING METT COST GEORGIA 2 GAMES, LOSING TOP RUSHER AND PROLIFIC SCORER WILL COST 2 IN 2011.
Mobile Dawg
May 10th, 2011
10:24 am
As has been noted previously, very few if any of us are close enough to this program to do any more than speculate as to why this happened. There are also to many questions about numerous areas of this team to know whether it’s a good move, bad move, how will it affect chemisty, etc.
I read with “some” amusement the comments about CMR getting serious about the issues that have plagued us the last few years. My amusement comes from wondering why so many of you have given him a pass on his “lack of performance”. If he’s “finally” getting serious, does that mean he hasn’t been serious about his job? I have confidence we are going in the right direction but it’s going to take time to rebuild this program. Thing I don’t know is can CMR lead us to where we need to be.
There will be strong indicators the first two games as to how the team reacts and performs with our “newly rededicated” head coach. No way should we lose to a Boise St team with inferior atheletes, talent, facilities, tradition, etc. In all honesty, IMO, we should come out and bury Boise. It’s just going to depend on how they are prepared to play. South Carolina will give us all we can handle, they always do.
Until then I won’t get my hopes up. If we win the first one, and perform well the second game, I may start buying back in slowly. These Dawgs won’t get my heart back until they prove they deserve to wear the uniform again. CMR deserves to be on the “hot seat”.
red&silver
May 10th, 2011
10:25 am
Some of you are also making the dumbest statements I have seen!
EARL
May 10th, 2011
10:26 am
Ealey scored 11 touchdowns last year. Caleb King was 2nd closest at 2.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:31 am
“Bama and Auburn are poster child’s for cheating.”
UGA fans are poster CHILDREN, not child’s, for remedial English.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:31 am
Well, with Ealey gone, someone else will have to step up and get arrested this year.
UGA: Winner of the 2010 Fulmer Cup.
schmeckdawg
May 10th, 2011
10:32 am
@ EARL
He would have had 13 if he didn’t fumble on the 2 yard line vs. south carolina and on the goal line vs. mississippi state! I’m glad he’s gone!!!!!
With Washaun Ealey’s departure, heat’s turned up on Caleb King, not Isaiah Crowell | UGA sports blog
May 10th, 2011
10:34 am
[...] lot of people may feel like the pressure was turned up on incoming freshman Isaiah Crowell when Georgia and tailback Washaun Ealey decided to part ways this week. I [...]
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:34 am
“Some of you are also making the dumbest statements I have seen!”
Well, they are dawg fans. What did you expect?
Chip Towers
May 10th, 2011
10:37 am
aprilglaspie: Ealey started seven games last season, including the last one Georgia played.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:38 am
“He would have had 13 if he didn’t fumble on the 2 yard line vs. south carolina and on the goal line vs. mississippi state!”
Which wouldn’t matter because they’d have still lost the games.
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
10:38 am
DawgnotinLex,
Count your blessings you are not in Lexington. I’d find you. Would not be pretty………..
Go stalk a girl or a blow up doll. Having a boner for a 52 year old man is sick.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:39 am
“Hey hypocrit idiot,”
There’s a remedial English class at UGA with DawginLex’s name on it.
ridly
May 10th, 2011
10:41 am
I agree with ryan on CMR showing some toughnes, but it’s NOT enough. Ealey was/is a problem, but there are others that are in the same category as Ealey and they to need to be dealt with as well. The young men are given a chance at an education FREE, along with other perks and all that is basically ask of them is to maintain a certian grade average, show up for classes and practice, maintain a certian decorum of behavior and discipline and be responsible for their actions. If they can’t do that then move on and CMR should help them move on. I guarantee you Coach Erk Russell didn’t put up with this BS. Time to get tough and show tough love. If it cost a season or two or three so be it. I respect CMR duty to God a nd his religion but somewhere you have to draw the line in the sand. TIME TO DRAW THAT LINE COACH!!!!!!!!!!!! If that is truly a comment by the actual Herschel Walker above, there will NEVER be another one like you OH Great ONE!!!!
AltamahaDawg
May 10th, 2011
10:41 am
Or Smith, maybe his average WAS high because he got a bunch of touches whe the game allowed, and didn’t get a bunch of touches when the other guys were shutting that down
Or maybe there actually is some magic way to force the game to go your way by simply the number of time you “decide” a player is going to touch the ball. That would certainly go nicely with your assumption that coaches just don’t want to win games, when it’s so clearly as easy as that.
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
10:45 am
Hey geez,
I know how to spell hypocrite.
The hypocrit idiot did not.
Geez, what a moron
red&silver
May 10th, 2011
10:47 am
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:34 am
“Some of you are also making the dumbest statements I have seen!”
Well, they are dawg fans. What did you expect?
Apparently you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer. You were one of the guys I was talking about.
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
10:47 am
Hey geez,
Fran Tarkenton called. He wants you to go change his diaper.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:48 am
“I know how to spell hypocrite.”
Sure you do. You just misspelled it in your rant.
“Geez, what a moron
Yes, yes you are.
Hey, you’ll always have 1980, though.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:48 am
“Fran Tarkenton called. He wants you to go change his diaper.”
DawginLex, do you have any idea how stupid you really are?
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:49 am
“Apparently you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer. You were one of the guys I was talking about.”
Guess the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top for you. I was mocking you.
JUSTAHFAN
May 10th, 2011
10:50 am
Wait,wait,wait,this article said Richt was on this kid to conduct himself the “Georgia Way”…..ahhhhh,isn’t that what he was doin?
CSI
May 10th, 2011
10:50 am
The “Georgia Way”? Seems that was the problem.
Richt – get a grip.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:50 am
DawginLex didn’t graduate from UGA. Most of the people blogging on this website didn’t attend UGA.
bigeasy830
May 10th, 2011
10:51 am
This is Richt last year, UgA will have another losing record. Anyone who thinks Mark Richt can right this ship is a fool. He can’t coach. He is depending on an unproven freshman to save his job at UGA. It is clear the boosters have gotten in his ear and he is playing up to them to try to save his job. After this losing season lets get a coach that will recruit good players with good character that fits the scheme on offense or defense and not just those with 4 or 5 stars behind their names on the recruiting blogs. We need players that want to play for UGA and get this program back to the top where it belongs. Every 4 or 5 star player should not be recruited by your program, they may not fit your scheme. Mark Richt and the rest of his staff are too blind to see that. This will be another wasted season, and hopefully the last for Richt and his entire staff.
CSI
May 10th, 2011
10:52 am
Ealy failed on the field mostly because your O-line and O-line coach failed.
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
10:52 am
Geez, I’m a lot smarter than you which is not saying a whole lot.
You don’t catch on real quickly to anything do you sport?
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:53 am
“Geez, I’m a lot smarter than you which is not saying a whole lot.”
You have the IQ of a carrot.
“You don’t catch on real quickly to anything do you sport?”
Says the gal who can’t spell simple words.
red&silver
May 10th, 2011
10:54 am
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:49 am
“Apparently you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer. You were one of the guys I was talking about.”
Guess the elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top for you. I was mocking you.
I knew exactly what you were doing! That’s why I was talking to you,that’s why I put your post with it dumba**!
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
10:54 am
Didn’t graduate from UGA?-Right. Dream on smartalec
Does Geez stand for:
GED Edumacation EZ????
How old are you son, 12?
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:55 am
“I knew exactly what you were doing!”
Yeah, sure you did.
“That’s why I was talking to you,that’s why I put your post with it dumba**!”
Gotta love women who pretend to be tough on a blog.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:55 am
red&silver panties, did you attend UGA?
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
10:56 am
Gotta love juveniles who post on a UGA blog like Geez.
Congratulations.
You win the TROLL OF THE DAY AWARD.
I’m out.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
10:59 am
“Gotta love juveniles who post on a UGA blog like Geez.”
So you admit to being a child. That’s a first step.
“I’m out.”
Oh, did the library kick you off the computer again?
red&silver
May 10th, 2011
11:00 am
Geez,arguing with a fool,proves there are two. With that being said i’m done with your childish antics.
DawgInLex Eats Idiots Sandwiches
May 10th, 2011
11:00 am
He really does…..hit that reply keep DawgInLex
Better Dawgs!
May 10th, 2011
11:04 am
UGA will not skip a beat! This guy caused us to many problems off the field and in the locker rooms. Not to mention he could not hold the rock. CRM gave him chances and he was not man enough to step up. KM and IC along CK will be plenty of horse power next season. Add Marshall in the off season and we are fine.
Geez
May 10th, 2011
11:08 am
“Geez,arguing with a fool,proves there are two. With that being said i’m done with your childish antics.
So asking “did you attend UGA?” is a childish antic?
Ok, so you didn’t attend UGA. Got it.
william dollar
May 10th, 2011
11:09 am
another looser lets the dawgs down. this looser will end up in jail.
pcb mike
May 10th, 2011
11:17 am
Didn’t Ealey do things the “Georgia Way”? The Crimedawgs are amusing.
Observation
May 10th, 2011
11:18 am
“another looser lets the dawgs down. this looser will end up in jail.”
Ah, more wonderful English eff ups by UGA fans. It’s LOSER, not LOOSER. LOL
UGA'05
May 10th, 2011
11:19 am
I believe it’s the Auburn fans who are obsessed with UGA. I mean, why else would they be on a UGA football blog? I guess they realized they will be receiving an ass-beating in Athens this year so they better talk as much trash as they are allowed before it all goes away.
DawginLex
May 10th, 2011
11:20 am
Observation i’m pretty sure the spelling champion is one of your own kind-A TROLL, NOT A DAWG.