Washaun Ealey: ‘I want to be a premier back’ and not ‘have to share backfield’
Washaun Ealey has not returned my phone calls seeking comment but Gentry Estes over at Dawgs247.com was able to talk to him. Here’s a link to that report (registration required).
Ealey
Ealey told Estes that the decision to transfer was as much his as it was Georgia’s and that the main reason he wanted to leave was not having to share carries with Caleb King, Carlton Thomas, Ken Malcome and, of course, incoming freshman Isaiah Crowell.
“I’m a person where I want to be a premier back,” Ealey told the website. “If I was to play here, I would have had to share the backfield with Caleb and Carlton also. Then they were going to try to give the freshman Isaiah his chance. He probably was going to get some carries at the beginning of the year too. I just felt like I didn’t want to be in that mix of things anymore.”
Ealey said the decision to leave “was best for me” and that he does not have a destination yet.
“I just wasn’t feeling the vibe, I guess,” he said.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
456 comments Add your comment
Contractor
May 10th, 2011
9:44 pm
The guy pretty much summed up the reasons Georgia fans have come to despise him. What a selfish moron. I love how his momma had no idea about all of this, but just wanted him to get an education. Guess she doesn’t realize her son is dumb as a rock and that just because he’s a football player, doesn’t mean he will get a degree. I never pull for kid to fail, but from the stories in high school about his intelligence and character, it’s better he’s gone and he’ll just turn into another person relying on the government. And my comments are not just my opinion, but backed by information from some sources I know that are pretty informative on Georgia athletics and even students that have endured his academic ways.
useless idiot
May 10th, 2011
9:45 pm
UGA is better off withot this ignoranot P.O.S. on campus
excessive celebration
May 10th, 2011
9:45 pm
I really liked Ealey as a Freshman. He really wowed me. It seems when these guys hit the weights they get really bulky in the legs and loose the wiggle along with the speed. I saw that with Ealey he just looked stiff. Hope he has a nice life and he knows what a great opportunity he just blew.
Osama is dead
May 10th, 2011
9:49 pm
and Washed up Ealey is gone!
Osama is dead
May 10th, 2011
9:51 pm
UGA needs a CJ Spiller.
Jack Wood
May 10th, 2011
9:53 pm
Talent and potential wasted by an immature man-child. A life of making bad decisions will probably continue for this young man. He got too big for his britches as my daddy would say. Goodbye.
Zero parenting
May 10th, 2011
9:55 pm
Good Riddance!
Slop the Hawgs
May 10th, 2011
9:58 pm
Its all Richt fault for not firing Garner who recruits these guys with character issues. Fire Mark Richt!
BobDawg
May 10th, 2011
10:00 pm
Moreno didn’t have any problem being a “premier back”…. He just never would go down and kept churning out yards. Ealey let the competition back into the game… Not the other way around…. Gardner-Webb would be a good choice! Then he could be a “Runnin Dawg”!!!!
Dawg1
May 10th, 2011
10:00 pm
Good luck kid.
Eat and Tweet
May 10th, 2011
10:03 pm
Mark Fox’s gives in and will let his playa’s tweet. Bad Bad move.
Mar Kees Latty mo
May 10th, 2011
10:06 pm
Washaun wont ever fumble again for UGA. Kik mo field goals. mooooo
Finger N Cider
May 10th, 2011
10:11 pm
What would Damon do?
ryan
May 10th, 2011
10:20 pm
Who in the world would say Ealey is better than Hershel are you kidding me Ealey did not win a National Championship Hershel Walker did Ealey is not even in the same league as Hershel somebody on this board is stupid .
ryan
May 10th, 2011
10:21 pm
Ealey sounds like selfish person all about me he had chances to be a premier back and got into trouble .
head scratcher
May 10th, 2011
10:23 pm
Would u uga fans do the same thing to Crowell? All over this kid when he arrives and now bash him because he want’s to be a starter. I wouldn’t want to play for UGA either. It’s been real
copper
May 10th, 2011
10:23 pm
lol, uga has had premier rb’s many many times over the years…as many as any team out there. the thing is, you’ve got to earn being the premier rb, it’s not just given to you. There’s some mid level conference teams you might find your niche in and be the premier guy…but obviously it’s not going to happen in the sec. there’s more competition around the sec than what you saw at uga. In any case, good luck with ur football and growing up and also owning up.
ryan
May 10th, 2011
10:30 pm
Head scratcher Ealey got into trouble and got arrested so now your defending him he did this to him self Richt had enough gave him chance after chance to straiten up .
cadawg
May 10th, 2011
10:33 pm
washaun got his bite at the apple and couldn’t get it down. i wish him the absolute best of luck, and i’m sorry to lose our best returning running back.
having said that, i think he had every chance to be a premier back and didn’t get it done; he couldn’t even beat out caleb king and carlton thomas, and that takes some doing.
good luck to mr. ealey, and bring on boo and IC. go dawgs!
freda
May 10th, 2011
10:39 pm
he runs away from this state
CHUCK UGA
May 10th, 2011
10:43 pm
Unbelievable. I expect him to at least be considering perennial reject dumping grounds Auburn and Tennessee, especially considering the lack of academic requirements at each when it comes to football.
Snoop Dawg
May 10th, 2011
10:49 pm
Waushaun doesn’t have the IQ to be a real college student. His IQ is in double digits. He is mentally weak. Do not blame Waushaun. He trusted the slickster Mark Wrecked when he was recruited as raw talent out of a podunk high school in rural poor Georgia. Richt totally failed in raising this young man and inculcating any physical, mental, physical, or emotional strength. As many have said, he trained up 4-star up to 2-star quality. All this time, we are paying this charlatain a cool $3M per year to drag one of the most storied college football programs in the NCAA through the mud. No championships, no discipline, no nothing. Why do all these homers pledge allegience to him as the naive Germans did to Hitler prior to WW2? Richt is a scheister ripping off the good God fearing taxpayers of the State of Georgia. How long must this BS go on?
Dylan
May 10th, 2011
10:49 pm
Ealey is at best an average back. And the sad thing about that it he was our best tailback last year. I mean half of his year’s touchdowns came in one game!! I wish him the best, but we’ll be just fine without him. Time for the other backs to step up!
dawg150
May 10th, 2011
10:51 pm
A damn shame……there is no I in team……had the chance to be the premier back….gotta be that back every day, not just when the urge hits……oh well, tough lesson learned by both parties……good luck down the road…..which ever road that is…..hopefully not that dead end street!! OK, who’s next? Door’s wide open guys……somebody needs to step in!!!!!!
CJDawg
May 10th, 2011
10:57 pm
A bunch of mud being slung at a kid here. What’s behind this? No need to pick on a young man that is going through a tough time. Remember when he signed? We all wrote great things. He has been the best back we have had these past couple of years. Don’t give me the Caleb King argument. He has had troubles, but in the early 80’s, we had nowhere near the coverage of every day events that we do now. I wish him the best. That’s all we can do. Come on real Dawg fans. He is gone. Wish him the best until we meet up against him. Then maybe, just maybe, just wish he doesn’t get injured. This is only a game.
CHUCK UGA
May 10th, 2011
10:57 pm
No one can win anything without running the ball. Several good points by Dave regarding the ineptness of the UGA offensive game plan. One way or the other, Mark Richt will not be at Georgia in 2013. He may have a decent 2011, but I doubt it. Probably an 8-4 and 7-5 type record. Either way, ythe disorganization of Bobo and poor game planning as well as lack of fundamentals (including failure to run the ball) will doom Richt. Hope I am wrong of course, but not likely.
dred
May 10th, 2011
10:59 pm
there’s no team in i
NCR
May 10th, 2011
11:06 pm
I don’t blame him. He sees the writing on the wall, with Crowell already breathing down his neck, and he hasn’t even got to school yet. Moral of the story is not load up at one position, because inevitably, somebody’s gonna get upset about playing time and leave anyway. Lot’s of wasted energy and recruiting effort.
Brogens Hero
May 10th, 2011
11:07 pm
Ealey want’s to be the man but he isn’t willing to do the things to be the man. I wish him well but I am quite certain that wherever he goes there he will be. He lacks the character to be the featured back. I fear that Caleb King is another guy who wants the glory but is not willing to do the hard work that is required to be the best.
Wtf
May 10th, 2011
11:25 pm
You guys care nothing about these players as people, but what they can do for you. Good luck washaun and GO Dawgs.
Bunch of selfish pricks living through the exploits of some kids.
Wtf
May 10th, 2011
11:26 pm
We need to ride or die with one featured back
GTBob
May 10th, 2011
11:29 pm
Can’t really blame Ealey at this point. Regardless of how hard he works or how well he plays he isn’t going to be the featured back. Plus he has Richt dogging him publicly. Why stay in a situation like that? Time to move on to better things, start over, and forget about the UGA days.
Dawg_fan_in_T-town
May 10th, 2011
11:31 pm
WOW!!!! wonder what he would have said if he was a “selfish” player!!!!!!
KD
May 10th, 2011
11:32 pm
I thought you could be a premier running back and still share carries. Mark Ingram won a heisman trophy, and he shared carries with other running backs. This sounds like an excuse.
GT Fan ...
May 10th, 2011
11:33 pm
It came easy for WE in high school, but D-1 football ain’t high school son.
So many of the kids these days, with their “ME” first attitude …. sad!
Bulldawgman49
May 10th, 2011
11:33 pm
Well Ealey I hope you show the other team the respect you showed a UGA NOT !!! That comment so you , Just hope you learned how to drive and hold on to the ball and let the real men play at GEORGIA So like a Coward. you are
.
bwell
May 10th, 2011
11:35 pm
REALLY!!!!!!!! YOU WANT TO BE A PREMIER BACK? Stay in school don’t miss tutor sessions, don’t get in trouble with the law, DO THE RIGHT THINGS! Stay in school and get a degree. Are you on crack! I pray that you have a change of heart and your parents talk to you because this is stupid. Also stay healthy. If you leave, where are you going to go? NCAA 2012 create yourself…… really now. Dude stay in school and compete no matter where you go you gotta compete silly. God bless.
LanceWeakLegs
May 10th, 2011
11:38 pm
“and Mettenberger hands off to Ealy at the Dogs’ one yard line, fumble by Ealy…” later, Washaun and Zach head into the bar district to meet some chicks …
sldkfjslk
May 11th, 2011
12:17 am
Comparing Ealey to Herschel is asinine. Herschel ran against defenses stacked up to stop him and he still averaged 5.5 yards a carry. The fact that Buck could periodically complete a pass longer than 8 yards was an oddity in the early ’80s. Herschel was playing against 4-4 defenses with a safety in on the line. Ealey plays with the best receiver in the history of the SEC and a pass happy coach in a wide open offense. Everyone knew Herschel was getting the ball and he still ripped of 5 yards. Ealey is a poor man’s Larry Ware, no disrespect to Larry Ware.
Drew
May 11th, 2011
12:17 am
Good luck, kid. Few things in life worth having come easy, but maybe you will be the exception to the rule.
John
May 11th, 2011
12:38 am
I totally get it. Tough showcasing your talents from the bench. The addition of Crowley pretty much assures that he will see lots of bench time this year. Good luck to you young fella.
Cherokee
May 11th, 2011
12:48 am
Hey, he’s just being honest. Just like Logan Gray who transferred to Colorado. College is your last chance to play football for most, and the only way to make the move up is to get playing time. So, might as well go somewhere where you can get a bunch of playing time. He is taking the easy way, but since it obviously wasn’t working out here for whatever reason, it does seem like the best decision for him – and despite my love for UGA, I’m grounded enough to understand that.
That said, it’s also good for UGA. There was too much baggage with Ealey to overcome here. Again, for whatever reason, there was just a bad overall vibe (to use an Ealey word) that would have been hanging over him and the backfield. Fumbling on the 1-yard line multiple times will do that, and it’d live in the back of everyone’s mind every time he touched the ball for us. So yes, this is a big – actually huge – win-win for him and us.
Not even close
May 11th, 2011
1:16 am
Sorry Washaun saw you play when you were at ECI in high school you made your name off of power & yes you did break a lot of long runs due getting pass the line, unfortunately that did not transfer over to the SEC.You have to have speed in the SEC which is a breeding ground for the NFL. Never proved you could run away from those defensive backs & you have suspect hands.
Did you even watch the NFL draft at all how many running backs were even taken in the first round, let alone the whole draft. Just get your degree & make something of yourself by using football to give you an education, also how many colleges can you transfer too that still run a pro-style offense that will allow you to be ” premeir back ” SMH
Jason
May 11th, 2011
1:22 am
Washaun, if you were already a premier back, you wouldn’t have to be sharing the backfield…but you’re not and you do. Wake up and take two doses of reality.
Daniel
May 11th, 2011
1:39 am
I say let him transfer to an SEC school so he can regret transferring when we beat him in his new role.
Ted Striker
May 11th, 2011
1:44 am
This is not a Ray Goff-Terrell Davis waste of talent.
This is a circumstance where Ealey had problems on and off the field and simply didn’t earn a place as a “premier back” at UGA. He can talk about “not feeling the vibe” however at some point in time, it’s up to an individual to create their own vibe.
All that said, Good Luck to Washaun Ealey. Hope he does well and hope he uses his athletic talents to get a degree that will last him long past his 20s.
LakeDawg
May 11th, 2011
2:09 am
Ealey will never be an “premier” back, he doesn’t have the talent. With the right attitude he could become a “very good” back.
Preston
May 11th, 2011
2:12 am
I wish the young man the best. I’m a big UGA fan but I have to admit that their has been a lot of questionable use of the great backs that we’ve had here at UGA the past several years. Ealey was, without a doubt, the best RB in Athens the past two years and should have been getting a LOT more carries than he was getting. Now with an unproven freshman coming in that will be getting a chance to prove himself early because of the year that Richt wasted with Moreno (he won’t be that stupid again), plus all the other backs that will get undeserved playing time (as usual), Ealey is making the right decision. I know he’s made some bonehead mistakes but he hasn’t done anything to warrant giving up on him. Good luck to Ealey!
Dirty Dawg
May 11th, 2011
2:39 am
Don’t know who’s advising this young man but they need to suggest to him that wherever he goes, or wherever he ‘interviews’ to go, and if he chooses to say to them he ‘expects’ to be ‘the’ premiere back, he can expect to hear in return – ‘Sure, if you earn it’.
Son, you haven’t ‘earned’ the role of ‘the’ back in this offense and until you are willing to commit to competing for that role you never will. Good luck, but you’re about to either learn a huge lesson about life, or you’re about to throw away your chance at a life you seem to want to have but are not willing to work for it. Sad.
michael
May 11th, 2011
2:42 am
ealey left early.