4:19 pm May 10, 2011, by Chip Towers
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.
News, notes and discussion about University of Georgia sports with AJC beat writer Chip Towers
The illustrious history of one of the sport's greatest conference as seen by AJC writers. Get it today!
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
456 comments Add your comment
tony
May 12th, 2011
5:51 am
NYCDAWGFAN, go to bed young man! Before you do, here are some encouraging words.
James 4:11-12
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
Colossians 3:12-14
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
James 1:19-20
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Coastal Dog SSI
May 12th, 2011
7:17 am
I don’t blame you, Washaun, i feel running back by committee doesn’t work — not a UGA for sure. I bet if you’d known each game that you were going to get the ball 25 to 30 times a game, you’d have been all world. May the best of luck and great football follow you all your life.
TNTDawg
May 12th, 2011
7:51 am
Good luck Washaun! We’ll see on Sundays in the NFL, here’s to your long & prosperous career. Try to win a Heisman and National Championship like Newton did after his coach Meyer gave up on him like Richt did you. 1 Coaches opinion of you is often wrong, as Newton proved. Go prove how wrong Richt was in evaluating your talent.
ED
May 12th, 2011
8:06 am
STUPID , STUPIID MOVE EALEY!!!!!!!!!
DawgyStyle
May 12th, 2011
8:46 am
Not too bright. Kinda like an average Dawg fan
IMHO
May 12th, 2011
8:53 am
ROTLMAO…”featured back”…..
IMHO
May 12th, 2011
8:56 am
TNTDawg
May 12th, 2011
7:51 am
…like Newton did after his coach Meyer gave up on him like Richt did you. 1 Coaches opinion of you is often wrong, as Newton proved. Go prove how wrong Richt was in evaluating your talent…
What an idiotic statement. Talent has zero to do with it. Character has everything to do with it. See Newton who was dismissed from FL for stealing laptop, not talent.
Tired Dawg
May 12th, 2011
9:38 am
While I don’t buy what Ealey is selling totally, I have noticed that the offense does “shoot itself in the foot” by rotating backs on a scripted schedule. Running the ball requires the back to “get into a groove” sometimes where he can feel or make cuts before the hole opens. I have seen running backs removed from the game after one or two good runs when it is obvious they are neither tired or injured. Power backs like to pound the ball, but they typically need more reps to be effective in their running style. Georgia will continue to have difficulty recruiting top backs with their present offensive mind set. Winning in the SEC is based on great defense with a good running game.
NYCDAWGFAN
May 12th, 2011
9:44 am
Tony: I can go to bed when I want.. Can’t you read my screen name? I live in the city that never sleeps. I am a Christian have been my whole life. I own a few Bibles so if I wanted scripture I could turn to that. This ain’t a church blog, this is a DAWG blog (my friends, you like the rhyme). Responding to my facts with scripture has just crowned me the winner of this argument. I’m not angry I just get irritated by folks who use free open blogs to waste others time and promote their own agenda (like you being a Bible beater). So if you want to address me personally again, please make it about football, I’m not trying to get washed by the blood of the lamb while reading and posting. Now go say your prayers and tuck yourself in:O)
Red and Black til Death
Tewilli33
May 12th, 2011
9:44 am
Let me get this straight, you leave a school that is known for producing good running backs because you want to be a premier back?! What NFL team is going to take flyer on a player with a problematic off the field history and me first attitude in this day and age? I just don’t understand this kid. Put in the work now and enjoy the rewards later. Oh well, he’ll learn the hard way as he watches his potential millions just go bye bye.
moedawg
May 12th, 2011
10:15 am
I want to be a featured back while putting forth “shared work.” In other words, as long as I can just show up in between my busy court schedule and run the rock I am fine! That team thing is not for me.
GymDawg
May 12th, 2011
10:41 am
So sorry Coach Richt didn’t support you Ealey. You deserved to have a coach behind you, since you were the #1 producer for 2 years for him #4 in the SEC.
There are a number of coaches that will be thrilled to encourage you instead of smear your name in public the way cursing Mark Richt did.
Like most fans, I’ve lost all respect for Mark Richt.
His days at Georgia are over.
Mean Machine
May 12th, 2011
1:00 pm
“Wasn’t feeling the vibe?” – I guess by “vibe” you mean nothing was going to be handed to you, that you would have to earn playing time. That you would have to do things the Georgia Way. That you would have to cowboy up and get tough. Washaun, you are like so many kids these days, especially blue chip recruits, you have a sense of entitlement, you are soft, and you don’t want to work hard. You’re a big wussy!
You can’t win football games with players like this. This has been a long time coming, keep trimming the fat Coach Richt. Get the softness out of this program!
DunceHead
May 12th, 2011
1:45 pm
I like how Richt decides his #1 td scorer on the team is the problem.
Holy Toledo, I’ve heard of dumb moves, but this one takes the cake.
Note to Richt:
Your #1 td scorer is not a problem, that’s called a solution. Hopefully Richt will learn the difference between the 2.
DIT
May 12th, 2011
4:02 pm
Looks like someone was a little afraid of some competition. If Ealy was a “big time” back he would have accepted the challenge head on, stayed out of trouble and work harder than anyone else to position himself as the best back.
I wish him well, but Ealy’s biggest competition is against himself in staying out of trouble.
Crunch
May 12th, 2011
6:00 pm
Ealey crushed the competition, had 6x more td’s than Caleb King. Let the team in td’s. He earned the role of premeire back. But Richt likes to platoon in guys who can’t score td’s.
JBack
May 12th, 2011
6:00 pm
Murray should be the leader and offer to rotate QB’s with Mason, Lemay, Bingham, and Marshall.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 12th, 2011
6:02 pm
GynDawg,
I think you are probably not qualified to say the average fan doesn’t support CMR. Do a survey of say, 1000 or so fans of UGA football and then share the results. I think you will find it is just a little different that unfortunately, you would like. Let me vote first and say, that I support CMR in this decision as well as in his continuing to be head coach.
Earshot
May 12th, 2011
8:05 pm
Actually, 55% of thse polled say Richt should not be the head coach again by the AJC’s last poll, havn’t seen one since. Until then, I’d say the majority won’t Richt gone.
Here’s a link to the survey of a lot of fans:
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/09/26/theres-no-other-way-to-say-it-mark-richt-is-in-trouble-at-uga/
Earshot
May 12th, 2011
8:09 pm
Over 10,000 polled, 55% want Richt out of here.
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/09/26/theres-no-other-way-to-say-it-mark-richt-is-in-trouble-at-uga/
You can see why, Richt is incompetant.
He has a fallout with his #1 QB td producer last season, Mettenberger, and this season has a fallout with his #1 td producer Ealey.
Ollie
May 12th, 2011
8:11 pm
I agree, if Richt thinks so much of rotation, Murray should step up and show leadership, by rotating with 4 or 5 other quarterbacks. I mean, why would Richt rotate running backs, and not QB’s? If the reason is to keep them fresh, limit hits, limit injuries, make them compete more, then do it for QB’s too, or else it looks like BLATANT FAVORITISM from Richt, and players will keep transferring. I mean with Murray’s 0-6 record against winning teams, he certainly hasn’t earned or locked down the position, you’d think he’d need to beat a winning team first? Richt’s not too bright on this kind of stuff.
Ollie
May 12th, 2011
8:15 pm
WHy is UNSELFISH for Murray to want to be the PREMIERE QB, but SELFISH for Ealey to want to be the PREMIERE RB????
dawgfaninbama
May 12th, 2011
10:54 pm
@Dave… If you are comparing Washaun Ealy with Hershel Walker then you are a F’n idiot. Hershel was the greatest RB in College FB history. Washaun Ealy could have gotten a 1000 carries and he would and still will bw nothing more than an afterthought. Hershael never fumbled going into the endzone either.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 13th, 2011
6:47 am
Ollie,
Mostly it is because Murray plays for the team and ealey plays for Ealey. It is a team sport, not 11 individual players trying to impress the NFL on the field. You win as a team and you lose as a team.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 13th, 2011
7:14 am
Earshot,
Was this poll conducted for fans or was it open to negative people as well who disparage UGA whenever they get a chance? Is that poll almost 9 months old and has another poll been conducted since? This is a new season now so let’s have a poll, on Sept. 26th of 2011, and see how fans of UGA feel then. This poll, however scientific or unscientific it might be, was conducted by the AJC, and Mark Bradley evidentially. Not exactly a neutral poll service although Mark has thrown a few bits of encouragement lately to UGA. Conducting a poll before the whole season is over, when the team is having a bad streak, and in the heat of that streak is a little premature and certainly not an unbiased one or even a fair assessment, given the time it was taken.
GO DAWGS
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
9:46 am
I agree, if not having premeire players at any position is thepolicy, why make exceptions for Murray & Charles? Rotate them too, or are they ’selfish’ for not rotating with 4 other players each game at their position?
Richt needs to stick to 1 policy, and be fair, feature premeire players at 1 position, or rotate 5 players at each position.
If Richt allows some such as Murray to be the Premeire player at his position, and yet rotate Ealey with 5 players 5-10x less productive than Ealey,
Then Richt is guilty of favoritism.
James 2:9
“Favoritism is a sin”
Sterling
May 13th, 2011
9:47 am
Hey Dave, You talked about WE’s avg./carry but you didn’t talk about the critical fumbles! Since you compared him to Hershel walker, do you remeber Hershel having game changing fumbles on the goal line 2 X’s in one season?
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
9:48 am
Earshot—
Right on, 10,000 fans surveyed, 55% want Richt fired.
Nuff said.
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
9:49 am
Murray had 7 to’s to lose the UCF & Fla games, he wasn’t asked to transfer. Why the double standard?
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
9:51 am
If you bench a guy after 2 turnovers, olike Richt did Ealey, why make an exception and not bench Murray after 4 turnovers in your #1 most important game?
Why the favoritism?
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
9:56 am
I bet Ealey would have preferred to be on the MURRAY PLAN
“You get unlimited turnovers without benching, coach will never say anything negatiuve about you or call you out in public, coach will not rotate you with other players more than 15 plays per season”
Richt has 2 sets of rules.
1 for Murray.
1 for Ealey.
gomdawg
May 13th, 2011
10:07 am
You earn a one back player and that you have NOT DONE, SORRY EALEY GO HOME A QUITTER.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 13th, 2011
10:07 am
android,
How many times did Murray handle the ball , compared to Ealey in the game or in a season? Somebody get a new circuit card for android here. His is obviously burnt out.
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
10:30 am
Murray wouldn’t have lasted past the 1st half if he played for South Carolin’s Spurrier.
Spurrier don’t play favorties, even at QB.
You throw multiple interceptions in 1 game, and refuse to protect the ball, you sit the bench, same game.
Guess that’s why Spurrier has surpassed Richt now.
chickenman
May 13th, 2011
10:35 am
NO ONE WILL MISS YOU… fumble some more a d2…. haha GO ISAIAH
AndroidKelly
May 13th, 2011
10:38 am
ESPN poll on SEC Coaches says Richt’s in most trouble of all SEC Caoches.
Kelly
May 13th, 2011
10:44 am
Ealey was #4 rusher in SEC last 2 seasons. 11 td’s in 2010. 5.5 ypc average.
Ealey was the only player that played with intensity.
He’ll be missed.
Dawg4life
May 13th, 2011
1:27 pm
Dave, I got news for you son… If ealey doesn’t like blocking, he can kiss his nfl career bye-bye. It has been obvious that ealey wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but really??? Maybe Tech will pick him up, they don’t have to pass block and they run the same offense as ealey did in high school. Maybe he could put a couple of more balls on the carpet in late Nov. for them.
happy warrior
May 13th, 2011
1:47 pm
So that’s why you stopped going to classes? Nice move, and where are you now?
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 13th, 2011
3:49 pm
Let me know when a poll is conducted of true UGA fans, instead of a bunch of fans of questionable loyalty. In other words, ESPN and AJC just open up their polls to anyone, negative bloggers included. Two days ago, ESPN had an article saying that UGA was going to surprise people and win the SEC East. Now that’s what I call a reliable sports news post.
The AJC article and poll was conducted by Mark Bradley, who has seldom been accused of favoring UGA although lately he has tried to be a little less critical.
old time dog
May 13th, 2011
7:28 pm
I don’t think any one back distanced themselves over the others for us to say one was better and should have received more playing time. I remember both Ealey and King having the opportunity to lay claim to the role of primary rb but neither could hold on to the role. Don’t think Richt and Bobo are at fault in that matter. That said, I have never been a fan of Richt and Bobo is just what he has shown. Both have been asleep at the wheel.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 14th, 2011
6:55 am
Gym dog,
I don’t think you have the right to say that most fans have lost respect for CMR. I think the true DAWG fan supports CMR and realizes that every year is not going to be an NC year and that the man is a good and honest coach. I think this team will be much better united as a unit this year, and teams win games, not individuals or coaches.
It Ain't Rocket Science
May 14th, 2011
7:17 am
Enough of the Ealey episodes. We are all giving way too much time and opinions on this dude. Let him go on his way and and maybe he will have some luck at his next school. I am sure there is someplace out there that can use his skill set and attitude.
Jon Kelly
May 14th, 2011
7:26 am
After Monday’s grades are posted Mr. King will be next! What a joke at UGA!
Papadawg
May 14th, 2011
11:41 am
What a selfish punk. Take yourself to Podunk U and maybe you can beat out some class C running backs.
Preston
May 14th, 2011
12:10 pm
Ealey will be at another SEC school soon. Book it! He’s got the talent to play anywhere, so Florida, Tennessee, LSU, and a slew of others will give him a shot.
SGA DAWG
May 14th, 2011
2:11 pm
If you want to be a premier back, then you should have been one at UGA and stop acting like a such a dumb a*s dirt road trash. Lets be honest here, he was thrown out by big Joe T for not doing workouts and Caleb King is next if he isnt careful. Guys we love you, we welcome you in with open arms, but when you act like you are too good to do workouts…….that pretty much sums up your career so far. All swagger, no production. Get your head right and good luck.
olddawg
May 14th, 2011
7:21 pm
good go some where else and fumble the ball on the goal line!
Yaz
May 15th, 2011
1:15 pm
15,000 fans polled on ESPN.
Only 17% think Crowell will be a premiere back.
Either fans are all wrong, or Richt missed this one.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/22684/biggest-sec-impact-player-poll
Hit & Run,suspended license,no show for practice,fumbles,etc,etc.
May 15th, 2011
4:49 pm
Even Heisman Winner Mark Ingram shared carries in the backfield.
Football is a TEAM sport Wahaun.