Another UGA tailback out; Carlton Thomas suspended at least one game
Georgia tailback Carlton Thomas, the Bulldogs leading returning rusher from last season, will miss the Boise State game due to suspension for a team rules violation. (AJC photo by Bob Andres/bandres@ajc.com)
Athens — There’s another reason Georgia felt the need to move Richard Samuel to tailback. Carlton Thomas is suspended for at least the first game of the season.
The rising junior from Frostproof, Fla., violated team rules back in the spring, three persons familiar with the situation confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As per Georgia Athletic Association student-athlete policy, Thomas has to sit out 10 percent of scheduled games this season.
The Bulldogs play 12 games this season, including the season opener against Top-10-ranked Boise State in the Georgia Dome. Most recently that has resulted in one-game suspensions, though Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity declined to specify.
“If we have any announcements regarding suspensions, they’ll be made at the appropriate time,” said McGarity, declining further comment.
Had Georgia not moved Samuel from linebacker to running back, it would have had only redshirt freshman Ken Malcome and true freshman Isaiah Crowell on scholarship at tailback. Neither, of course, has played in a college game.
Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, Georgia’s top two rushers each of the last two seasons, each have left the program since the end of spring practice.
Thomas (5-foot-7, 175 pounds) has played in 17 games the last two seasons, including one start last season against Colorado. He is the Bulldogs’ leading returning rusher from last season with 272 yards and two touchdowns.
Indications are Thomas’ infraction occurred before Georgia’s announcement this summer that King would be ineligible this season. Interviewed this past Friday, Thomas talked about serving as a leader as the most experienced member of Georgia’s backfield.
“I pretty much take it as I’m the back with the most experience, the most game-time experience, the most knowledge at the position,” Thomas said. “So I take it as a challenge to lead the group. That’s what I try to do every day. I try to be positive, I try to be motivated and try to give them somebody whose going to push them as much as they push me. We’re trying to get the best out of every guy.”
Thomas’s suspension continues an alarming rate of attrition for the running backs under the watch of position coach Bryan McClendon. Ealey was indefinitely suspended and eventually granted an unconditional release due to mutual discontent and King was unable to meet the NCAA’s satisfactory progress rule for fifth-year seniors. Now Thomas has run afoul of team policy.
No specific reason was given for Thomas’ suspension. A 10 percent-competition suspension can be applied for missing excessive academic appointments, arrests or flunking a drug tests. No record of arrests could be found.
Last Thursday, Georgia moved Samuel linebacker back to tailback, where he played his first two seasons. Samuel started six games as a sophomore before falling behind Ealey and King on the depth chart. He moved to linebacker and redshirted last season after a minor knee injury.
|– Chip Towers
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423 comments Add your comment
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
1:54 pm
Let’s see…….It’s mid summer, the violation took place in the spring. Did we just find this out? Was Crowell really as out of shape as was made out to be? For those looking for a bright spot, look real hard, I’m sure one’s there, maybe two, or possibly more. I think Boo could be a solid back, Samuel should be a beast too, if the Oline can provide any run blocking at all. The defense looks good on paper, let’s hope they’re not paper dolls. Special teams, none better.
Folks, we have the personnel !! Question is, do we have the Leadership???? There’s no place to hide CMR. UGA Insider, I think you’re wrong about McGarity. I can’t wait for this season to start, so we can answer the questions about CMR’s grit. We don’t question his integrety as a human, just his mettle to this point as a coach.
UGA Insider
July 18th, 2011
1:56 pm
Great answer DawginLex….21 years and counting……Now name or guess the number of members of the SEC who have won a NC in the 3 major sports over the past 21 years.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
July 18th, 2011
1:58 pm
This is so embarrassing! When did we start having so many rule breakers and law breakers on our teams? I don’t remember this so much with Coach Dooley except for the Jan Kemp incident. Coach Goff was so dull I can’t remember much about him at all. Coach Donnan could always run a good ponzi. Now, we have Coach Richt and he is beginning to be good for a bunch of laughs. A bunch of laughs. Embarrassing laughs.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 18th, 2011
2:00 pm
Realistically,
What were some of you hoping to see if this kid did play against say Boise anyway. He is a situational runner at best, with a small frame and average speed. He has basically been replaced with a team player, with above average speed and size. Did we lose anything for his 10% suspension? I think not.
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
Do I need to remind you of the barbeque Russ? Different times, different problems. I just want a Head Coach that handles the day to day business and runs an effective organization, top to bottom. I think for $3 Million, we deserve one, and will have one, one way or the other. McGarity will see to that “I believe”.
dkg
July 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
Tiger in the valley, I see you are from Westpoint/lanett. No wonder your comments are soaked in ingnorance. What is your prediction for Auburn this year. How is the investigation going for Auburn and what will you do when they have to vacate the championship? I predict maybe 4 wins. Good luck. You better stop looking over here, and pay attention to your own house.
Bark Machine
July 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
Your argument is absolutely false there Valley. Barking has been a tradition for a minimum of 23 years. As long as i can remember we have been barking at games. I was born and bread to bark all game long.
And as for the barking at a hurt player. That absolutely did not happen. Please post the video and send us a link. We arent scum bags, not even auburn would do that and you bought a player for a shot at the NC. (Reggie Brown Knockout a few years back at Auburn)
You better stare hard at that trophy bc its going away soon!
East Repeat
July 18th, 2011
2:03 pm
Delusional- Of course it is a stupid bet and no one should ACTUALLY bet their house on a game of any type. I used this analogy just to make Dawg fans think, “What would I do if i HAD to bet the house on this game”. I think most Dawg fans think 0-2 is more likely than 2-0. but with college kids you never know. It just looks gloomy for Dawgs this year.
Tiger in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:03 pm
You just have to love UGA fans. They for the most part, have drank the CMR juice, have this false understanding of where they actually exist in the pecking order of the SEC and BCS, have this forgetfullnes of when they actualy won their last title, count 4 years ago as a great year when they did not even play in the BCS championship game or SEC CG but think they were in the hunt for the national title with losses to USC, and Tenn., won the Fulmer cup last year, had a player accept payment for his jersey and get suspended for 4 games, lose a quarterback for unwanted touching, Richt fires almost his entire defensive staff, goes through 3 offers to DC’s before hiring a pretty good coach who gives the choke sign to a kicker, loses players to driving offenses, academics, and players leaving because the new(old) strenght and conditioning coach and he cannot get along, and now a player with unknown team issues is suspended for one game.
The 2011 schedule for UGA is the easiest it has been in years and yet UGA will trod along, lose the first two games, and the UGA fan base will be calling for Richt, Bobo’s head just like they did after the Colorado, MSU, UCF’s games last year.
And you guys wonder why everyone is laughing at you?
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
July 18th, 2011
2:04 pm
I had a bad dream. They announced the team and we were going to run out onto the field and Coach Richt was responding to criticism so he was going to lead us out and I was running up front with him and the players were behind us and coming through the tunnnel and we kept running and running and when we came out on the other end it was just me and Coach and some graduate assistants and no running backs and no offensive linemen and nobody knew what happened to them and why they never came out of the tunnel. It was a very bad dream for a little dog that’s trying hard to be a good mascot.
Sunshine and Rainbows in Athens
July 18th, 2011
2:05 pm
Forecast for athens is actually bright and sunny with a slight chance of rain.
Not Gloomy
Tiger in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:06 pm
Bark Machine
July 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
Your argument is absolutely false there Valley. Barking has been a tradition for a minimum of 23 years. As long as i can remember we have been barking at games. I was born and bread to bark all game long.
Is your mom or dad a HOUND DOG? Born and Bred..now that was a stupid statement.
Dumb@$$ in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
Tiger in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:03 pm
You just have to love UGA fans. They for the most part, have drank the CMR juice, have this false understanding of where they actually exist in the pecking order of the SEC and BCS, have this forgetfullnes of when they actualy won their last title, count 4 years ago as a great year when they did not even play in the BCS championship game or SEC CG but think they were in the hunt for the national title with losses to USC, and Tenn., won the Fulmer cup last year, had a player accept payment for his jersey and get suspended for 4 games, lose a quarterback for unwanted touching, Richt fires almost his entire defensive staff, goes through 3 offers to DC’s before hiring a pretty good coach who gives the choke sign to a kicker, loses players to driving offenses, academics, and players leaving because the new(old) strenght and conditioning coach and he cannot get along, and now a player with unknown team issues is suspended for one game.
The 2011 schedule for UGA is the easiest it has been in years and yet UGA will trod along, lose the first two games, and the UGA fan base will be calling for Richt, Bobo’s head just like they did after the Colorado, MSU, UCF’s games last year.
And you guys wonder why everyone is laughing at you?
Correction. We are all laughing at you thinking Auburn deserves anything. You cheated for the title and now you have no one left on your team.
Auburn = bottom feeder of SEC West in 2011-2012. You will be lucky to get a bowl game moron.
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
Tell us how you really feel Tiger, unfortuately you are mostly right. I plead guilty.
DawginLex
July 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
Insider
Every school in the SEC has won a major title in one of the three big sports except us, Vandy, Miss St and Ole Miss so 8 out of 12?
Contractor
July 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
Die hard Georgia fan here, and I also believe the barking by most fans is retarded outside of the kickoff chants. Georgia does have a lot of lower level intelligence and lower moral fans, and it shows as they are the ones barking at everything, and bringing down an otherwise respectful fan base. I did not attend Georgia, but I have pulled for them since I was five years old. I also understand Georgia is a state school, and that anyone and everyone will claim to be a fan, but it’s the ones that respect the school and treat others with respect that are the true fans. But Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina fans have no room to talk about being respectful. Ole Miss is the only school I have been to a game at where the fans were genuinely nice and cared about treating other fans nicely every single time.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
July 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
Last year I met the Okra Festival Queen. She is a student at UGA and she was very nice to me. She was wearing a real nice hat that looked like a piece of fried okra. At halftime she spoke to the crowd and urged them to eat okra and never drive while drunk. It was a good day of UGA football.
suwanee dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:09 pm
As always, I find it interesting for other fans to post blogs on articles about UGA. I think folks need to get a life.
Dumb@$$ in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:09 pm
Tiger in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:06 pm
Bark Machine
July 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
Your argument is absolutely false there Valley. Barking has been a tradition for a minimum of 23 years. As long as i can remember we have been barking at games. I was born and bread to bark all game long.
Is your mom or dad a HOUND DOG? Born and Bred..now that was a stupid statement.
No actually it means I am a fan, always have been and always will. But wouldnt expect an idiot form Alabama to get that.
DawginLex
July 18th, 2011
2:12 pm
Insider
Football:
florida-3
alabama-2
Auburn-1
LSU-2
Basketball
Kentucky-2
Florida-2
Arkansas-1
Baseball
LSU-5??
SC-2
Dumb@$$ in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:12 pm
Got anymore UGA traditions you would like to tell us we have all wrong??? Since youre so knowledgable about what our traditions are and how our teams works???
Please we are all waiting for your next pearl of wisdom!
AltamahaDawg
July 18th, 2011
2:13 pm
If you are saying the entire staduim full of Georgia fans did not sit quietly and reflect every second that a WI player was hurt, then yes, I’m sure that you have videotape of that. As I recall we were beating up on them pretty big and I remember us being quite rowdy (until it got boring by such a blowout). But your assertion that UGA fans have so much less class than your beloved tigers, you are full of crap. Tell your freinds to grow a pair, if they were “embarrased”.
And I’m sure every Auburn fans was holding thier hats and praying that Murray was going to be fine at the barn this past year.
“embarrased the entire conference” Drama queen much?
DawginLex
July 18th, 2011
2:13 pm
Football-UT-1998 also
PT
July 18th, 2011
2:13 pm
Ahh yes, things might be turning around in Athens. Considering the depth at tailback, this situation should get the players attention.
WDE
July 18th, 2011
2:14 pm
@Tiger in the Valley what troll truck did you fall off of? Got two words for you you ol’cow tipper you…Tick Tock…you have to ask yourself troll if the NCAA will blow up Tech over 312 bucks..what might they do to a program that’s in at least 180K ??
SCFAN
July 18th, 2011
2:15 pm
272 yards and 2 touch downs and that’s your leading rusher from last season?? Can’t wait until South Carolina comes to town. Hey any of you dog fans have any tickets for the SC game you want to get rid of????
DawginLex
July 18th, 2011
2:17 pm
SCFAN
We will have a running back who is capable playing for us. Not as good as Lattimore but capable.
Good luck keeping your QB sober. He is the key to your season.
Does that kinda send cold chills up your spine????
Winder
July 18th, 2011
2:18 pm
I think it is a mistake by the AD to suspend him for the Boise game and not the Coastal Carollina game. I don’t care what the hand book says. We need a W.
Pat
July 18th, 2011
2:18 pm
Tailback U!
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:19 pm
Anyone who looks at the Dawgs on paper has plenty of reason to fear this team. SCFAN, ever faced an angry, scared Dawg backed into a corner?
Bronco Billy
July 18th, 2011
2:20 pm
Doesn’t matter. UGA is still going to lose to Boise because you are so concerned at South Carolina.
PTC DAWG
July 18th, 2011
2:20 pm
This paper didn’t even know GT was under investigation for obfuscating an Ncaa inquiry….but they can scoop this? Brilliant I say.
Tiger in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:20 pm
Well say that then, instead of being ‘ Born and Bred to bark’..that was just stupid.
Now onto my Auburn Tigers.
I am not stupid, I have read the articles, know an investigation is going on. If we did anything wrong then I will be the first in line to say the title goes back, the championship is removed from the record books. I want to see these 4 players go to jail for robbing fellow Auburn Students and I believe in getting one chance to do it right then you are done. The players at every school are ambassadors for our schools and if they embarrass our schools they need to be dealt with publicly just as they publicly did it to the school.
I do not agree with the way things are done at Auburn and never will as long as Bobby Lowder or his cronies are running things. As a graduate from many many years ago, I have seen the problems that take place when a core group of alumni treat the program as a semi pro team and they are the owners, general managers of it. It is not good for any school when that happens.
I will take the punishment if it is ever handed out, but as of today it is all rumors we live with daily and that is all it is.
It is just a break today from all the Auburn bashing when UGA or the Updykes get into issues that affect their program.
I mean no ill will toward anyone, it was all in fun.
However the barking at injured players did occur at The Outback bowl and I was at the Sugar Bowl for UGA’s title and there was no barking back then.
I was embarrassed when our folks turned the Hoses on UGA fans a few years back and that was unacceptable as well.
D-MAN
July 18th, 2011
2:20 pm
Like losing Thomas for Boise really hurts us,what a friggin joke! 200 plus blogs,get a dad gum life folks!
Pat II
July 18th, 2011
2:21 pm
More like “Tailback U-turn”!
84-88-vol-rcvr
July 18th, 2011
2:21 pm
UGA used to be a respectable program…. Richt is a good coach…No one was saying get rid of him when the miami job was open…. They just got some knuckhead players who were knuckleheads b4 they got to UGA…. The potential is there…. just look at the UGA players in the pros….
RedandBlackDAWG
July 18th, 2011
2:23 pm
So, let me see if I have this right. CMR doesn’t control his team. No wait, make that CMR is a bad coach because he suspends players for not doing what is required of them. Where in any rule book does it say, that the football coach will babysit these players and make them attend class, have a valid drivers license or any of the other things some of the players did? Don’t give me that crap that it is the players UGA recruits when most of the other schools tried to recruit them as well and lost out to UGA. I know some other schools hide their players misdeeds a little better, but CMR doesn’t. I guess in some peoples minds, this makes him a lousy coach. Maybe some of you would prefer we go the route of Miami, or even end up a year later on the NCAA radar, like the Lily of the Valley’s school does. Yes, UGA wound up winning the mythical Fulmer cup with a total of 21 points last year. Already this year, Auburn has 81 and Florida has 15, and FSU has 8 and a few other schools will soon pass what UGA had for the whole year. Does this make these leaders or their schools coaches bad and inadquate people? UGA is making sure that these players follow the rules and CMR should be commended for that, not put down. Every school has discipline problems, it is just how well they chose to punish them. CMR is sending a clear message out to the players, to either conform to the rules or ride the pine for however long is neccesary. Blame him if you wish, but I respect him a lot more for doing that, than say a coach of another team, that let’s a guy get into trouble 5 different times with civil as well as team violations and he still chooses him over someone else, because his wins are more valuable than team integrity. If enough players ride the pine, it will sink in and UGA will be a better team for it.
SCFAN
July 18th, 2011
2:23 pm
Hey DawginLex
We have a Georgia boy from Flowery Branch H/S (Conner Shaw) who will be running our O, not the drunk Garcia……
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:24 pm
Tiger, I was treated very well at AU last year, with the exception of one drunk, and some of my Auburn friends took care of him. I personally wish your program the best of luck, only game’s I hope you lose are to UGA. Noticed the plural. Doubt that will happen but one can dream. Good last post.
Big Earl
July 18th, 2011
2:26 pm
Auburn is nothing but a nasty cow pasture…I KNOW of 2 different kids who tried to get into UGA but HAD to go to Auburn because their grades weren’t good enought for UGA to accept them…and their parents were UGA alums. THIS IS A FACT!!! Just goes to show you how good Auburn is academically. This could go a long way explaining the validity of the comments by “Tiger in the Valley”, I feel sure his family tree is a straight line!
UGA Insider
July 18th, 2011
2:28 pm
Good statistics DawginLex. It’s good to prove and show our most recent history to Dawg fans and to give them the true history of our school. We are and have never been on the level of a UF,LSU, Bama and to some degree UK and Auburn. UGA has always been competitive and every once in a while had a special season or two. But in the large scheme of things UGA has always been just a slightly above average program in the 3 men’s major sports for countless decades. We are no major player like an Alabama. It’s just in the past 10 years we have won a few SEC titles and our new alumni base expects us to win every year. It’s just not a goal or our AD or Adams. They are fine with mediocrity so all UGA fans should be as well. Our new alumni need to check our records prior to 1980 as well. We stunk most of the time in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
Dawg Gone
July 18th, 2011
2:29 pm
@Tiger in the Valley well spoken about the Lowder gang..personally I hope nothing is found its bad for the SEC and college football. However I was a fan back before 1980 and we did bark, however I think its done more now. In fact I remember us on the tracks when Bear Byant and Bama was getting off the team bus in the early-mid 70’s and barking our heads off at them.
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:29 pm
Red and Black, all some of us are saying is that maybe this “toughness” should have been on display a few years back. Not only are the players “accountable” to the head man, but so are the coaches. This has been a loose ship, with a damaged rudder for quite a while now, if you doubt, or don’t see this, then you sir, have been blinded by the kool aid. Maybe the rudder has been repaired, we will give the man a fair chance and wait and see. But we won’t sit idly by while the “tap” remains open.
Mobile Dawg
July 18th, 2011
2:33 pm
Big Earl, it’s then obvious you didn’t get your education at UGA, and probably at no other institution of “higher” learning. Have a good day sport.
Tiger in the Valley
July 18th, 2011
2:34 pm
Mobile Dawg.
Thanks.. i hope anyone who enters our stadium is treated fairly and the hospitatilty is exchanged annually.
Let me say this, I want these kids to all graduate first, do well on the field second, but without their degrees any kid who plays 4 or 5 years and leaves school without a degree is a burden on our society. They all need to enter school,earn a degree and leave a better person than when they arrived. A degree will do much more for them than scoring 10 touchdowns 25 years from now.
As for The Newtons, yeah Cam was a special player, who had a ton of baggage, and Cecil is just one of those Ministers who anyone meets and knows right away something is not quite right. You cannot put your finger on it but you just sense it. I know as an Auburn fan that players or players parents do not ask for money from one school and not ask for it at other schools. Anyone who thinks that needs help and is too close to your program to see the entire picture.. Our history alone says we have done this same thing in the past, why not now? I guess we will have to wait and see.
One question making the rounds down here;
Has anyone else heard your big DT Jenkins was interviewed by the NCAA for his recruitment to Auburn? That is the latest and greatest rumor down here. Someone says that we offered him money to attend Auburn and he reported it to the NCAA. Just asking.
DawginLex
July 18th, 2011
2:35 pm
SCFAN
There is a reason SOS has reinstated Garcia 6 times.
Connor shaw plays as the starter and you won’t win 8 games
He was responsible for the 1st Auburn loss last year.
SOS putting him in the game lost that game and SOS pulling his “I’m Steve Spurrier and you’re not” antics lost the UK game with Garcia throwing that last pass in the endzone.
If Garcia doesn’t get his act together, defenses will key on Lattimore and your brightest most optimistic season ever goes down the tubes.
Joycee Banicheck
July 18th, 2011
2:36 pm
Wonder if he’ll be ready, I say give him the rock…
http://life.atlantafalcons.com/topic/3904108-video-of-ken-boo-malcome/
D BAG TROLLS!
July 18th, 2011
2:38 pm
THANKS TO ALL FOR HAVING THE DAWGS ON THE BRAIN EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE. ITS GREAT TO BE A GEORGIA BULLDOG! EVEN BETTER WHEN YOUR RIVALS ARE THINKING ABOUT YOUR BELOVED TEAM EVERYDAY!
RB POSITION WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST IN SEC! NO WORRIES HERE, WHAT YOU ALL NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT UGA IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Polynikes
July 18th, 2011
2:39 pm
JB,
“Boise gives up lot’s of points in that Arena league conference they play in”
Someone needs to pull their head outta the peaches.. Boise D allowed 11 ppg against Conf foes, 13 ppg for all Opp.. Before all the SEC apologists start barking about how Boise would never pull that off in this or that conference (or any BCS save maybe the Big Least), yes, we know, and that is true. I’m not debating schedules or even defending Boise’s schedule, just saying JB is running his mouth about things he hasn’t been paying attention to since 2005. Things have changed in Boise.
King Gator
July 18th, 2011
2:39 pm
We must be getting close to the start of the college football season… Georgia has started to announce it’s “Suspended for Opening Game of the Season List”, I’m sure more to follow. Go Gators!!