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
Snoop Dawg
July 19th, 2011
11:43 am
Well, I guess that Bobo won’t be able to send the midget up the middle into the mouth of the defensive line every second and ten. What will he do now? Oh yeah. Now he’ll just pass every down…
You can’t make this stuff up. All for just three million a year.
Richt is the issue here. He’s gotta go and the sooner the better…
Ridly
July 19th, 2011
12:14 pm
WTF??????? Another player violation….as Gomer Pyle would say SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!! They may as well do away with college football ALL TOGETHER and just let these criminals go straight to the NFL. If Coach Richt can’t find any better caliber players than this it’s time to just shut the whole program down and start over and I mean NCAA Football program. These guys think they are so special, and they are till they get to college then they think they can do no wrong. The BIGGEST WRONG they are doing is letting the school and the fans down but they are so self centered they couldn’t care less. It’s the ME, ME, ME attitude. Look at me look at me, and I, I, I did this I did that! There isn’t any team in their minds any longer. Without the TEAM they could NEVER do as well as they do. It’s the team effort NOT the Individual!!!!!!!!!!
Joemac
July 19th, 2011
12:15 pm
Ealey, King, and now Thomas. Another nail in the coffin of CMR who is in his last season in Athens. A 7-5 season will not save his job. Boise, S. Carolina, Florida, Missy St., and Auburn. There are your 5 losses, and that does not include the yearly upset which will come from either Kentucky, Tennessee, Vandy, or GT. All that talent wasted again.
gomdawg
July 19th, 2011
12:27 pm
WOW THE NEXT HERSHEL WALKER OR MITE I SAY THE NEXT DERRICK HENRY THIS KID IS GOING TO BRAKE ALL RECORDS AT GEORGIA MY GOD NOT EVEN A FRESHMAN YET
globeflyer
July 19th, 2011
12:30 pm
Gotta make room for Crowell, you know…..
gomdawg
July 19th, 2011
12:30 pm
Ridly, you need to get a life all school as these problem.Georgia is policed a lot better. STUPID
gomdawg
July 19th, 2011
12:32 pm
Crowell maybe be good I think he is but when Derrick Henry comes to town they all can move over and let the big Dawg eat. My God what a player
'94 UGA Alumni
July 19th, 2011
12:45 pm
The only question is…..What is Mike Bobo going to call on 3rd and long now that he can’t run Thomas up the middle?
JaySulkowsky
July 19th, 2011
12:45 pm
A few good runs by Crowell and those three will be forgotten or A bad running effort the first game and everyone will be screaming for Richt’s head for not planning the situation better. Same senerio as the season record. A good start and they could go 10-2 or a bad 0-2 start and struggle to be a .500 team. Anyone out their going to watch the Boise ST. game Hmmmmm ?
C and ski
July 19th, 2011
3:31 pm
Doesn’t much matter who Georgia has in the backfield. Broncos win either way. Interesting how a teams character shows up before they take the field.
Radar
July 19th, 2011
3:50 pm
Ned a runningback how about the other olgtree brother, Zander. Good hands out of the back field and runs north and south. Just a thought.
funny...
July 19th, 2011
4:56 pm
Actually you won’t see Brandon Smith on the offensive side of the ball much. Richt allowed Smith and Crowell to wear #1. Meaning they can’t be on the field at the same time.
funny...
July 19th, 2011
4:57 pm
I love the comment about what will Bobo call now on 3rd and long.
Bobo is such a goof
FLA DAWG
July 19th, 2011
9:30 pm
Not even a tough call…………Samuel at Fullback and Crowell at Tailback
Mobile Dawg
July 19th, 2011
11:02 pm
Red and Black, and I seriously don’t care what you think. Just FYI, “kool aid”, and “rose colored glasses” aren’t childish at all. They are words, phrases, that are used by professionals educated in the art of counseling people “exactly” like you. People that are confused by reality and choose to live in a fantasy world, thus their blurred vision, denial of factual accuracy, and reality, are described as “drinking kool aid” or viewing the world through “rose colored glasses”. If you are offended or aggravated by my observations and comments that CMR hasn’t come close to “earning” the $3 million a year he’s being paid over the last few years that’s your problem.
Seriously, all the facts have been laid out for you, either you drink the kool aid, or wear the rose colored glasses, and ignore the facts, or, you’re just plain ignorant. Either way, I’m through responding to you.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 20th, 2011
7:19 am
Mobile Dawg,
I could care less about what you think about me, UGA or anybody else for that matter. When you act like an adult and can quit calling people names, perhaps then you will have some credibility in my mind. Childish remarks really only irritate me, not make me respect your opinions on matters concerning UGA.
As for your professional crap about what Kool Aid or rose colored glasses, mena and you opinion that professional’s use those phrases to counsel people such as I, get a life bud. Professional’s also have anmae for people who think they have the right to judge others and insinuate that if, they do not agree with another person, they are wrong and living in a fantasy world. It is called, close minded. That is your opinion and you are intitled to it. When you start making remarks about others, using those terms, you show your lack of maturity. I don’t care how old you are, mental maturity is something you grow into, not chronologically, just because you are at a certain age. Respect, is something you earn by showing that you have matured enough, not to accuse other people you know nothing about, of somehow, being less than smart by supporting thier beliefs.
I will put my education up to yours anyday of the week, so don’t try calling me ignorant. I am simply a loyal fan that realizes the ship has never sailed that will not encounter a storm or two in it’s lifetime.
Mobile Dawg
July 20th, 2011
9:38 am
Talking about maturity, or lack of, maybe you should go back and read your posts. I didn’t start this little feud with you, I believe you called me out, called me a fair weather fan, etc. I have simply expressed my opinion on the issues within our program. There are many positives, but there have also been many concerns. Mostly with coaching, lack of discipline, and numerous others.
Most times I’m highly respectful of people like you, and your opinions. Your last post is condesending, disrespectful, and you are brow beating me like I’m a red headed step child. Is that maturity. Basically I either talk facts, or my opinion, and for the most part they are “right on the money”.
And if you think that to be a “true fan” you can’t differentiate between the program, and the coach, that both have to be supported as one, well, let me ask you, what kind of person does that make you? Your problem appears to be that you can’t stand to be disagreed with, you have to be right, just my opinion.
And to go on the record again, I hope CMR succeeds, but if the problems that have reared their heads over the last 5 years continue, then he needs to go. Unfortunately for him, the qualifications for his position have changed since he hired on, other coaches and programs have raised the bar significantly, and if you think he has succeeded in meeting those challenges, then you are apparently happy to accept the program in it’s current state.
If you read my post on the “ignorant” statement, I didn’t call you ignorant. I left the door open for you to decide. And again, why do you deny the professional use of those phrases? Have a good day Red and Black. I haven’t once heard CMR take responsibility for the state of affairs in Athens. If you think for a second that CMR just encountered a storm, will you at least admit that he’s responsible for allowing the conditions to develop that led to the storm. In life you have a lot of different kind of people, some people need to be pushed a little to ensure they do the right thing. People like me who are applying the pressure to Mark Richt are necessary for accountability. Last but not least, you’re calling out the wrong guy, I’ve “NEVER” uttered the words, or written them that he should have been “fired”. If you can prove me wrong, do it.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 20th, 2011
3:45 pm
taking as lot of time defending yourself there Mobile. Must have called you out on the right things. Like I said, you have your opinion and I have mine. The games will start in 6 weeks and then we shall see. I don’t have the time to worry about your half page rants denying you did this or that. I don’t know you so I really don’t care what you think.
UGA’s Ken ‘Boo’ Malcome ready to show what he can do at tailback | News Georgia
July 20th, 2011
5:57 pm
[...] best be ready. After this week’s news that junior Carlton Thomas will have to sit out the opener due to a disciplinary suspension, he’s one of three scholarships tailbacks the Bulldogs have [...]
Mobile Dawg
July 20th, 2011
8:08 pm
Feud over Red and Black, I will take the high ground here with a “comments closed”.
UGA’s Ken ‘Boo’ Malcome ready to show what he can do at tailback | UGA sports blog
July 20th, 2011
9:25 pm
[...] best be ready. After this week’s news that junior Carlton Thomas will have to sit out the opener due to a disciplinary suspension, he’s one of three scholarships tailbacks the Bulldogs have [...]
Chip Towers
July 20th, 2011
11:15 pm
Dawg’88: I don’t cover Tech.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 20th, 2011
11:27 pm
Carlton is I think only officially suspended for the Boise State game right now. If he comes back in week two, we are still the same. 4 scholarship RB’s right now on the roster with the first game, having only three available.