UPDATED: Georgia NG Kwame Geathers, SS Shawn Williams, Vandy player get half-game suspensions
Geathers
As expected, Georgia’s Kwame Geathers and Shawn Williams were handed down half-game suspensions Wednesday for their actions during last Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt. Commodores center Logan Stewart was also levied a half-game suspension in the wake of the Bulldogs’ 33-28 win this past Saturday in Nashville.
The suspensions of the players were based on NCAA rules and handed down by Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive in consultation with the respective schools.
Williams
“I did have the opportunity to speak to the Commissioner and discuss the incident,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “It’s certainly not representative of the Georgia way. I have always trusted the Commissioner’s judgment and understand and accept the decision. We’ll learn as well as grow from this situation and now turn our attention to preparing for Florida.”
Following is the news release from the SEC, which explains its ruling in each instance:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Upon review of game tapes of the football game between the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University, played in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has announced that Vanderbilt sophomore center Logan Stewart, Georgia sophomore defensive lineman Kwame Geathers and Georgia junior defensive back Shawn Williams have been suspended for the first half of their team’s next football games.
Vanderbilt hosts Army this Saturday while Georgia plays Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 29.
Geathers’ action was in violation of NCAA Football Rule 2-32-1-a for fighting. By NCAA Football Rule 9-5-1-b, the penalty for violation of the rule in the second half includes suspension for the first half of the team’s next scheduled game.
On the same play, Stewart’s suspension is the result of a flagrant personal foul which occurred at the 13:09 mark in the fourth quarter. The action is in violation of Rule 9-1 of the NCAA Football Rule Book, which states that a flagrant personal foul offender shall be disqualified.
Williams’ suspension is the result of a flagrant personal foul which occurred at the 2:08 mark in the third quarter. The action is in violation of Rule 9-1-4 of the NCAA Football Rule Book, which reads, “No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, elbow or shoulder.”
This action is taken in accordance with Southeastern Conference Constitution, Article 4.4.2 (d), which states that a student-athlete may be suspended if it is determined that the student-athlete has committed a flagrant or unsportsmanlike act.
Geathers, a redshirt sophomore from Georgetown, S.C., has started three games at noseguard for the Bulldogs and alternates regularly with junior John Jenkins. He has seven tackles, a pass break-up and a quarterback pressure.
Williams, a junior from Damascus, has started every game this season, including one at inside linebacker. He is the Bulldogs’ third-leading tackler with 34 and has two interceptions, including one against Vanderbilt this past weekend.
Saturday’s game, clinched by Georgia in the final seconds, was extremely emotional. The night ended with Franklin and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham a shouting match at midfield. The SEC asked for reports from both schools but about that incident but indicated Wednesday that the is being “handled internally between league office and schools,” spokesman Charles Bloom said.
Here’s video of the hit that resulted in Williams’ suspension:
MORE STORIES ON THIS SUBJECT:
- Geathers’ father upset over suspension, wants apology
- UGA, SEC reviewing coaches’ postgame confrontation
– Chip Towers
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530 comments Add your comment
E-Dog
October 19th, 2011
1:37 pm
You UGA fans are just a bunch of whinny babies. If they did the crime then do the time. I am so tired of everything UGA does to another team it is suppose to be ok. But if a team does something to your sorry team the officials are suppose to throw the book at them.
Missing starters over VANDY
October 19th, 2011
1:37 pm
Vandy? For a Florida game.Lord how mercy! Put on your thinking cap dawgs! dang!!!!!!!!!!!
Dawson Dave
October 19th, 2011
1:37 pm
Coach Richt continues to recruit only the finest student athletes…he is truly a character guy.
dawgustus
October 19th, 2011
1:38 pm
Total garbage. Slive and the SEC are doing their best NCAA imitation here with this moronic ruling. The Vandy player intentionally tried to take out the knee of Geathers from behind. Could have ruined a career. And the SEC says the punishment for that is the same a Geathers punching the guy in the side in reaction??? And how in the world did they rule that Williams’ hit was intentional. I’ve watched that play over and over and it’s clear Williams had lost the ball and didn’t see the receiver didn’t catch it. Late hit/personal foul, sure, the flag was thrown. But intentional and flagrant foul? Give me a break. Richt and McGarrity shouldn’t take this laying down.
formergaresident
October 19th, 2011
1:38 pm
@Ryan, you’re wasting your time trying to inject class and reason into this group. The rest of the world is wrong and UGA is right. Always. Excuses and justifications. Always. This whole fiasco is laughable to the masses. The UGA fans don’t get that they have become a joke with their poor sportsmanship and attitudes.
King Gator
October 19th, 2011
1:38 pm
It’s like 2 small scooter accidents.. get over it! Go Gators!
MY.Dawg
October 19th, 2011
1:39 pm
Wow,a flagrant clip, that could have ended Geathers career gets 1/2 a game!? I can’t say I blame him for throwing the punch. He was whipping Stewart at the line, so what better way to get a competitive advantage than a clip? Williams is just fall out from the b.s. with Franklin and Grantham. If you play the game full speed contact is going to occur, and yes sometimes it will be to the head and neck area. If the Grantham/Franklin altercation doesn’t occur, do any of the suspensions occur? I guess being the premier league comes with consequences….Let em play the game,and next time Kwame, the bottom of the pile is a much better place to take care of business!
OkieDawg
October 19th, 2011
1:39 pm
INCREDIBLE! The Vandy player intentionally tried to chop/clip Geathers. Geather’s reaction was a spontaneous emotional reaction. The Vandy player’s actions could have resulted in a severe injury. Geather’s punch to the side would not cause an injury of any kind. So why doesn’t the Vandy player get a more severe penalty? He should sit for a full game while Geathers did break a rule and should get the one half game. I didn’t see it in the clip, but it was reported the Vandy player gave a thumbs up to his coach on the side line. Maybe, Coach Franklin should apologize for his player’s action to intentionally hurt a player.
bob
October 19th, 2011
1:39 pm
What bothers me more than the half game suspension is how Coach Richt has yet to stand up ( at least nothing i have seen on tv or type) for his team and his coaches but I have seen several articles of how Richt told Franklin after hearing Franklins side that yeah that’s what I thought happened. Stand up for your team, and your coach. The least you could have said in the interview is I am waiting to talk with Coach Grantham and get his side instead of throwing him under the bus by saying Yeah thats what I thought to Franklin. Grow some gonads Richt and stop worrying about kissing theirs. Also in the Gawga Tenn game did not a Tenn player in front of a referee throw a punch to the face of a Gawga player and not a flag was thrown or a penalty handed out. Makes me think Slive and the sliveettes think Gawga has a shot of playing for the title and goodness forbid my actually upset an unbeaten team from the west and thus ruin another shot at a national championchyt.
DawgInaTruck
October 19th, 2011
1:39 pm
Consider this too, though. We will have two very fresh, very talented and very motivated defensive players for the second half against UF.
ryan
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
Its John Jenkins and Ray Drew time i think this could be good motivation SEC = NCAA = Fed Gov .
SouthSide Dawg
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
I would like to see Geather’s father organize a campaign to have Mike Slive removed and get the SEC office out of Birmingham.
Red Fox
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
Quit your bickering, flags were thrown, rules were broken. Although, I do think no one would have been suspended had the idiot coaches not made a hot mess out of this on TV. The next opponents are irrelevant.
Alabama Jack
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
Payback is a beitch, ain’t it dawgs?
Joe 's Top
October 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
Joe I will not tell you again to get back to bed and quit posting on the blogs. Put on this ball-gag now
chg
October 19th, 2011
1:41 pm
Here we go again with the UGA whiners and complaints about “NOT FAIR” UGA fans are the little girls and spoiled rotten brats. Still complaining about last year’s games. Grow up and accept responsibility. Ever heard of good sportsmanship? No, apparently not.
Jim S.
October 19th, 2011
1:41 pm
Like others, I would comment that it seems unfair that Geathers is punished equally to the Vandy player for a reaction to his blatant and potentially career threatening dirty personal foul. The punishment for the Williams play seems legit to me given the current state of the rules. I hope Franklin doesn’t simply skate on this while Grantham gets popped. Franklin and Vandy had won the PR war up to this point. At least with the suspension of the Vandy player, it appears that the actions on both sides are being scrutinized. I’m not pleased with the Grantham reaction, particularly given the choke sign in Jacksonville last year, but Franklin has a bit of a history as well. For my part, I would rather see UGA’s players and coaches conduct themselves with class.
Calhoundawg
October 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
Since when does a mere “clipping” penalty warrant a 1/2 game suspension? Just sayin’ …
I’m still looking for an AJC writer to address Head Coach Franklin’s role in the altercation after the game. Oh well, maybe I’ll just go out and buy a National Enquirer instead. Morons.
IF UGA was in the top 5-10
October 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
The SEC and Mike Slive never make this call.And I’m not even a UGA fan.
Blue
October 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
wow…let me call the “wahmbulance” for all you “yeah, that’s fair” and “what about so and so” guys. Time to put on your big boy pants. As one of my old coaches once told me when I said “that’s not fair”, “who the hell ever told you life was fair”.
Bobo is Not the Problem
October 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
All those crybaby “that’s not fair” punks from my childhood grew up and became posters on AJC blogs. Wah, wah, wah. Shut up, already.
Alabama Jack's top
October 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
AJ I will not tell you again to get back to bed and quit posting on the blogs. Put on this ball-gag now
Blue's top
October 19th, 2011
1:44 pm
Blue I will not tell you again to get back to bed and quit posting on the blogs. Put on this ball-gag now
dAWG
October 19th, 2011
1:44 pm
Wow,
Where were the suspension last year for the fl or auburn games?
Short Memory
October 19th, 2011
1:44 pm
Dawg fans seem to have a short memory… Two Auburn linemen were suspended for the first half of the Alabama game last year after throwing punches in the UGA game. Ben Jones did not get suspended for punching Nick Fairley which actually started the fracas where the other two punches were thrown. He wasn’t suspended because no flag was thrown on his actions for a personal foul. Calls are missed every week, but the punishment for personal foul penalties called for punches seems consistent.
NewnanDawg
October 19th, 2011
1:44 pm
Well, at least Richt now has a lame excuse for losing to Florida again this year.
Dap01
October 19th, 2011
1:45 pm
The SEC is becoming a joke like the NCAA. Why was the Florida player not suspended? Why was Steward not punished more than someone who simply retaliated?
Oh and Cam did not know anything about being shopped around. And Bill Clinton did not inhale. And Obama never listed to Rev. Wright’s sermons of hate. What is the meaning of is?
King Gator
October 19th, 2011
1:45 pm
Life isn’t fair, move on! Go Gators!
hornblowermg
October 19th, 2011
1:46 pm
does the stewart brat also receive the nick fairley award for most plays performed in the classic chicken-crap manner of auburn and vu ? and how ’bout them refs !!?
Saban
October 19th, 2011
1:46 pm
Imagine Richt will have to hand over his purse and make up.
The REAL PHIL
October 19th, 2011
1:46 pm
When did we become a society where the effect was given just as much weight as the cause?
King Gator
October 19th, 2011
1:46 pm
Oh and Cam did not know anything about being shopped around. And Bill Clinton did not inhale. And Obama never listed to Rev. Wright’s sermons of hate. What is the meaning of is?
——-
Don’t forget the WMD in Iraq…
Wrong AU
October 19th, 2011
1:47 pm
paid the price last year too and we were ranked high.Our 2 guys had to sit the 1st 1/2 of bama
boss dawg
October 19th, 2011
1:48 pm
Mark bradley should be fired and have his crayons tossed out of his crib.
Jim Mora Jr.
October 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
They should contact the Players Association and appeal.
Just kidding.
In all seriousness- the Vanderbilt player should have to serve a one game suspension. That was a flagrant attempt to injure Geathers.
01HAWK
October 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
JOHN JENKINS………………………………YOU BIG TUB OF LARD………………………You had better get in shape because Florida is going to run the ball.
McDawg
October 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
so we move Commings back to safety and maybe get Thorton some reps at nose
move on bring on the gators -i’m sure the lawyers in Birmingham can justify this anyway they want
That endzone dance
October 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
bit you again pups.Never should have done that one since it had never been done in College Football.You want flags,we got your flags for years to come
45ACP
October 19th, 2011
1:50 pm
What did Shawn Williams do? I must have missed that. This is not for that tackle where he threw that guy to the ground is it?
sandra horton
October 19th, 2011
1:50 pm
all guilty parties should be out for a whole game
they need to learn sportmanship
OkieDawg
October 19th, 2011
1:50 pm
Florida starting CB Roberson was arrested. Bet he does not get any bench time against UGA. Hope Rainey doesn’t threaten any young ladies this year, he may have to sit out the UGA game. Oh wait, he was allowed to come back against UGA because he was doing everything the Florida way.
Smokewagon
October 19th, 2011
1:51 pm
KingGator is right. Get fired up and mean as hell and whip Florida.
sogadog
October 19th, 2011
1:51 pm
Suspending Geathers is wrong. He just reacted instantly to the Vandy center’s clip which could have caused serious injury. No way he deserves the same punishment as Stewart. I hope there is some way UGA can appeal.
Thomas Brown
October 19th, 2011
1:51 pm
It is still not right.
DawgnMD
October 19th, 2011
1:51 pm
GOOD! Now we can get on with the business at hand. OH GAYYYYYTORS….COME OUT AND PLAY YAAAAY!!!!
Tech '10
October 19th, 2011
1:52 pm
UGA got what it deserved, Vandy got off a little easier than it should have. I would be surprised if Grantham got anything seeing as how he made a public apology for his behavior. Franklin, I would not be surprised simply b/c of the stance he took and public statements he made, regardless of whehter he actually did anything wrong.
boss dawg
October 19th, 2011
1:52 pm
Sandra, Go knit someone a hat and let the men worry about football decisions .
jbgibson
October 19th, 2011
1:52 pm
So of you people who come to these boards are so stupid, and I mean STUPID. People here are not upset over the suspensions, you jackhole’s, they ticked off over the fact that right now the SEC is showing a complete lack of consistency. All the dirty hits from players from other teams in the past on OTHER teams and no suspensions.
Do Geathers and Williams deserve the suspension? Yes, no one is really denying that. Stewart though, deserves worse for a hit that was blatantly late, on purpose, and after the play had ended. Watch the video, that’s what happened.
Then as far as Grantham and Franklin goes, as a coach from an opposing team, you don’t go after an opposing player and yell at him like you’re his dad. No, you let his coaches know how disappointed you were in his playing and let them deal with it. Grantham was right in standing up for his player(s), he should have just handled it better.
Then as far as all you FLA fans who come here, shut it. How pathetic do you have to be to go to another team’s articles and spout nothing but vitriol? That’s just sad beyond belief…
Strange Murphy
October 19th, 2011
1:53 pm
And what Nick Fairley did to Murray last year was okay! But we all know Auburn can do anything they want and not suffer any punishment.
DawgFan
October 19th, 2011
1:53 pm
What a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!
Double standard. You either hold the same standard to all players within the SEC or not. The SEC “reviewed the UGA-Auburn game last year also and determined Nick Fairley didn’t commit the fouls, yet he was flagged multiple times.
Double standard joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!