Kwame Geathers’ father upset over his son’s half-game suspension

Robert Geathers Sr., the father of Georgia sophomore noseguard Kwame Geathers, is upset that his son was assessed a two-quarter suspension in the Florida game after being the victim of what he thought was a dangerous, defenseless hit in the Vanderbilt game this past weekend.

“I’ve played football and been around football all my life,” said Robert Geathers Sr., who played in the NFL for 13 seasons has has two other sons playing professionally, “and if you watch it you see this kid speed up while everybody else is slowing down and he’s locked in on my son’s leg. If you look closely you can see the guy give a thumbs up to the sideline and the coach telling him ‘good job.’ I was, like, ‘Wow!’ I could be sitting here today telling you how my son’s surgery went.”

Mr. Geathers is referring to Vanderbilt sophomore center Logan Stewart, who was flagged for clipping on the play. Kwame Geathers was called for a personal foul after he turned around and punched Stewart in the side while both players remained on the ground. You can  GO HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

Both players were assessed half-game suspensions by the SEC on Wednesday afternoon. Georgia strong safety Shawn Williams was also levied a half-game suspension for an illegal hit he made in the game.

Mr. Geathers was incredulous that his son is being disciplined at all.

“They fine you for hits like that in the NFL and they’re fining Kwame two quarters out of a game?,” he said. “Kwame didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just reacting. I’m a parent who’s really upset. I could’ve gotten a call telling me that my son’s career is over.”

Mr. Geathers said Vanderbilt “needs to call Georgia and apologize for that kid. I think a good coach would do that. I’m not sure if we’ll get anything out of this but somebody needs to make an example of it and it doesn’t need to be Kwame.”

Vanderbilt coach James Franklin and Georgia coach Mark Richt, participating in the weekly SEC teleconference call on Wednesday, declined to comment on any of the events that took place during or after Georgia’s 33-28 win.

– Chip Towers

359 comments Add your comment

Gatormeat

October 19th, 2011
7:39 pm

All this crying about the truths I tell about the cowardly program that is georgia reminds me of a stupid co-worker I used to have, from georgia of course, who used to whine about the things I would say about his stupid state. One time he asked me if I thought that maybe I should save that hate for something like the terrorists. My reply was, do you remember musa smith? People from georgia are terrorists, or at the very least sympathizers, which may be even worse. Their defense of smith proved that, which is yet another reason georgia deserves no respect whatsoever. Vandy should have finished the job on that georgia player, if you know what I mean

Jordan

October 19th, 2011
7:45 pm

Bulldawg Bob

October 19th, 2011
8:03 pm

Gatormeat,

You comments are the most ignorant I have read today. I guess you have nothing better to do than troll here, posting the inflammatory comments you have to get a rise out of folks to get your rocks off. Your comments make you as suspect as the players you are referring to.

Any person with a bit of common sense and intelligence would realize that a collegiate football team is full of all sorts of different players with different personalities, attitudes, morals, cultural, ethical backgrounds. Some of these players are going to poor decision on and off the football field, and some of these individuals are not the greatest representatives of the human race. No team is immune to this. Not Georgia, not Vandy, and neither is Florida.

In addition, you must have never played sports or have any idea how to be a good sport or what sportsmanship. Intentionally trying to hurt another player during a game is to me one of the most egregious offenses that can be made withing the confines of the game itself. Sean Williams for UGA I thought made such a hit,and I disapprove as well as agree that he should be suspended. Sometimes these hits are not intentional as it is done in the heat of the moment or a player gets injured on a legitimate, good, hard, clean hit; however, I think William’s hit on the Vandy player was not clean just like the hit the Vandy center made on Geathers. Any one who condones this type of action is a low life.

pvbgirl

October 19th, 2011
8:10 pm

It’s fans like you Gatormeat that give the entire gator fanbase a bad name. How dare you say such things about people from GA and suggest that the player should have taken Geathers out for good! This is why, as a GA transplant (and longtime fan & alum) to FL, I can’t stand most gator fans, even when I tried to defend you guys when I first moved here. Most of you have no class (all the way to the upper eschelon; i.e. doctors, lawyers, other professionals, etc.), and I have always conducted myself with class. FYI, I grew up with GA kicking florida’s butt, so I know what it is like to be on the other side. You guys were irrelefvant until the 90’s and now think you are the class of the SEC east – what a joke! If any of you knew how to win or lose with class, it would be a different story; however, it is a fact that all of you have no clue how to conduct yourselves with any type of dignity. Oh well, I guess we will just see what happens next week. I, for one, hope this latest news for GA turns out to be a huge positive and we kick your collective arses!! I am tired of being disrespected by a bunch of low class losers in life – you may win most of them (in recent years) on the football field, but you are losers in life if you don’t know how to treat others with respect! We’ll just have to see what happens next week, won’t we a***holes!! Go DAWGS!! For the record, Geathers had a reason to respond like he did – what if somebody tried to take you, or your kid, out of a game for good. And Franklin has the audacity to complain about anything. Looks like Vandy has a bunch of classless coaches who condone that type of play. Hope Franklin gets what he deserves in the long run – just remember KARMA is a Biotch!! Look at your own coach and players in recent years, especially Muschamp this year, then tell me you are justified in saying anything about any other coaches, fans, players. Why do you think everybody else, other than gator fans, can’t stand you guys? And this opinion was prevelant long before you guys were even relevant! Sorry for Geathers and his family that they are having to deal with this!!

still a dawg fan

October 19th, 2011
8:27 pm

Mr Geathers is right & Logan Stewart is DIRTY PLAYER. That hit was by far worse then anything DIRTY FAIRLEY DID last year & Kwame should get an apology from Stewart & COACH FRANKLIN.Hopefully Coach Franklin is man enough to do the right because Stewart could have ended Kwame football career

Eldawg

October 19th, 2011
8:28 pm

I told you, chicken sh*t cowards:

“The SEC did not make a statement regarding defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and his post-game dust-up with Vanderbilt coach James Franklin but Bloom said in his email to UGASports that the situation is being handled internally between the league and the two institutions.”
-Anthony Dasher’s article on UGASports.com
http://uga.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1281250

Brainiac(Dawg for life/Richt fan for life)

October 19th, 2011
8:29 pm

Hoopie: Next time you have a thought…..just let it go. Now get your finger out of your nose and get those fries cooked. I’m guess you believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Great Pumpkin. Why don’t you get mommy to buy you a copy of the game film and get somebody to show it for you. You are dumb enough to be triplets.

JAMES FRANKLIN IS A WANTABE

October 19th, 2011
8:29 pm

Enter your comments here

MIKE SLIVE WELCOME BACK

October 19th, 2011
8:37 pm

We’ve missed your tough disclipinarian status since the Cam Newton scandal broke. Wow, you’re an oak.

Eldawg

October 19th, 2011
8:39 pm

Here’s what I know, our defensive players would EAT nails for Coach G. You get that people?!?

Ed dawg

October 19th, 2011
8:48 pm

Enter your comments here

May be time for Richt to go

October 19th, 2011
9:00 pm

I am a life-long Georgia fan and have supported Richt many times when others have criticized him. But I think I have had about enough of him and think it may be time for him to go. For him to walk up to Franklin and be so accepting of the Vanderbilt version of what happened is hard for me to believe. I am not condoning what Coach Grantham did and am not saying that Richt should have yelled back at Franklin, but for him to be so apologetic without getting his own players’ and coach’s versions of the story tells me tht he is more worried about how he is perceived by the media and other coaches than he is about UGA. I really don’t see Les Miles or Saban having that same conversation. Geathers should not have punched the Vandy player, but you have to understand a player’s reaction to a play that is clearly intended to do major harm. Why wasn’t this play called in the first place? And if it is true that the Vandy player was given the thumbs up by the Vandy coaching staff after the dirty play on Geathers, then that film needs to be sent to the SEC and let’s see if they will reprimand Vandy. It seems that Richt and UGA are always just so apologetic to the NCAA and the SEC and then they get huge punishments while other programs take a hard stand and get a free pass. Was Farley ever called for dirty plays? It is just so obvious that the NCAA and SEC make examples out of UGA becasue they know Richt will be just so nice and Christian about it. I am not a Tech fan but I have to respect them for announcing they would challenge the NCAA punishment decision. Richt, if you cannot stand up for UGA, then you need to go.

GT is a 4th rate High School Team

October 19th, 2011
9:04 pm

As usual Richt fell on another trick play by Franklin, this time calculating that by chop blocking Geathers he likely will retaliate and be suspended. Is Stewart a reaal starter or just a TOOL inserted on the line create this trap? I saw a web site on Vandy that does not even list him in the Depth Chart!!!

3 in a row about to be 4...

October 19th, 2011
9:09 pm

I think this is great!! No matter what another player does to instigate it, it is against the rules to throw a punch, like Precious Geathers did. A punch thrown is an auto suspension.

I can’t wait to see the second half sea of teal seats on the East side of Everbank!

So worked up about nothing…..If you’re not careful you will the snake bitten Gators and once again leave Jax as a bunch of losers.

This is your best chance to get us, but don’t worry Murray and Crowell will give up the ball 4 more times next weekend. You’ve lost the ability to win in Jax. Losing to UF has permeated the program and losing once again to the Gators is inevitable.

Ed dawg

October 19th, 2011
9:10 pm

Thank you AJC for stirring the pot and generating these suspensions. The video is clear and anyone clipped so severely, and unnecessarily at the end of the play, is going to react just like Kwame if not more so. Mr. Geathers is absolutely right, and if Richt does not have the character to appeal this decision then he needs to leave the program now.

3 in a row about to be 4...

October 19th, 2011
9:11 pm

I think this is great!! No matter what another player does to instigate it, it is against the rules to throw a punch, like Precious Geathers did. A punch thrown is an auto suspension.

I can’t wait to see the second half sea of teal seats on the East side of Everbank!

So worked up about nothing…..If you’re not careful you will overlook and underestimate the snake bitten Gators and once again leave Jax as a bunch of losers.

This is your best chance to get us, but don’t worry Murray and Crowell will give up the ball 4 more times next weekend. You’ve lost the ability to win in Jax. Losing to UF has permeated the program and losing once again to the Gators is inevitable.

GT is a 4th rate High School Team

October 19th, 2011
9:12 pm

Richt and McGarity are just plain softies. They probably sent a report pointing more on the UGA players guilt. SEC likely just followed their recommendation. McGarity just have to make sure that his beloved UF wins as usual. Are you still wondering why he will not support an Atlanta/Jacksonville split???????? McGarity should resign with Richt. They have to be sure to bring BOBO with them.

Neverplaythegame

October 19th, 2011
9:12 pm

It’s tell me that a small dinky school can play pretty dirty game too.

GT is a 4th rate High School Team

October 19th, 2011
9:14 pm

UGA likely just been had by McGarity. LOL

GT is a 4th rate High School Team

October 19th, 2011
9:17 pm

McGarity and Richt may be even upset about the amount of suspension because they actually recommended a whole game. LOL

GT is a 4th rate High School Team

October 19th, 2011
9:21 pm

These small dinky schools can also out coach Richt.

Kevdawg

October 19th, 2011
9:40 pm

Who was the Vandy Coach out on the field right next to the dust up, should he no be suspended for leaving the bench? Would like to see the video that shows the coach on the side line receiving the thumbs up.

Jonathan

October 19th, 2011
9:46 pm

You can see how far Vandy has come under Franklin by the vitriol being spewed by UGA fans. Didn’t see the game, so I’m not arguing any of the particulars. When was the last time VU got under any fanbase’s skin like this?

BipolarDawg

October 19th, 2011
10:11 pm

There goes this year down the drain giving Florida Gaytors to win the game..thanx for doing a good way for Ga to loose another to F..k..g Floriduhhh!! Darn SEC….yea yea yeaaaaa rule is rule if i would do the same thing too if somebody just hit me in the back of my legs that was a quick reactions ok.

payback

October 19th, 2011
10:12 pm

Ga will remember this next year in athens–look for richt to really run up the score to rub it in good!

Good Dad

October 19th, 2011
10:16 pm

Kwame is someone’s child who clearly was intended to be harmed in a way which could easily end his athletic career. His father is right and is showing remarkable restraint. Richt should explain (and may have but I haven’t heard it yet) what he said and meant in the post-game conversation with Franklin. The Vanderbilt center should be suspended for at least two games. Thank goodness Kwame wasn’t injured.
Now, I haven’t missed a Georgia – Florida game since Appleby to Washington, and we need to start focusing on that, right?

Robert Jones

October 19th, 2011
10:18 pm

Can someone provide an email address to the SEC office? These type of decisions cannot be left standing.All I know is for as many people as possible to send an email expressing their feelings.

RED DOG 77

October 20th, 2011
12:23 am

Mr. Robert Geathers is a fine gentleman who along with his sons and other family members have given more to the game of college and professional football than any family I can come up with off the top of my head. That said, the rules should apply equally to all, however, we have come full circle once again with a blatant lack of common sense…………….Mike Slive the so-called head man of the SEC is no man whatsoever…………Mike Slive is more concerned with image, expansion, money, and raw-power than the health and well being of a fine young man who understandably took a reaction shot at a cheap shot player from Vanderbilt……………And hell no, this shot was nothing like the “clip” Ben Jones was guilty of last year. I am an old man, I believe in good sportsmanship, but I do believe more in common sense. I wonder if the Vanderbilt center has written a letter of apology to Kwamme as Ben Jones did after his less violent block. All I can say is God help that Vanderbilt center [soph] when Kwamme lines up against him next year in Athens…………Do you really think BULLDOG NATION, Kwamme Geathers, and his teamates are going to forget?……………Lastly, do you think that Junkyard D might be playing with a tad bit of emotion just to show the Nation they damn well back-up their own…………as well as coach Todd Grantham?………….If by chance Mr. Robert Geathers is reading this, thanks for your contribution to this great game……….and thanks for raising such fine young men…………..Sincerily, RED

newnan_dawg1963

October 20th, 2011
12:44 am

this proves it alabama and auburn or in bed with the sec.
look where the headquartes is located hmmm look at what that piece of %^$%
nick fairley did to murray did he get and suspension ? NO
AJ GETS 4 GAMES WHAT DOES THE BAMA PLAYER GET ? 2 THIS ALL GOES BACK TO GEORGIA RUNNING ON THE FIELD VS THE GAYTERDS THEY ARE MAKING AN EXAMPLE OUT OF UGA COACH RICHT GROWS SOME AND STAND UP FOR YOUR PLAYERS

L.A. BULLDAWG

October 20th, 2011
1:03 am

I AGREE WITH MR. GEATHERS SR.! VANDY’S CENTER WAS CLEARLY OVERMATCHED BY KWAME’S SIZE, AND RESORTED TO ILLEGAL TACTICS! REMEMBER 5 YEARS AGO WHEN AN AUBURN LINEMEN ALMOST DERAILED GLENN DORSEY’S CAREER IN THE LSU GAME! THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THAT KIND OF B.S.! MR. GEATHERS PLAYED IN THE NFL, SO HE HAS A KEEN EYE FOR UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT, USED BY 0-LINEMEN WHO ARE PHYSICALLY OVERMATCHED! JUST BECAUSE KWAME IS HUGE, DOES NOT MAKE HIM A VICTIM OF CHEAP SHOTS!!!!

cmdawg99

October 20th, 2011
4:15 am

What’s next Slive? You going to suspend the offensive line for holding. and creating a 3 and 57. What a joke!!!!!

typicalNCAAbs

October 20th, 2011
5:23 am

I understand his frustration but isn’t the rule for throwing a punch ejection and suspension for the following game. His argument makes all the sense in the world but the NCAA has little or no sense. They prove that over and over again.

typicalNCAAbs

October 20th, 2011
5:34 am

Also how physically damaging is it to be punched with full pads on while on the ground? That’s not even close to what actually goes on in those pile ups. Now a flagrant clip that received high fives and thumbs up gets the same penalty? You don’t even have to be a GA fan to see that. Typical same old bs from the NCAA. HECK some players from Miami only got one game suspensions for that bs they ss

Gatormeat

October 20th, 2011
6:01 am

No one down here is surprised the lowly dogs are in trouble, they have been a disgraceful program for decades run by disgraceful people. For example, what really happened between V Dooley and that lady cop in New Orleans back in the day?

papadawg

October 20th, 2011
7:14 am

Use the old score rules and remember the guilty vandy players next year. Thank you Coach Grantham by standing up for your players.

uga1984

October 20th, 2011
7:23 am

I’m not one for conspiracies, but ever since Richt condoned the end zone celebration against UF several years ago, it appears that the refs have unfairly gone after UGA! Immediately the year after, the dogs were the most penalized teams in the country!!! Phantom calls like AJ Green’s endzone “celebration” against LSU which cost us the game, etc.

These infractions that UGA did against Vandy is nothing compared to what Fairley did ALL year last year. Or, Brandon Spikes eye gouging & the SEC did NOTHING!!!!

Border Dweller

October 20th, 2011
7:25 am

Vandy has lost what class they once had; they sholud be demoted to the ACC, where they can still play cheap and probably win a conference championship every few years. Just sayin…

Dawg Tired

October 20th, 2011
7:52 am

The father is absolutely right on this one. The SEC front office is, like the NCAA, a complete joke.

chase

October 20th, 2011
8:11 am

can’t view the video!!!!! anyone know where else I can find it

newnan_dawg1963

October 20th, 2011
8:32 am

coach ricth has a vagina. The only person that should be suspended is
that coach you call an offensive coordinator mike blow blow. Have you heard
of the position called tight end ? I know you have because it is that position
that when you use it IT WORKS! blow blow could not coach high school.

prpldawg

October 20th, 2011
8:52 am

TIME FOR ACTION!! NOT B/C OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GA-FL GAME, AND NON-CONF ARMY-VANDY GAME.

SEC AND NCAA AND ALL OTHER SIMILAR COLLECTIONS OF POLITICAL ENTITIES WHO HAVE TOO MUCH PIOWER AND ARE TO UNEQUEAL IN JUSTICE NEED TO BE SUBTRACTED FROM EARTH.

MY POINT: The non penalty for Spike the eye gouger, Fairly the hood, some guy who swung at an Ala player but missed last Saturday ( It does not count if you have a bad aim?)SEC waqnt to protect the fron runner for good image-period. I also point out the celebration epenalty on AJ against LSU, while fron runner UF had a different set of rules. I

Now apparently the SEC KING is going to force us fans to accept Missouri, or is ESPN forcing it? That means ESPN is now Commisssioner of the SEC.

Miami players fly to Vegas for extras and get less penalty than AJ for selling his own property. Ohio St gets a bowl game reprieve for what has turned out to be quite a bit of illegal stuff ( although at the start it was them selling their own property, too.) But OSU has different rules. The penalty is assessed when convenient.

I am sure fans of other schools have similar stories. JUSTICE SHOULD NOT MEAN WHAT INFLATES THE POCKET BOOK OR EGO OF THE POLITICLALLY POWERFUL.

prpldawg is exactly right

October 20th, 2011
9:14 am

If the SEC though we were in the National Title hunt, there would be no suspensions for risk of losing the BCS payouts. They make examples of what they believe ultimately to be of no consequence, while looking the other way (on the excuse of “someone else is handling it” e.g. Camgate) for infractions that might cost BCS status.

chase

October 20th, 2011
9:14 am

I back GRANTHAM and GEATHERS 100% and all of sudden when a Georgia player gets a personal foul (Shawn Williams) it is a suspension….

Man, if we start suspending every kid who gets a 15 yard personal foul penalty…THERE WILL BE NOBODY TO PLAY THE GAMES!!!

savdawg

October 20th, 2011
9:24 am

Franklin is the Willie Wonka of a candy ass football team. Geathers could have had his career ended by that flagrant, cheap shot. The SEC is all wrong here. See you in Athens next year, Franklin. You are going to get an ass whippin of biblical proportion.

Buckhead Bulldog

October 20th, 2011
9:58 am

CMR NEEDS to stand up for HIS players and what is right, instead OF calling HIS own PLAYERS crappy names, and then taking the PC duck move with the media, SEC and the Vandy coach. Screw that! We need a coach who roll up his sleeves and get down in the trenches with his players, instead of trying to look like Mr. Pretty Boy PC man. I like CMR, but I wish he would take a different approach.

Buckhead Bulldog

October 20th, 2011
10:02 am

May be time for Richt to go

October 19th, 2011
9:00 pm

You are RIGHT on!!!!

ROWYGCOUT

October 20th, 2011
10:09 am

vandy’s Oline were doing the same thing at the scar / vandy game. They are going for the knees, because that’s their only hope to stop an opposing SEC D.

ugab

October 20th, 2011
10:21 am

The hit was dirty. Geathers did react.. It is going to hurt the dawgs. Vandy comes out in the good. SEC should let the coaches decide which game to suspend the players. Ga has a much more important game to play.. Oh well!!! Let’s all move on.Thank god Geathers did not have a blown out knee.

Where have you gone Bill Stanfill?

October 20th, 2011
11:11 am

This Stewart punk should be indefinitely suspended and forced to pickup trash along some desolate Alabama highway along with that low-life horse’s-ass Ben Jones. Both of them suck! I have hated Jones since he got here. He is an A-hole, redneck with no class, a bad attitude and an extreme lack of discipline. Both of these punks resort to cheap shots when they are overmatched. At least Jones was forced to appologize. I will give him that. However, this sorry POS Stewart will never have to.
Vandy and lil Jimmy Franklin are now the media darlings for being whiny. UGA should from now on drop the hammer every time we play when lil Jimmy is the coach. I have always respected Vandy. Historically, they have always played with class even though outmatched in every facet of the game. They never give up and have always been gracious even in defeat. NOT ANYMORE! Lil Jimmy has now changed that. He will now get the same respect that the West Coast surfer gil Lane Kiffin gets. Jimmy you suck, you have never been anything and you never will be. You think you are going to be the next Steve Spurrier but guess what, not in this lifetime. At least Steve won a heisman, played in the pros, coached in the pros and started “winning” at Duke before he started shooting his mouth off. You haven’t done jack, with the exception of trying to attack a kid that is playing a game! Toe to toe with Grantham you would get killed physically, and mentally. Enjoy these two seasons in Nashville while you can, the Vandy alums won’t put up with your lack of class.

flo-ri-duh

October 20th, 2011
2:23 pm

Franklin took the opportunity to be the center of attention and to make it all about him.. He’s a whining cry baby.