Isaiah Crowell among 3 tailbacks suspended for failing drug tests (UPDATED)
Updated throughout . . .
ATHENS – Three Georgia tailbacks – including star freshman Isaiah Crowell – have been suspended for Saturday’s New Mexico State game for failing UGA-administered drug tests last week, two sources familiar with the process and the decision confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Crowell, junior Carlton Thomas and redshirt freshman Ken Malcome will have to sit out 10 percent of the Bulldogs’ competition dates, as is UGA Athletic Association policy for a first-time violation of the student-athlete drug policy. The tests, which revealed marijuana use, were administered last week and the results were confirmed via private lab on Tuesday, the sources said.
Georgia coach Mark Richt would not confirm the reasons for the suspensions beyond his statement that it was for “violation of team policies.”
“We have certain standards in all that we do and their actions do not reflect the Georgia way,” Richt said in a statement released by UGA Sports Communications on Tuesday afternoon. “They will serve their suspensions, learn a lesson and I’m sure will be better men for it.”
Richt failed to mention the suspensions during his half-hour weekly news conference two hours before the news release was sent. He was asked about both Crowell and Malcome during that session with the media. Richt declined subsequent interview requests through UGA spokesperson Claude Felton. None of the players involved were made available.
Meanwhile, No. 2 tailback Richard Samuel underwent season-ending ankle surgery on Tuesday morning, meaning the Bulldogs (6-2) will be down to their fifth-string ball carrier when they play the Aggies (3-5) this weekend at Sanford Stadium.
Sophomore Brandon Harton, junior Wes Van Dyk and freshman Kyle Karempelis as the only true tailbacks available to play Saturday. Harton (5-foot-6, 174 pounds) and Van Dyk (6-0, 203) are both former walkons who were awarded scholarships this past summer. Karempelis (5-9, 180) is a first-year walkon out of The Wesleyan School in Norcross. Only Harton, with 11 carries for 33 yards, and Van Dyk, with one for one yard, have played in a game this season.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo indicated after practice Tuesday night that Harton and Karempelis would be the Bulldogs’ first two options. Georgia could also utilize fullback Zander Ogletree in the running game.
“I think it’s an opportunity for a lot of guys to step up,” Bobo said. “We may have to change some things up and do some things different to move the ball. Other guys have to step up and make plays. I feel confident in those two guys and Ogletree and the backs and tight ends and receivers we have to move the ball.”
The Bulldogs could also give offensive snaps to defensive backs Brandon Boykin and/or Branden Smith, both of whom have played often on offense this season. And Bobo also dropped the names of two freshmen: Safety Nick Marshall and cornerback Damian Swann.
“There’s a lot of guys out there could be possibilities,” Bobo said.
It is the second suspension of the season for Crowell, who missed the first quarter of the Vanderbilt game for an academic-related issue. Thomas also missed the season opener due to a suspension for another undisclosed violation of team rules.
Crowell’s coach at Carver-Columbus High School, Dell McGee, traded text messages with him on Tuesday.
“I just reminded him of where he came from and not to take things for granted because they can be taken away from you,” McGee said.
Crowell was rated the No. 1 running back prospect in country when he signed with Georgia last February. He currently leads the Bulldogs with 689 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns.
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity insisted that the suspensions were not delayed discipline disciplinary actions from the week of the Florida game.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “We don’t pick when we do certain things. When certain things are found, we act right then.”
According to UGA Athletic Association student-athlete handbook, a one-game suspension can be the result of violations of three different policies: Drugs, alcohol or academics. But a violation of any policy cannot be enforced at a coach’s discretion.
“At the point a violation is discovered, if a suspension is required the penalty is enforced for the next competition,” Georgia senior Felton said. “Whatever the infraction was, it would have occurred this week.”
Georgia athletes are subject to preseason drug tests in every sport, random drug tests by the NCAA and periodic/non-random tests by the athletic association. In most cases it takes five to seven days for a lab to analyze the results.
– Chip Towers
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1,146 comments Add your comment
David Granger
November 1st, 2011
11:21 pm
After the Florida game, immediately following the post-game interview, Coach Richt ran down to the end zone to boogie around and dance with the team. Then (in the locker room) he led them in a couple of choruses of “Rocky Top”, because Tennessee was playing SC later on.
Can you EVER really have team discipline, when the head coach tries to be just another “one of the guys”?
TRUTH AT UGAG
November 1st, 2011
11:21 pm
THE DRUG VIOLATIONS BY THOSE THREE WAS RUMORED LAST FRIDAY! WE TURN OUR HEADS TILL IT IS A GOOD TIME. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO CREDITABILITY?
tampagator
November 1st, 2011
11:23 pm
AltamahaDawg go back to doing your sister you inbred country ####. I hope your team doesn’t win another game this year.
Richard Cranium
November 1st, 2011
11:26 pm
I think I’ll go out and celebrate by SMOKING WEED…
Stay classy UGAg.
SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY…..
beanster
November 1st, 2011
11:29 pm
Another classy comment from our Gator friends. Thank you, Tampa.
RamboDog
November 1st, 2011
11:32 pm
Hey, Tampa Gator…wasn’t it your mother that Rainey said “time to die, bitch”??
Suck it you loser.
AltamahaDawg
November 1st, 2011
11:33 pm
Really, you’re not pulling for my team now? gosh.
beanster
November 1st, 2011
11:33 pm
Well, apparently we didn’t make the top 7 stories on Sportscenter. Thank God for Toledo vs N. Illinois barnburner.
AltamahaDawg
November 1st, 2011
11:34 pm
I’m frankly not sure that your team CAN win another game this year.
tampagator
November 1st, 2011
11:36 pm
You all suck. We can’t help our administration was stupid and hired one of the worst offensive coordinators on planet earth. Be sure birdhair Richt prays for yall in church. Then he’s got to get back to cheating. Stupid redneck richard suckers.
uga3xsuperbowlmvp
November 1st, 2011
11:39 pm
georgia tech will always be georgia’s little bitch beating you is almost as sure as tomorrow is weds
RamboDog
November 1st, 2011
11:41 pm
tampagator, you are drunk and need to go to sleep. Let the dog in and lock the trailer door…good night.
Golf-One
November 1st, 2011
11:46 pm
Why did the coach did not just suspend them for 2 Practice sessions???About the same differance
tampagator
November 1st, 2011
11:50 pm
go eat a d!ck ugasuperbowl & rambodawg.
tampagator
November 1st, 2011
11:51 pm
make it a double d!ck samich supreme bi@tches. We own you. 17 out of the last 20.
Golf-One
November 1st, 2011
11:55 pm
I think the report said they failed a drug test?
beanster
November 1st, 2011
11:56 pm
^^^This must be a different poster than TampaGator. No way is that guy is this bush league. He can be a jerk but he usually doesn’t act like he’s in 6th grade.
Hairy Perry
November 1st, 2011
11:56 pm
tampa gator,
How many touchdown’s have you scored for UF, tackles, interceptions. You’re a foul mouth bitter loser that rides the coat tales of a college football team because you are nothing. OUCH!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
November 1st, 2011
11:59 pm
Hairy Perry………….and you do the same damn thing on the blogs too. Who are you trying to fool?
Hairy Perry
November 1st, 2011
11:59 pm
Oh yeah tampa,
Hope you enjoyed them game with your loser gaotors getting their butts kicked, and ACTUALLY we
own you with a series lead of 48-40. Who’s the chump. CHUMP.
Truthometer
November 2nd, 2011
12:00 am
TampaGator is a Nerd Institute poser……he is all over their blogs on a regular basis spouting his nonsense
tampagator
November 2nd, 2011
12:00 am
@hairyperry, your name should actually be hairy bush b/c your v@jina needs to be shaved. You can go eat a d!ck samich also. The fried kind. OHOHOHOH.
Hairy Perry
November 2nd, 2011
12:01 am
Still@the bar,
No sir you don’t like me because I know you are a lonesome loser.
Hairy Perry
November 2nd, 2011
12:02 am
Still@theUGAblog,
Hey winner!
Eaassyy
November 2nd, 2011
12:04 am
ESPN is wrong A LOT.
Hairy Perry
November 2nd, 2011
12:05 am
tampa gator,
People like you are a waste of skin.
tampagator
November 2nd, 2011
12:05 am
hope this lack of institutional control will be the final thing that gets bird hair fired. Then you can all eat d!ck samiches until you hire a new coach. plz take charlie thx
beanster
November 2nd, 2011
12:05 am
@TampaGator — You’re going to let this little short bus guy steal your handle like that?
Eaassyy
November 2nd, 2011
12:05 am
Fried D samich?
That is weird.
What are you toking tampa?
tampagator
November 2nd, 2011
12:08 am
eaassy not as weird as your mom’[s v@jina. did she cr@p out 20 kids or what? that sh!z looks like a blown out truck tire.
ED
November 2nd, 2011
12:09 am
LET THE BROTHER , OGLETREE RUN THE BALL. HE CAN POUND IT LIKE HE DID AT NEWNAN. CUT CROWELL, HE WILL NEVER GET PAST NEXT YEAR. ANOTHER LOSER WITH A BIG HEAD. COACH T SAID HE HAD DOWNTOWN ITUS AND HE WAS RIGHT. WHAT A WASTE OF TALENT…..
Hairy Perry
November 2nd, 2011
12:11 am
Still@thebar,
You know I actually feel bad about what I just said to you. You have to admit though you do spend alot of time on here. I’ver never seen somebody invest so much time in something as meaningless as UGA football as you would have us believe.
Hairy Perry
November 2nd, 2011
12:13 am
Hasta Luego!
tampagator
November 2nd, 2011
12:13 am
fried d!ck samiches to all and to alllll a good night. later bi@tches. we own you.
Gator Bait
November 2nd, 2011
12:22 am
“Drug tests generally take five to seven days to process.” That is complete BS.
The suspensions were delayed so they could play against Florida and be back for Auburn. Richt is a fraud and a hypocrite. I hope he stays at UGA a long time so the Gators will keep dominating the dogs. Pathetic
beanster
November 2nd, 2011
12:27 am
How many variations of Gator Fan can we come up with to fool stupid Dawgs fans that think anyone really cares at 12:22 a.m.?
beanster
November 2nd, 2011
12:31 am
You should try Al E.Gator. That would be unique.
THE DAWGS D RULES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 2nd, 2011
12:33 am
ISIAH ITS TIME TO MAN UP,BE A MAN AND CUT THE CRAP OR GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.YOU ARE PLAYING FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED TALENT REPRESENT OR GIVE UP,ITS TIME TO BE A MAN!
THE DAWGS D RULES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 2nd, 2011
12:34 am
HEY GATOR BAIT STOP WHINING AND GO TO BED
THE DAWGS D RULES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 2nd, 2011
12:36 am
GATORS IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW ROCKS!
Yellow Maggot Killer
November 2nd, 2011
12:45 am
Once again, CMR has made us look foolish !!!! His incompetence knows no bounds ! When are the punks and Knotheads he brings in stop ? Oh yeah, NEVER !!!! Quotes:
A) ” I woke up and thought it would be great to sign the best players in Georgia” WOW , really ! B). ” Ken’s healthy and he knows what to do. C) ” I sat Crowell because I love him”. Obfuscation at best . . . DOWNRIGHT CHICANERY AT WORST.
If HIS players had ANY respect for a man fighting for his job WHY act like this ???
Because they dont respect him much less fear him!!!
Again CMR’S FAULT !!!!!
CMR HAS RUN OUT OF HIS GIMMICKS & OTHERS TO BLAME . . . and i’ve run out of
patience . . .
enjoy your Honduran vacation. . .
P.S. Did they get the weed from Ruben Houston ?????????????
.
Truthometer
November 2nd, 2011
12:50 am
tampagator….they need your help on the nerd blog. Fellow nerds are getting beat down like an after school program with the atheletes
GT75
November 2nd, 2011
1:23 am
I wrote this on this blog in January when Ealey was in trouble. I Crowell is Richt’s creation.
“It is interesting to read about Ealey because of the parallel to Crowell. Both were highly regarded coming out of high school. Ealey behaved badly in the playoffs, spitting on an opponent. Crowell behaved badly on the sidelines during the playoffs. Ealey went on to lose that game, the finals of “A” class. Crowell went on to lose that game as well, the semi-finals of the “AA” class. Ealey got to UGA and behaved badly because he had a feeling of entitlement and thought the rules did not apply to him. How do you create this mentality? By doing things like making upper classmen line up in formation leaving a spot open for a high school recruit. How do you think those upper classmen felt, especially the running backs. Every team I’ve played on or heard of the freshmen were treated as scum of the earth until they proved otherwise on the field. Crowell will go to UGA thinking he is annointed the team savior and will behave accordingly. That’s how you create a prima donna. Ealey is Richt’s creation.”
GT75
November 2nd, 2011
1:34 am
I also wrote this when Crowell signed with UGA.
“I don’t doubt that he is a very good back, but I just don’t think that he is the next coming of Herschel as many UGA fans think. His stats are good, but look at every 2* running back and they have the same or better stats. I think in order to be considered great (1) you have to be a man amongst boys even in all-star games. He did not do that, he looked very ordinary in the Army game. (2) you have to play thru pain and minor injuries. He did not do that, none of the injuries could have been that serious otherwise he would have been out for the season, a rug burn is not a reason to leave the most important game of the year (3) you have to win championships. He did not do that. He may end up proving me wrong, but to anoint him the savior of Tailback U is premature”.
West Coast Dawgfan
November 2nd, 2011
1:48 am
GT75, just curious but do you really save all your past comments? Did you also save the one where you predicted the Jackets would roll over UGA last November?
But your point about Crowell is on the mark. He has a major ego problem and unfortunately it’s probably too late to get it back in check. We’ll see how his off-season goes but I’m predicting more “off-field issues” for him.
GT75
November 2nd, 2011
1:55 am
West coast Dawgfan – no you can do a search on AJC for old postings. I’m west coast also, hence the late blog. Also, after the season we were having I didn’t predict us winning anything at the end of last year. I usually don’t post on UGA blogs, but I couldn’t help saying I told you so, especially after all the abuse I got for the above postings from UGA fans.
Thomas Brown
November 2nd, 2011
2:37 am
TampaDawg November 1st, 2011 5:32 pm
“Failed drug tests are under the jurisdiction of the school and local law enforcement, not the NCAA.”
__________________________________________________
No. NCAA Drug Testing Program urine collection in view of same sex A & B sample split bottle pkg sealed sent to NCAA lab. Street drugs are harmful to health and athletic abilities and detract from athletic performance, and are also illegal while causing psychological dependence requiring more of the drug, impaired or reduced short-term memory, reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, decreased social inhibitions, impaired or reduced short-term memory, impaired or reduced comprehension, altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult, psychological dependence, impairments in learning and motivation. The tests are random as required by The NCAA and have been in place since I was a walk-on. The UGA refuses to hire pre-employment, fires employees who are positive during probationary 6 month period, and provides for drug education so that individuals such as yourself are more knowledgeable about which they speak in public as if an authority. Drugs are a dead end. Mark Richt has had a serious discipline issue in this area all 11 years. Why the AJ-C has failed to report that 3 weeks ago the Athens Banner-Herald reported Isaiah Crowell interview 1 day before Isaiah Crowell received the 1-quarter SUSPENSION vs Vandie : “There’s a lot of hits and pounding I get,” he said. “I didn’t want to get too banged up while I’m here. It’s just … I don’t know. It’s a lot of banging I have to get used to.” “I think I try to keep my feet moving and try to never take head contact,” he said. “I think that’s my main thing.” “I didn’t know it was going to be this tiring,” he admits. “It’s like, so much pressure and stuff on you. I didn’t know that, but I expected everything else. I knew it was going to be hard. Outside of football, that’s what I have to get used to.” “I think he’s learning that not every single play there’s going to be a lot of space,” Richt said. “It’s SEC football.”
Georgia: (1) 10 percent of games; (2) 50 percent of games; (3) dismissal.
Kentucky: (1) 10 percent of games; (2) 50 percent of games; (3) dismissal.
Florida: (1) none; (2) 10 percent of games; (3) 20 percent of games; (4) 50 percent of games; (5) dismissal.
Ole Miss: (1) none; (2) none; (3) three games.
Georgia Tech: (1) none; (2) 10 percent of games; (3) one year; (4) dismissal.
Clemson: (1) none; (2) none; (3) dismissal.
Please do not attempt to suggest on blogs that you have some excuse for stating that The NCAA does not have a Drug Testing Program that requires 1-year suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and dismissal for repeated violations, or to try to make it seem as if The NCAA is not the governing body for its regulations of street drugs. Failed Drug Test for Street Drugs are under the Jurisdiction of The NCAA and are applied at the school level for all NCAA schools. The penalties vary by school, therefore, under The NCAA Drug Testing Program Jurisdiction for Street Drugs. They get you nowhere. 10 minutes after using them, you need them again. It affects the student-athlete and affects the others whom he is competing against, and has a profound effect on our youth, which is why The NCAA specifically has Jurisdiction for its Testing of Street Drugs randomly as prescribed and at all championship events. Your knowledge is this area indicates you never competed at the collegiate level, sir.
Fair and Balanced
November 2nd, 2011
2:54 am
I knew Crowell was going to be a problem. Ga needs a new OC. Get 3 and 4 star people who come for a degree and who want to play ball at the best level possible. The cost of winning is paid more by coaching up vs “hiring” trouble making morons who think they are doing Ga a favor by coming. I’m sick of this stuff!
King
November 2nd, 2011
3:37 am
I reported this last week on 680theFan. Old news.
BigDawg
November 2nd, 2011
5:44 am
This might make Bobo put together an offense.