UPDATE III: Georgia TB Isaiah Crowell dismissed after weapons arrest
Georgia tailback Isaiah Crowell, who rushed for 850 yards as a freshman last season, was expected to start for the Bulldogs this fall. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
UPDATED: CROWELL DISMISSED FROM TEAM
ATHENS – Georgia tailback Isaiah Crowell has been dismissed from the team following his arrest early Friday morning on three weapons charges.
Georgia coach Mark Richt made the announcement in short news release sent out by UGA Sports Communications at 5 p.m. on Friday.
“We have a dedicated and committed group of men who are working hard to prepare for the coming season,” Richt said. “Our total focus will be directed toward the team and this effort.”
Crowell, a sophomore from Columbus, was booked at 3:37 a.m. on charges of possessing a concealed weapon, having a weapon in a school zone and having an altered ID mark on that weapon. His bond, originally set at $7,500, was raised to $9,500 late Friday morning. According to booking records, Crowell was released early Friday afternoon.
According to the police report, four other Georgia football players were also in Crowell’s vehicle, including three 2012 freshman signees. Those persons were outside linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons, wide receiver Blake Tibbs and defensive back Sheldon Dawson. Also present was sophomore defensive back Quintavius Harrow. None of the four were charged.
According to Athens-Clarke police spokesperson Hilda Sorrow, Crowell was arrested at a “vehicle check-point” — or road block — on East Campus Road at Green Street at 2:20 a.m. Friday. Officer Kathryn Thornton reported smelling the odor of marijuana in Crowell’s silver four-door 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. Crowell gave consent to search the vehicle, himself and four other occupants. No marijuana was discovered but a black 9-mm Luger handgun with an altered serial number was found under the driver’s seat. Crowell was immediately arrested and taken to jail.
According to the police report, Crowell denied knowing the gun was in the car and said people drive the vehicle. He. The owner of the vehicle is listed as Crowell’s mother Debbie. The report also indicted that the five were coming from the nightclub Aftermath, where Crowell said the smell of marijuana originated.
The police report also indicated that Crowell has no criminal history.
Crowell’s mother, Debbie, was clearly distressed when reached by telephone Friday. “I don’t want to talk to a reporter right now,” she said. “”If I want to talk to anybody it’s God.”
Crowell, who came to UGA in 2011 as the No. 1-rated running back prospect in America, was slated to start for the Bulldogs at tailback this season. He rushed for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns as a freshman despite missing playing time due to suspensions and injuries. He was benched for the first quarter of the Vanderbilt game on Oct. 15 as a punishment for an undisclosed disciplinary infraction and he was suspended for the Nov. 5 New Mexico State game, reportedly for failing a drug test.
With Crowell out of the fold, Georgia will turn to redshirt sophomore Ken Malcome and senior Richard Samuel to carry the load early on, along with junior Brandon Harton. The Bulldogs also signed Keith Marshall of Raleigh, N.C. — the top running back prospect in the country, according to 247Sports.com — and four-star prospect Todd Gurley of Tarboro, N.C., to play running back. Marshall enrolled in January.
Marshall and other running backs were offering support for Crowell via Twitter.
“Pray for Isaiah & that he will learn from his mistake,” wrote Marshall from @Truthh4.
Derrick Henry, a highly-touted running back prospect from Florida who once was committed to Georgia, also weighed in via his Twitter account, @KingHenry_2: “Pray for Crowell instead [of] bashing him . . . because everyone wasn’t raised the same. . . . So everyone should just pray he sees a better way”
More information to come when it’s available.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,565 comments Add your comment
FRED
June 29th, 2012
10:30 am
Get rid of him now this kid is to stupid for any team.
Ben
June 29th, 2012
10:30 am
For all of u writing about registered guns there is no such thing in southern states. That’s a phenomenon in places like Chicago and New York where strict gun control laws are on the books. Here in GA it is illegal to register a gun. The only registration that ever happens is the ATF form 4473(yellow sheet) that’s filled out and kept on file by the dealer who sells u a gun. This form is kept on file by the dealer, not the ATF for 7 years as a starting point for an investigation if the gun turns up at a crime scene.
lol
June 29th, 2012
10:30 am
TampaGator
June 29th, 2012
10:27 am
lol….
Before I go……go look at the Florida roster…..my friend. Extemely talented….and very deep. Rising to the level this year totally depends on Driskell and or/Brissett. If they play well….Florida will be very, very good….this year.
Tampa Gator….you said the same thing last year at this time. We all appreciate your comments but we take your opinions like we do adding salt to our food, very very lightly due to your overconfidence levels the last couple of three years when it comes to your Gators.
P B Orr
June 29th, 2012
10:30 am
Is having a weapon under the seat a fashion statement, like bling and predator hair? I would avoid all athletes making fashion statements.
OldFan
June 29th, 2012
10:31 am
With Crowell’s history and background, the possibility of something like this happening was pretty strong. I’m an old white fart, and I’ve had a pistol under my car seat plenty of times. So, but for…this could have been a lot of us. But I haven’t been out at 2:30 am cruising the mean streets of Athens. I put some of the blame on the Athletic Department and the coaches for not heading this kind of thing off. Why don’t they hire keepers for these wayward youngsters and give them the job of calling a coach every time a player even looks as if he’s headed into possible trouble. The AD has the job of getting these players through college and on the field. They’re surrogate parents for young men. Crowell’s no kid, but he clearly needs someone whispering in his ear. It’s too late now for him and the team. Well done—to Crowell and all the idiots who let this happen.
GwinnettDad
June 29th, 2012
10:31 am
Sooner or later CMR has to be responsible for the type of punks he recruits.
St. Richt
June 29th, 2012
10:31 am
lol talking about another teams overconfidence is the post of the day.
Preseason #1 again! Just ask Mark Bradley!!!
o-my
June 29th, 2012
10:32 am
If he knew the gun was there ..why did he give police permission to search?
AAAAA Athens Bail Bonds R Us
June 29th, 2012
10:32 am
Any arrests this week?
Gator Fan
June 29th, 2012
10:32 am
TDAWG MONEY:
You need to know the law. Your car is considered an extension of your home and having a gun there is not considered a concealed weapon. It must have been on his person outside of the vehicle.
I dropped my fried twinkie
June 29th, 2012
10:33 am
Pete
June 29th, 2012
10:21 am
All reports say Crowell’s work ethic has done a 180. Sounds like he was really working to be a great player this year.Maybe he had so far to come, he hasn’t cleaned up his extracurriculum activities yet. His side needs to be heard. To see if he is defiant or sorrowful. To see if it is workable, if he wants to straighten out.
WTF?………………He will be SORROWFUL………cause he KNOWS for sure his chances of getting to the NFL went from 80%( only 2% of college players make it to the NFL) to around 10%.
He is still smoking DOPE. He doesn’t FEAR the UGa pee testing policy either.
o-my
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
Don’t say to much are you’ll Pelosi and Al Sharpenton down here..racist in action.
BIGDAWGFAN
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
well LSU will be getting him
na
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
It never ceases to amaze me that someone who has the potential to be great and to earn a great deal of money in the future, would just throw it away. Drugs, guns, felonies,———— just stupid———— there is no place in college for this kind of stupidity——— if he makes these decsions in life, he can not make good decsions on a football field………….good riddance
Nothing Could Be Finer
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
I thought Crowell was the next Lattimore?
italian_29
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
I just cannot imagine having the opportunity that Crowell had and just FLUSHING it down the toliet like he has. If this guys could stay out of trouble for a few years, he could be earning MILLIONS in the league for playing a game. HOW STUPID!!!!
Atlanta87
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
Crowell may be a “special” case, but this shows that Richt’s players show a complete lack of respect towards him and their teammates. You would think if players were worried about being kicked off the team, they wouldn’t do stupid stuff like this. Unfortunately for the rest of the SEC, this is great news for the UGA football team, assuming he is kicked off the team.
uga gun runs this state
June 29th, 2012
10:34 am
Towdawg
Q: May I carry at technical schools and colleges?
A: No! However, a person with a Georgia Weapons License may carry a firearm while dropping off or picking up a student and also may keep a firearm in a motor vehicle while parked on campus.
so if he was over 21 and had a license he could keep one in a vehicle while parked ..
Bronc
June 29th, 2012
10:35 am
I knew that Thud would screw up again…better off anyway..
Keith Marshall will start 2nd game…
lol
June 29th, 2012
10:35 am
For those who think that being intimidated by your coach is not important, please go look at the Rival survey at last weeks 5 star camp and notice who 30 student athletes said was the most scary visiting. That same guy has won 3 BCS titles. Your Head Coach cannot be a buddy to his players, he needs to carry a bigger stick or bigger gun( in IC’s case) to show who is running the program.
Phil
June 29th, 2012
10:35 am
Did he hurt his ankle while getting arrested??
Ben
June 29th, 2012
10:35 am
If he knew the gun was there ..why did he give police permission to search?
————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Yes that was stupid. They were looking for DUIs and drugs and since no drugs were found they had to get him on something but letting them search was stupid.
GTBob
June 29th, 2012
10:35 am
Keep recruiting guys like this and stories like this will keep coming out. Its as simple as that.
Big Crimson 75
June 29th, 2012
10:36 am
Listen to all the LSU talk.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Dwag Nation wishes they had Mettenberger instead of Murray!!!
Karen
June 29th, 2012
10:36 am
He is just preparing for the NFL. I’m sure that gun will belng to one of his friends and will have known NOTHING about it. I’m sure his friend will even testify to that. He will do well for UGA next season.
Nothing Could Be Finer
June 29th, 2012
10:36 am
Bronc
June 29th, 2012
10:35 am
Keith Marshall will start 2nd game…
————————————————–
……..by default.
MichaelP
June 29th, 2012
10:36 am
Pretty sure NO Student is allowed to possess a firearm on Campus.
Pretty sure he will be dismissed from school much less athletics.
As it should be.
TampaGator
June 29th, 2012
10:37 am
lol……
One more before I go…….a lot of national publications agree with what I said. Some have the Gators in the top 10. And a lot of pubs agreed with me last year too. The Gators started off in the top 20 last year. Of course, everyone thought Brantley would play much better in Weis’ system. He didn’t…because he was just a horribe game day QB. He was great on the practice field….ask any NFL scout that observed him during last year’s fall practices.
Bob in Sandy Springs
June 29th, 2012
10:38 am
A B C ya….Bye Bye….
If you are ignorant enough to continue to violate the law and team rules, you don’t deserve your free ride scholarship…..
na
June 29th, 2012
10:38 am
Phil—sounds like he just twisted his head——— maybe while in jail he can ask for a breather and they will let him sit outside
Art Vandalay
June 29th, 2012
10:38 am
Looks like Georgia has the early lead for the Fulmer Cup again
Big Crimson 75
June 29th, 2012
10:39 am
Bob — “guys like this” can be molded and turned into men by the right Coach & the right Place.
Unfortunately, Ga doesn’t have the right Coach nor is it the right place!!
lol
June 29th, 2012
10:39 am
TampaGator
June 29th, 2012
10:37 am
lol……
One more before I go…….a lot of national publications agree with what I said. Some have the Gators in the top 10. And a lot of pubs agreed with me last year too. The Gators started off in the top 20 last year. Of course, everyone thought Brantley would play much better in Weis’ system. He didn’t…because he was just a horribe game day QB. He was great on the practice field….ask any NFL scout that observed him during last year’s fall practices.
No one is doubting the talent at UF, They are loaded, however changing coaches, schemes and now this year changing coordinators will cause a few problems, but getting Bama off the schedule allows one more in the win column which is big in the SEC East.
Milburn Drysdale
June 29th, 2012
10:39 am
Just send him back to Columbus. They have quite a few freshmen RBs waiting in the wings anyway. And Twinkie Boy, you think MR has any control over what players do at 3am. What an idiot.
St. Richt
June 29th, 2012
10:40 am
When MJ smoke is wafting from the vehicle the police don’t have to ask permission to search.
Big Crimson 75
June 29th, 2012
10:40 am
Bob — “guys like this”
Nice code for black.
Ron Burgundy
June 29th, 2012
10:40 am
I am a Tech fan but this is just sad for Crowell. The kid had the chance to get a free education, play for a top football program and possibly play in the NFL. At the least, he could have graduated and gotten a decent job. How can he screw that up so much?
BIGDAWGFAN
June 29th, 2012
10:40 am
so what he is still smoking he would be taking himself out of games like last season hard to breathe when you smoking
sav'h dawg
June 29th, 2012
10:40 am
Did DFACS take the little bulldog puppy?
I dropped my fried twinkie
June 29th, 2012
10:40 am
o-my
June 29th, 2012
10:32 am
If he knew the gun was there ..why did he give police permission to search?
If he didn’t they had Probable cause with the odor of WEED. if you tell the cops NO you can’t search they will work twice as hard looking for Probable Cause.
Fan
June 29th, 2012
10:41 am
@GTBob
Give me a break. You know darn well if he had any interest in Tech out of HS you would have been glad to have him. Tech offered him a scholarship too, so technically your team recruited him as well.
St. Richt
June 29th, 2012
10:41 am
I’ll tell you how Ron Burgundy…when you think you’re bigger than the program. I.e. missing man formation.
Motocross Survivor
June 29th, 2012
10:42 am
I ain’t no Dawg fan, but isn’t it legal to carry a firearm in one’s car, hidden? A felony for this? I don’t get it. Are they being a bit harsh on the boy?
bubba king
June 29th, 2012
10:42 am
Gator fan….that is idiotic….any gun not in plain view of an officer…I.e, under the car seat, is a concealed weapon….u need to know the law…glove box, console, trunk=consealed!!!
George Stein
June 29th, 2012
10:42 am
Perhaps we should hold off on convicting him for a bit.
However, if Richard Samuel gets a chance, it’s difficult to envision another player who is more deserving than he. He has been a tremendous representative of your school and will certainly play hard and likely well.
GTBob
June 29th, 2012
10:43 am
Bob — “guys like this”
Nice code for black.
No, really its not. There is a big difference between Crowell and Keith Marshall.
HBacker
June 29th, 2012
10:43 am
Boy, did Richt ever blow it thinking Washaun Ealey didn’t deserve to be the premeire back.
Washaun Ealey, with his 11 td’s and over 5.3 yards per carry looks a lot better than Crowell’s 5 td’s, 4.5 ypc, and arrest issues, huh?
Safe to say, looking back, letting Washaun Ealey slip through his fingers was the biggest mistake Richt ever made in his career.
Karma…..
Ben
June 29th, 2012
10:43 am
Pretty sure NO Student is allowed to possess a firearm on Campus.
Pretty sure he will be dismissed from school much less athletics.
As it should be.
—————————————————————————————————
That will be interesting to reconcile since UGA is a public university and GA law specifically allows guns in cars in parking lots. There may be some policy for athletes to follow but legally a person over 21 can keep a weapon in their vehicle.
lol
June 29th, 2012
10:43 am
You know back in my day, and I am plus 50 our college coach ( back then the coaches could be around us during the summer months) would have the entire team on campus at 5 in the morning the very next day running us until we were puking as a lesson to us all that this type of behavior was the teams responsiblity to monitor and control( of course back then we did not have a Gun problem) and we did control it back in the (then allowed) athletic dorms.
Man times have changed.
WILDHOG2012
June 29th, 2012
10:44 am
WOW!!!!!!!! maybe recruiting ga running backs is something ga needs to stop doing. ealey,king,and crowell have really messed it up for other running backs in ga. I have been a ga boy all my life and i will die one but even i would really think twice about recruiting a running back out of ga!!! I just can’t see how these guys could mess up so bad when a whole state is rooting for you and depending on you to reprent our state like you should!!! It is time to turn the page on crowell and it is sad because i have been rooting for him since he was in the 10th grade when i first saw him play!! Just dissapointing WTF!!!!