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.

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.

1,565 comments Add your comment

LawDawg

June 29th, 2012
3:02 pm

The Truth: “My education tell me I am smarter.”

Maybe my favorite thing ever written.

Wreckmaniac

June 29th, 2012
3:02 pm

Pray for Crowell ? Not hardly. We need to be thankful that an innocent person wasn’t shot.

Dawg Haus

June 29th, 2012
3:02 pm

I agree, Beast. I just got back in town and am hesitant to read the 25 pages of comments I missed.

LawDawg

June 29th, 2012
3:03 pm

“My education tell me I am smarter.”

I’m sure it does.

Wasted

June 29th, 2012
3:03 pm

What a waste of TALENT and SCHOLARSHIP!!

LawDawg

June 29th, 2012
3:05 pm

I dropped my fried twinkie: Dude, seriously, learn the English language and the rules of capitalization before you post again. If you are over 11, the educational system has failed you.

Fair n Balanced

June 29th, 2012
3:05 pm

25 pages +. This guy really knows how to get attention. Hope he reads all these comments. He needs to!

kingdaddy

June 29th, 2012
3:05 pm

Twink,
I know…

Thogwummpy

June 29th, 2012
3:06 pm

“Learn from his mistake”?!?! How many mistakes must this BRAT make before he learns to grow up and be a man? Crowell has acted like a head case since the day he arrived in Athens—-and given that he’s accruing an entourage of other UGA players around his social life, it’s time to declare him toxic and send him to JuCo somewhere. That we, he has a door cracked open for a potential return if he gets his poop in a group. If not, good riddance…he can be someone else’s embarassment!

I dropped my fried twinkie

June 29th, 2012
3:06 pm

KingDaddy don’t take it bad. It is what it is when you have to compete in the SEC. SEC recruiters love to see the Fastest kid Stealing a loaf of bread from the Piggly Wiggly and out running the cops at 10 years old.

DIT

June 29th, 2012
3:07 pm

“Pray for Crowell ? Not hardly. We need to be thankful that an innocent person wasn’t shot.”

More of a reason to pray for him. He is not in a good place right now.

Big Crimson 75

June 29th, 2012
3:08 pm

king — cause Mustang Sally won’t stop calling him!! :-)

Jonkdawg

June 29th, 2012
3:08 pm

Always another chance…Go boy…Isiah Crowell!

kingdaddy

June 29th, 2012
3:09 pm

I’m taking a shower to wash off some of this stinkin trashy blog…

I dropped my fried twinkie

June 29th, 2012
3:09 pm

OBAMA

June 29th, 2012
3:09 pm

YES WE CAN, GO JACKETS

Snoop Dawg

June 29th, 2012
3:09 pm

Of course Richt doesn’t have any responsibility for this. Team discipline is an individual responsibility, right?

BiggDawgK

June 29th, 2012
3:10 pm

Will he end up at lsu or allyrbammy? Somehow criminal charges that stick to players in Athens magically disappear at both those “schools”.

Snoop Dawg

June 29th, 2012
3:10 pm

We run this state (penitentiary).

Jimmy Crack

June 29th, 2012
3:10 pm

This is just more offseason fodder for UGA-envy focus groups and lifeless techoids. Georgia has plenty of RBs and Crowell was a shoe waiting to drop.

I dropped my fried twinkie

June 29th, 2012
3:10 pm

Bi Cri………..even I wouldn’t go THERE. Mustang Sally is all hugged up with KING. Don’t START NOTH’N & WANT B NOTH’N! LOL

BiGame

June 29th, 2012
3:11 pm

What a joke of a school that has more arrests than wins in the past couple of years! Richt should keep recruiting the 4 and 5-star recruits that end up starring in life w/ stripes. Pastor Richt will make this right: 2 game suspension probably against some pansy schools since UGA has just about a high school level schedule…w/ the exception of a couple of schools that regularly beat UGA.

kingdaddy

June 29th, 2012
3:12 pm

BC
Never had a problem getting em, its getting them to leave, lol…

Waushaun Easy

June 29th, 2012
3:12 pm

…… Jacksonville State will take Isaiah.

Jesus Freakin Christ

June 29th, 2012
3:13 pm

Another example of a fine Christian young man….dirtball

Jonkdawg

June 29th, 2012
3:13 pm

He didn’t steal he didn’t rob nobody he didn’t have sex with your little sis or your mama,,,he didn’t beat you up he just wanna be stupid that’s all folks, Ga haters!

Mark Richt

June 29th, 2012
3:13 pm

Ray Goff

June 29th, 2012
3:13 pm

This is not news! Georgia football players and coaches flunk out and go to jail every other day. Go Dawgs!

RedandBlackDAWG

June 29th, 2012
3:14 pm

Hugh Nadds

June 29th, 2012
1:56 pm

Suppose somebody comes forward and says I put the gun under the seat without my sons knowledge. The car does not belong to him, does it? Do you think he is charged then? Try to win that case in court.
You have proven my point once again. If he is guilty then he will pay the price. Without all of the facts, you seem to think you are somehow the judge already. I will admit, he hasn’t exactly been a model student thus far, but since the evidence is not all in as of right yet, I do not believe it is fair to convict him, until it is. Suppose, the other occupants of the car and he all pass a drug test. Where does that leave the policemen in this case. A good defense lawyer could argue that the officers did not have probable cause to ask to search the car. And they still have to be able to link the gun to him. Otherwise, he will be found not guilty.

I dropped my fried twinkie

June 29th, 2012
3:14 pm

BiggDawgK
June 29th, 2012
3:10 pm

Will he end up at lsu or allyrbammy? Somehow criminal charges that stick to players in Athens magically disappear at both those “schools”.

___________________________________________________

Like the Old Way when youthful offenders were sent in the Military and they NEVER had issues after LEARNING DISCIPLINE for a REAL MAN(unlike Richt’s Wishy Washy Christian morals)?

Al Sharpton

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

Damn bro, dat racial profiling got to stop

Big Crimson 75

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

twink — She’ll have to fight off Jose’ for his attention tonight!!

King — as I see it, it’s no real loss for the Program. Good riddance. Y’all are probably better off without him. Make no mistake, the kid has got to go!! Y’all can’t keep him around for another blunder. If ya do & He screws up again, the whole Operation is blown to pieces!!

Mark Richt

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

I know how to make a good sandwich

Bo Blue

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

His mother set him up. What will you think of next.

Win. P.

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

Athens-Clarke vehiclecheck-point/road block program is successful. Is IC an illegal? Too late to deport him.

a country boy can survive

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

gentry ellis (sp) from dawgs 24/7 about to come on wjox in b’ham in 2 minutes…

I dropped my fried twinkie...

June 29th, 2012
3:16 pm

Dang, I’ve been on here since early AM…I’ll need to talk to you guys later. I was supposed to work the front door at Wal-Mart 15 minutes ago.

DIT

June 29th, 2012
3:17 pm

“unlike Richt’s Wishy Washy Christian morals”

Please explain this statement.
I believe you need to remove the plank from your own eye before you go after Mark Richt’s Christianity. My guess is that you are not even a Christian, yet it’s easy for you to go after Coach Richt.

7576DAWG

June 29th, 2012
3:20 pm

I guess Crowell should have gone to one of the Western schools like Texas. In Texas I doubt you could find many cars that don’t have at least one gun in them.
Crowell is saying that the gun was not his and since they didn’t find it on him he may get the charges reduced to misdemeanors or dismissed but if he does get out of this it should be a huge wake up call that whatever Georgia is doing to improve on Crowells character that it is falling way short of the mark and they needs to double the effort.
But, what is more important is the other guy’s in the car were very lucky not to be charged and each one of them should be taken aside and make sure they know what will not be tolerated at the University of Georgia. Richt has done a great job getting rid of the problem kids at Georgia and if there are still players that are going to be bad influence on the younger kids they need to go.
I know every kid can’t be an angel but there is a line everybody has to stay behind.

WnE

June 29th, 2012
3:20 pm

This only happened because CPJ is the head coach at GT, he can’t recruit ELITE talent, and he runs the triple SLoption high school offense.

Jonkdawg

June 29th, 2012
3:21 pm

You are Absent when i am Struggled, don’t be Present when I am Success!

Gator Fan

June 29th, 2012
3:21 pm

If they threw the book at him he probably couldn’t read it…

I dropped my fried twinkie

June 29th, 2012
3:21 pm

DIT…………..at some point you have to go OLD TESTAMENT on these kids. This We Love You. You Can Do Better. We FORGIVE YOU Your Mistakes has to STOP.

jdawgs

June 29th, 2012
3:22 pm

For all of you idiots on this blog, it is not illegal to carry a concealed handgun in your vehicle in georgia, and you don’t have to “register” a hand gun in georgia or have a weapons permit to have it in your vehicle. Matter of fact, it is illegal for any municipality or gun dealer to require you to register your gun in georgia. When you by a handgun you must pass a background check bc it is illegal for a convicted felon to buy a handgun….that is it…no such thing as registering a hand gun in georgia. BACK off IC until the facts sort themselves out and let criminal justice system work itself out. There is no need for this 19 year old kid to be put on trial by the AJC bloggers! Shame on the AJC for allowing this blog to continue!

TampaGator

June 29th, 2012
3:23 pm

darb…..

What country is your heritage? Please go back there. White American (the people who make movies, videos, etc. etc…..have created our culture of violence (to make millions…no billions)…..of which about 73 percent of all teenagers today…..not just black teenagers….watch on a regular basis. If you think our world is violent, just wait until today’s middle schoolers hit adulthood. But don’t worry too much…..they are too lazy to do too much harm to everyone.

Brandon Spikes

June 29th, 2012
3:24 pm

Just suspend him for the first half of the Buffalo game.

Glenn

June 29th, 2012
3:24 pm

jdawgs, he had a concealed weapon (under the seat) with the serial number removed so it wasn’t licensed, so yes, just being in possession of this firearm WAS a felony according to the GA stautes.

I dropped my fried twinkie...

June 29th, 2012
3:24 pm

When I dropped my fried twinkie, I had to bend over…well, then, you know the rest of the story…after all, I do live in Midtown with a lisp. Say this out loud: “Your mistakes ‘has’ to stop”. Wow…impressive, aren’t I?

spikeknows

June 29th, 2012
3:25 pm

Isaiah Crowell Heisman winner 2014 Auburn Tigers LOL

Had enough

June 29th, 2012
3:25 pm

This seems like the same old tune.