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.
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1,565 comments Add your comment
Mind = Blown
June 29th, 2012
8:42 am
It blows my mind that he’s managed to stay on the team this long. Richt better start taking into account some additional factors besides talent level before recruiting these guys. I firmly believe this is Richt’s last chance to make an example of someone, otherwise he should be gone. Unacceptable.
I dropped my fried twinkie
June 29th, 2012
8:42 am
Were ALL the PEOPLE that posted CROWELL LOOKED like a BAD kid after just seeing his picture STILL WRONG or RACISTS?
Go Jackets
June 29th, 2012
8:43 am
altered gun, concealed weapon, I thought that stuff only happened near our campus. Thats what u get for recruiting Columbus…..(see Jasper Sanks)
Ted Striker
June 29th, 2012
8:43 am
Possessing a weapon in a school zone at 3:37 am? What school is that? An altered ID mark? This sounds bogus.
Corey Smith and NWA had it right. F the POPO.
NorthGaDawg
June 29th, 2012
8:43 am
All I can say is STUPID. When are these “gangstas” gonna grow up?? Yeah, I’m a bad man because I can throw away a possible NFL career worth millions just so I can carry my gun……
NOTSO FAST
June 29th, 2012
8:43 am
WOW…Just think what this young man had to look forward to. A great season in the SEC and a good size NFL contract worth more than some of us will ever make. Coach R has no choice but to say goodby to the young man.
Paul in NH
June 29th, 2012
8:43 am
I am a GT fan, but can people wait until most of the facts come out before throwing Crowell under the bus?
Maybe it's the culture.....
June 29th, 2012
8:43 am
as much as it is the student!
Cunk Rogers
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
Anybody remember a former running back from Columbus Carver named Jasper Sanks. He was supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread and ruined himself on drugs etc…Now Crowell, the #1running back in the country from the same high school. I think there is a curse in there somewhere.
Truth
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
Classy
K-Tech
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
You won’t beat Tech C-Dawg. Nice try
Jamal
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
It be the culture.
Bazooka Joe
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
K-Baby – if i am not mistaken, Jarvis Jones also went to Carver-Columbus so if we followed your advice he wouldnt be a dawg
ATL Guy
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
I read every week about UGA Players getting Arrested – Dawg Pound seems to be more fitting name then Athens Jail
GtDawg
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
I got a gun
Old School
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
“If it was a knife, what is the deal? What student has not altered and ID to be able to buy beer…big deal!”
Unbelievable!
Raiderbeater
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
Most of you don’t know that a pocket knife over 3.5″ can be considered a concealed weapon….wait and see the details.
Truth
June 29th, 2012
8:44 am
he was caught with a firearm on campus, i assume this breaks school rules not just team rules. i think this is out of Richt’s hands and into the schools
Jeffrey "Randall" Simmons
June 29th, 2012
8:45 am
Mark Richt should adopt him.
GO ZOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
corey simon
June 29th, 2012
8:45 am
UGA football what a joke!
Truth
June 29th, 2012
8:45 am
its not a knife. get real, open your eyes
Tucker
June 29th, 2012
8:46 am
That takes care of excuse #1 for not winning the 2012 SEC Championship. But who has time for championships anyway when pay raises and contract extensions are the top priority of the AD and the HC?
JW
June 29th, 2012
8:46 am
I dropped my fried Twinkie,
YES they are still racist!!!!!!!
Sam
June 29th, 2012
8:46 am
UGA beats Tech every year. Delicious tears.
Big Dawg
June 29th, 2012
8:46 am
How is this Richt’s fault? Did CMR steal the gun and scratch the serial number off and give it to IC? I think not. Richt cannot control what his players do every minute of every hour.
Glenn
June 29th, 2012
8:46 am
A good lawyer should be able to get him off on all charges. First, he had to have the intent to break the law. And my guess is that he had no clue carrying a concealed weapon was illegal as he probably has never personally read any of the state statutes. Also, I highly dought he’s seen/been present when anyone else has benn arrested for this offense so he had prior experience with this type of a situation. Finally, if this type of a matter was discussed with incoming freshmen when he stepped foot on campus at Athens, it’s probably he wasn’t listening to this section because he didn’t think any rules applied to him because he was the star of the class.
corey simon
June 29th, 2012
8:46 am
That football team is full of imposters. They will get mothing accomplished this year. Not a thing but losses.
The Warden
June 29th, 2012
8:47 am
Yea, y’all keep blaming Richt for a kids idiot decision making. Can’t pin this on Richt!
Yes, you can. When you recruit low class punks like Crowell, you get low class criminal behavior. And yet, Richt continues to do this year after year.
Some things never change at UGA.
Resident Georgia Fan
June 29th, 2012
8:47 am
Dismiss him.
Nothing Could Be Finer
June 29th, 2012
8:47 am
UGA #1Fan
June 29th, 2012
8:37 am
This hurts this morning. Crowell is the key to our National Championship hopes. Man this hurts. I’m going to have some beers for lunch for this.
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Report this comment
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National Championship?
REALLY?
HaHaHaHa
ernie
June 29th, 2012
8:47 am
as much as i fault richt for his failures, ya cant blame him for these incidents…..these young men make the wrong choices and they must be held accountable for them!! GO DAWGS!
corey simon
June 29th, 2012
8:47 am
@ Glenn
he sucks Glenn! Accept it dog fan
Nick
June 29th, 2012
8:47 am
So, he’ll be playing at LSU or Bama in a season or so then now.
Sam the Sham
June 29th, 2012
8:48 am
Were’nt the prospects who stole all the memorobilia from the UGA locker room from Columbus as well? Maybe be just a local cultural problem.
Miller
June 29th, 2012
8:48 am
Go figure and he waste all that talent because of what?
dawgnlex is a jabroni
June 29th, 2012
8:48 am
Spin this you sorry mutt fans.
buzz
June 29th, 2012
8:48 am
But he’s a five star, recruitn rankings are all that matters
Go Jackets
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
Not to defend the Dawgs, but why arent the players at Alabama EVER getting into trouble? I know their rules arent as tight as the two in-state schools, but man, really?
jarvis
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
Fellow Dawg fans….no way to deny this one. That kid is a bad person. He has no place at our University, and the sooner he is off the campus the sooner it will be a better and safer place.
Jim Grabasski
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
Enough. Dismiss him. Someone will pluck him off the trash pile.
I dropped my fried twinkie
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
He should be allowed to stay on the team and in school UNTIL the court case.
The School could get in trouble if they kick him out before he is PROVEN GUILTY……………Ruben Houston ring a bell?
This was NOT really a SCHOOL issue………the Legal Process might have to run it’ course before ANYTHING can be done to Crowell
Fan
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
Jasper Jr.
Marvin Mangrum
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
You know why they are so stupid? They be football players! Yep, you come thru school, you get your grades, the principal guarantees them. Then when they get to college the take recess 101, recess 102, basket weaving, all that stuff, they fail, then they are dropped. I would bet they have about one black graduating a year! 99% whites. Then on top of that they, the black players were raised in tha hood. Honestly other than the fact they are democrats for life, their ability to play football is it, they have no other talents! And you acting like it might is pretty silly. Its , to me, why it no longer is enjoyable. It should involve college qualified kids only. Period! If they did this, right now, it would improve the quality of learning in the ghetto. And, by golly thats where they coming from. And look here I bet Crowell wears his pants a foot below his waist!
Steamer Lane Bulldog
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
It is sad that these some of these kids can blow a chance, to become a productive human being. I don’t want to convict the kid before we really know all of the facts. That being said if he had a firearm on campus. His troubles will be far greater than being kicked off the football team.
K-Tech
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
Article about UGA player getting arrested and UGA fans have to make themselves feel better about poking at Tech. How sad.
We run this country! Go Jackets!!!
acdc1996
June 29th, 2012
8:49 am
The PROBLEM with UGA over the years has not been recruiting. They have recruited among the best. Their PROBLEM has been keeping those highly recruited players out of trouble and on the team. I remember an article that came out last year that mention the attrition UGA had experienced. While I do not think this is a huge blow because of the depth, it is just another high caliber player who has fallen by the way side at UGA.
I do not think this is on Coach Richt. I believe it is the culture people of the recruiting pool in GA. While we have had huge successes recruiting in GA, there has been some MAJOR disappointments.
Stewie
June 29th, 2012
8:50 am
And the implosion begins…
corey simon
June 29th, 2012
8:50 am
@ Nothing could be finer
This is just the beginning of the bottom falling out of this weak sec program. Stay tuned and keep drinking beer. You will need plenty of beer the way this season is going to turn out for the dogs.Will be very disappointing for several of the dog fans on this board
Rodster
June 29th, 2012
8:51 am
So long Crowell. What a dufus. Get rid of him now. No more discussion.
kingdaddy
June 29th, 2012
8:51 am
This kid had everything, everything. What a moron. What other players wete with him when he got caught???