Isaiah Crowell chooses FCS school Alabama State over JUCO route
In a decision that will surely surprise some, ousted Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell has decided to transfer to Alabama State University.
Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow confirmed Crowell’s transfer in a phone conversation Thursday evening. He said the rising sophomore has already registered for classes at the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) school in Montgomery, Ala., and will begin classes on Monday. Pending the outcome of his court case on three weapons charges, Crowell will play football for the Hornets this fall.
“We’re going to show him how we do things and let him turn the page,” said Barlow, the Hornets’ coach since 2007. “We’re giving him an opportunity to start over.”
Crowell was dismissed by the Bulldogs this past Friday, just 13 hours after he was pulled over and arrested at a road block. He was charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor after a 9-mm Luger handgun with a scratched-off serial number was found underneath the driver’s seat of the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis he was driving. Crowell this week retained the services of high-profile Atlanta criminal defense lawyer Steve Sadow to represent him on those charges.
Barlow said Crowell’s legal troubles were taken into consideration and discussed at length among Alabama State administrators.
“The court system is the court system,” Barlow said. “That will be worked out over there [in Athens]. As far as us, he left Georgia in good academic standing. We know he’s a young man who has made some mistakes and has has learned from them and we’re going to give him a chance to restore his credibility.”
Crowell was Georgia’s leading rusher this past season with 850 yards and five touchdowns and was named SEC Freshman of the Year by The Associated Press. But he was twice suspended from games due to team policy infractions and was unable to play most of the last four games due to an ankle injury.
Barlow believes the Hornets are getting a very special player.
“Well, that’s an understatement,” said Barlow, a former NFL wide receiver. “If you’ve got eyes you’ve seen him. He can play. He’d be a great player on any level. We’ve had SEC players here before. It won’t be a walk in the park. But obviously he has some skills few others have.”
Barlow said there could be some unexpected good fortune in it for the Bulldogs. He said the last three times he has had players transfer to Alabama State from SEC schools, those schools went on to win national championships the coming season.
“That’s no lie,” he said of Alabama, Florida and Auburn. “I think there’s something to it. So tell the Bulldogs to be ready.”
NOTE: In other news Thursday, redshirt sophomore linebacker Brandon Burrows of Marietta has decided to transfer due to a lack of playing time or prospects at Georgia.
Burrows issued a statement through UGA.
“I came out of high school playing the defensive end position in a 4-3 defense which is what I truly love,” said Burrows, who was redshirted as a freshman in 2010 and missed the 2011 season due to a shoulder injury.”The coaching change here led to a 3-4 defense. I have worked with that transition but decided that I want to get back to playing defensive end. I think another program may give me the best opportunity to succeed at that. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity Coach Richt has given me at UGA and for the fact that he gave me an unconditional release. I know I’ll be hard-pressed to find a group of coaches and players that will develop into the leaders and friends that I have known here in Athens.”
Said coach Mark Richt: “Brandon is an outstanding person, student-athlete and has a wonderful family. We’ve enjoyed having him as part of our program and will provide whatever assistance we can in his transition. I am completely understanding of his decision and wish him nothing but the best.”
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313 comments Add your comment
909
July 6th, 2012
10:08 am
Math for Dummies
Caleb King + Washout Early + Idiot Crowell = ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
HBCU Fan
July 6th, 2012
10:09 am
What if all 5 star black athletes returned to HBCU’s?
urban redneck
July 6th, 2012
10:10 am
scratching the serial number off a gun is illegal????
fredi
July 6th, 2012
10:12 am
Eric Holder guilty as sin.
t2go
July 6th, 2012
10:12 am
Honestly….ask yourself. Aside from one game were any of you completely satisfied with Crowell’s performance last year? He had a monster game vs. Miss State. Did he really ‘WOW’ any of you? I think he showed promise…but he looked small to me and he was on the sidelines as much as on the field. Knowshon crushed it at UGA….how is he doing now in the pro’s? This kid will be lucky if he plays 2 years in the NFL…and it would be a miracle if he was able to be smart with whatever money he does make…these guys are chasing the dream…and for every one that makes it…there are 100,000 that don’t. And for some of those that do….they blow it all and end up in debt. His best opportunity to have at least a great college career, get and education, and have a decent life moving forward is seriously in doubt now. This is not going to have a fair tale ending……….
o-my
July 6th, 2012
10:15 am
urban redneck~~I agree~~who did it? Just because the gun was in his car don’t mean he did it are it was his gun.
I dropped my fried twinkie
July 6th, 2012
10:17 am
HBCU fan………..the IQs of the other HBCU students would drop by 30 as soon as all those 5* players got on campus.
Ex-Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell headed to Alabama State — Buzz Montgomery
July 6th, 2012
10:21 am
[...] court system is the court system,” Barlow told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “That will be worked out over there [in Athens]. As far as us, he left Georgia in good [...]
One Striking Rattler
July 6th, 2012
10:21 am
So far I’ve read comments that referred to this young man as ” UGA trash” “miscreant” and “jerk.”. It seems he is being called these names by people who are disappointed in him for not making the desired contribution to UGA football.
That is harsh. It is mean spirited. These comments say much more about the people writing them than about the young man who is being attacked. Godspeed to you all and may you never encounter people like yourselves as you Complete your journey through life.
Tide Rising
July 6th, 2012
10:22 am
I see some of the clown dawg fans are saying ASU this year and then Alabama or AU next year. Nope. Not at Alabama. We don’t want him and we sure as hell don’t need him. The best the guy could ever do at Bama would be 4th or 5th string. He would sit behind Eddie Lacy, Super frosh 5 star recruit TJ Yeldon and most likely would not be able to beat out 3rd string tailback Jalston Fowler or the previous year’s 5 star recruit who sat out his freshman year due to injury. And that’s 5th string assuming he could beat out the 2 highly touted freshman running backs we have coming in the 2013 recruiting class ranked no. 4 and no. 5 running backs in the country. Stay at ASU Crowell. You’re not worthy of Bama.
I dropped my fried twinkie
July 6th, 2012
10:24 am
o-my…..what an excuse maker.
I would bet 90% of all the guns with altered Serial Numbers the person that owns/in possession of the gun is not the person that did the Altering of the Serial Number.
The Whole reason behind Altering the Serial Number is to make it difficult to establish ownership. Crowell’s car and under Crowell’s seat. The ACC DA better get prints from every player in the car.
PR
July 6th, 2012
10:24 am
Good luck and Go Dawgs!
The Professor
July 6th, 2012
10:34 am
Here’s your Math Problem of the Week:
f(x,y,z) = 10x + 15y•π + 8z²
Solve for f(x, y, z), given:
X = the probability that Isabel Crowell will make it through a season without being arrested and locked up in jail.
Y = the number of legitimate college courses that Isabel Crowell has passed.
Z = on a sleaze scale of 0-10, with 0 being the sleaziest and 10 being morally and ethically upstanding, where is lawyer Steve Sadow?
Congratulations if you came up with the correct answer, which is ZERO
UGA Dwags
July 6th, 2012
10:36 am
Someone asked about his twitter account:
https://twitter.com/iSAIAH_RIP_STEV
A guy you would want your daughter to bring home to meet I am sure.
o-my
July 6th, 2012
10:36 am
Say what you wish but proof is what the system works on. Anyone could have put the gun there. I know the law and why # are altered. What the hell..I bet a good lawyer he walks.
RNB
July 6th, 2012
10:37 am
Any idea how many scholarship players UGA has on the roster? Gotta be getting in the low seventies.
o-my
July 6th, 2012
10:42 am
Go dawgs..twinkie have a good one. You a good man.
UGA Insider
July 6th, 2012
10:43 am
The hits just keep rolling this summer don’t they. I’m serious Dawg fans…. we may sign 40 in February. CMR is going to have to go down to the intramural fields this summer and hand out schollys just to be able to fill up the dressing room. What do we have now??? 70? That is pathetic and embarrassing. McGarity is NOT the answer and I hope we get a new president who can upgrade this…
UGA Football- horrible summer. New black eye everyday. Many haters have valid points.
UGA Basketball- not competitve… no end in sight. Can’t sign any top GA players.
UGA Women’s Bball- once a national program now can’t beat Marist. Horrible.
UGA Baseball- pathetic with the GA talent base. The past two years is an enigma.
I thought we were getting a Jeremy Foley clone…… whatever.
Chucky
July 6th, 2012
10:45 am
In the math problem, if you give Sadow a minus 10 for sleaze, the correct answer is 800.
Theron Sapp
July 6th, 2012
10:49 am
Mr. Towers, how will Mr. Crowell “begin classes on Monday” when the summer term is more than half over? He’s already missed mid-terms.
UGA Insider
July 6th, 2012
10:50 am
That twitter account is really bad. Don’t you think CMR could have persuaded him to take that down while he was at UGA? That’s really all you need to know about what’s going on up here. NO leadership. I am ready for Billy Payne to get here and bring honor and integrity back to this university. I will give you that inside information regarding the new president.
803Dawg
July 6th, 2012
10:55 am
@Columbus: Oh, he’s going to prison, bruh. Might not be for this offense, but he’s going. Soft as cotton on the field trying to act hard on the mean streets of Athens. lol. Clown.
UGA Insider
July 6th, 2012
10:55 am
Speaking of Twitter accounts. There are a bunch of pictures of our starting QB and LT “boogy boarding” in front of Nick Sabans house. Talk about a good way to blow out a knee.
BCF
July 6th, 2012
10:57 am
The swac is not D2 .The swac has great players check the NFL record books .
collegeballfan
July 6th, 2012
10:58 am
Wasn’t Crowell the big catch for the Dream Team?
jalex49
July 6th, 2012
11:00 am
Congradulations to Crowell for getting a possible second opportnity if he is cleared of the charges. We will miss him at Georgia but it’s now time for both parties to move on. I am confident in the players currently committed at the rb position and hopefully there’s a special back that will see an opportunity to contact Coach Richt…now!!
I still hope that Mario Alford will join the team in July as I believe it will be a good move for him and Georgia.
Burrows has been a class-act on and off the field and will be an asset wherever he decides to go. Will really miss him at Georgia… Best of luck and hope to see you in the NFL someday!!!
As far as Crowell it’s sad because I believe he had the chance to have a special year.. oh well?
GO Dawgs!!!!!
AltamahaDawg
July 6th, 2012
11:03 am
Sorry WDE. I susbscribe to the grown men posting in a sports blog mentality of proof reading for the queen’s proper grammer.
Neutral
July 6th, 2012
11:09 am
@RNB
Only need 11 on offense, 11 on defense, 22 back-ups, and 2-3 kickers. That leaves 30+ back-ups. What we need is quality…..not quantity.
AltamahaDawg
July 6th, 2012
11:13 am
We got it Insider. You need to see a couple of wins before you put your “G” plate back on the front of the Honda.
Longmire
July 6th, 2012
11:15 am
Crowell has all of the physical ability, but his character issues will be his undoing.
David
July 6th, 2012
11:25 am
I wish it could of work out at UGA for him. However, when trouble follow you around bad things happens to you. Last year, he was caught couple times wth illegal substances in his dorm room, he had to face the music then, and now he has a handgun in his car. Why do these things happen to him? I believe he wanted to get kick off the team because normal athletics do not do these things. I really wish him well at Alabama State University; however, Alabama State University just like the University of Georgia will not let him break the law or break team rules. I hope he learn something from this and stay clean. Yesterday, my UGA friend told me he will be a lifetime criminal.
Ace
July 6th, 2012
11:29 am
Miami/FSU/Richt — more arrests to follow, there is a reason.
I dropped my fried twinkie
July 6th, 2012
11:31 am
http://www.spotcrime.com/#Alabama%20State%20University%20
WOW there are a lot of crimes committed around the Alabama State University campus.. Maybe CROWELL will now really need a GUN but legally he can’t have one.
Neutral
July 6th, 2012
11:32 am
I wish IC the best and I’m also happy to see him go. I will always remember how he turned away from CMR last year. That was incredibly disrespectful and showed a total lack of class and maturity. We will be fine this year at TB and won’t miss the “IC abcess”. P.S. His quick release from the team (before a conviction) tells me a lot about how the coaches felt about his attitude. He was poison and we will be a better team without him. Go Dawgs!!!!
WDE
July 6th, 2012
11:33 am
LOL AltamahaDawg you just helped prove my point. Grammar not grammer…..I’m just sayin’
Chip Towers
July 6th, 2012
11:38 am
So says Coach Barlow.
Neutral
July 6th, 2012
11:39 am
Don’t forget UGa fans…..we have a TB on campus who is the only TB in history to have a faster 40 time than his HS GPA……..and that TB has been on campus since December and participated in Spring practice. IC was on campus 6 weeks before he started in UGa’s 1st game last season. KM will make you all forget IC. We also have Boo and a few other good backs…..just need the line to block this year.
catlady
July 6th, 2012
11:39 am
I’m guessing he won’t be there for long.
Special K
July 6th, 2012
11:42 am
So was Burrows asked to leave to make room for someone else? I wonder?
Neutral
July 6th, 2012
11:50 am
Ooooops…..I meant to say KM has a higher GPA than his 40 time (4.3 to 4.25). KM will be a breath of fresh air and could have (academically) attended any college…and as powerful as IC and faster. Go Dawgs!!!
Bruce Weeks
July 6th, 2012
11:52 am
IC will survive at Alabama State if he stays out of trouble. Some posters are correct, he should fit in better at ASU. IC was very talented on the field, but not the brightest bulb on the string off the field.
Rick James
July 6th, 2012
12:04 pm
Best of luck..I hope you’ve had a life changing event that will open your eyes to the bright future you can have.
Cats hav fleas 2
July 6th, 2012
12:06 pm
Tide Rising….glad to see you have some pride in Bama, but that post was just stupid!
Gagging Again
July 6th, 2012
12:07 pm
So Burrows is gone and the saga continues with Richt. Instead of doing a better of job of evaluating recruits he just sends the rejects packing two years later. He truly is one disgusting, rule-bending sleaze ball SOB. A dirty, rotten, conniving, putrid skunk whose stench permeates college football. A lying, shameless pig whose evil knows no bounds. A filthy rat devoid of decency. A brown stain on the entire sport. When are they going to put a stop to this evil? When? Oh, the humanity.
Rick James
July 6th, 2012
12:07 pm
@803Dawg
@Columbus: Oh, he’s going to prison, bruh. Might not be for this offense, but he’s going. Soft as cotton on the field trying to act hard on the mean streets of Athens. lol. Clown.
——————————————————————————————————————————
To you he’s a clown now but this time last year you would have washed his dirty jock..Either that or you’re really a Tech fan.
skip
July 6th, 2012
12:12 pm
Thats gonna be a long drive for him to continue his Ga Tech armed robberies.
Cobb Dawg
July 6th, 2012
12:17 pm
I guess Alabammer and Awbarn have plenty of RBs or one of them would have offered him.
I dropped my fried twinkie
July 6th, 2012
12:17 pm
@SKIP……………check this link to spotcrime.com. Crowell will be right in the middle of a crime area. He can walk to find trouble and now he want have a gun with him.
http://www.spotcrime.com/#Alabama%20State%20University%20
RJ
July 6th, 2012
12:20 pm
It is always a shame to see any young person damage his or her future with poor decisions and it’s even more tragic to see someone with the world at their feet not appreciate this opportunity enough to take full advantage. Most people don’t get second chances so hopefully he can look inside and find the strength to move forward in the right direction.
SECFan
July 6th, 2012
12:23 pm
@Cobb Dawg you’re a moron. Saban & Chizik have no use for Richt’s felony scraps.