Vince Dooley says losing Isaiah Crowell ‘best thing to happen’ for Bulldogs
ATHENS – Isaiah Crowell getting arrested and kicked off the team may have been a blessing in disguise for the Georgia Bulldogs.
So thinks former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley. I was interviewing Coach Dooley on Monday for another project I’m doing for the AJC when the subject of Crowell came up. Crowell, a rising sophomore and former 5-star recruit who was the Bulldogs’ leading rusher last season, was dismissed by head coach Mark Richt following Crowell’s arrest on felony weapons charges. Crowell has since transferred to Alabama State, an FCS program in Montgomery, Ala., and started classes on Monday.
That chain of events may help the Bulldogs in the long run, Dooley contends.
“I don’t want to put any pressure on them, but losing that guy may have been the best thing to happen to them,” said Dooley, who coached the Bulldogs to six SEC championships and one national title in 25 seasons. “It was a bad-apple type thing, if you ask me.”
“Bad apple” was the second term Dooley used to describe Crowell’s effect on the team. The first was more effective but he asked me not to use it.
Dooley said Crowell undoubtedly is a talented football player and probably was the Bulldogs’ best option at tailback. But the negative effects as far as being a troublemaker and a distraction far out-weighed any skills he brought to the field, Dooley said.
Now that Crowell is gone, “That kind of thing will unite a team many times,” Dooley said. “Historically when things like this have happened in the past, they tend to have a unifying effect on teams. They go on to have an even better season than they were predicted to have.”
Georgia, of course, is generally considered the favorite to repeat as the SEC Eastern Division champions and play in the SEC Championship. That is, if the Bulldogs are still able to field a team. With Crowell out and linebacker Brandon Burrows’ recent decision to transfer in search of more playing time, Georgia has dipped below 70 scholarship players heading into next season. The NCAA allows 85.
At least one person agrees with Dooley. Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said the last three SEC teams that sent high-profile transfers to play for him — Florida, Auburn and Alabama — went on to win national championships the following season.
Dooley recalled that Georgia had a great player that left after the 1958 season and turned pro as a junior — very unusual in those days — and that rallied the rest of the team, which went on to win the 1959 SEC championship. Dooley could not immediately recall that player’s name, though I deduced it must have been center/linebacker Dave Lloyd, who was drafted in the fourth round that year by the Cleveland Browns. I couldn’t find anyone who knew for sure, but you get the point.
“This guy was a heck of a player, but he was a real problem on the football team,” Dooley said. “When he decided to leave, Coach [Wally] Butts went into a depression; he knew he had lost his best athlete. But as it turned out it unified the team. That often happens.”
Dooley also offered what I thought was one of the more insightful observations I’ve heard about Crowell as a running back last season. As we all know, Crowell’s toughness was questioned as he often pulled himself out of games or found himself sidelined with minor injuries. Dooley thought there might have been a good solution for that.
“Looking back at it, he would have been a great second-half running back,” Dooley said. “I never wanted that guy around in the fourth quarter if he started the game, because it seemed like he’d had enough by then. But I would’ve loved to have him around in the third or fourth quarter if he hadn’t played any to that point. Imagine once the defense gets tired and he comes in. He could’ve been a superstar second-half player. Herschel [Walker] got stronger in the fourth; this guy got weaker. So I would’ve waited until the second half to play him. He was pretty doggone good when he was fresh. That might’ve been a good idea looking back at it.”
Dooley has always had a great football mind.
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395 comments Add your comment
Doug
July 9th, 2012
4:45 pm
Yes, someting positive, every now and then, would be a refreshing change!
Holy Guacamole
July 9th, 2012
4:45 pm
Macon sportswriters are better than the AJC anyway. I offer the following:
http://www.macon.com/2012/07/06/2086919/georgia-moves-on-without-heralded.html
ARdawg
July 9th, 2012
4:48 pm
Lagrange1975
Welcome to the blog there guy. I think your wife’s remarks miss the boat. Giving up on players too early? There was considerable discipline problems with IC last year that was never made public. If it were his first occurrence, yeah, you and your wife would have a point. Fact is, there was more, and even more that was public. The kid had his opportunity and choose to blow it. Now Saban might be willing to give a potential superstar more chances. I’m pretty proud of Richt for taking the position he has. No one player is bigger than the team
Gone but not forgotten
July 9th, 2012
4:49 pm
Let’s see now… Vince Dooley’s “remedial studies” scam cost UGA a cool $1,000,000 plus attorneys’ fees when UGA lost the case filed by Jan Kemp. Why don’t you ask Dooley why he didn’t testify in the trial, and why he suddenly dropped his plans to run for US Congress.
Good questions, to be sure.
Grinner
July 9th, 2012
4:50 pm
Macon writers must be on the UGA payroll, they just type sweet nothin’s. They’re not journalists, more like volunteer UGA pr reps.
bottom line
July 9th, 2012
4:51 pm
The good news is, Dooley is correct: Less is more, with Crowell gone.
The bad news: The head coach is still doing the empowering and he remains.
saban
July 9th, 2012
4:51 pm
Dre Kirkpatrick carried a gun everywhere he went. We worried about him the whole time he was at alabama. Luckily he never “got” in trouble until after he left tuscaloosa. Some coaches just can’t keep them in line like i can.
Aldi Truth # 41
July 9th, 2012
4:53 pm
“Dooley always had a Great Football mind” Yeah and just proves Bobo and Richt cant coach on the fly or make the needed adjustments.
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
4:54 pm
Maybe we should just let Murray play in the 2nd quarter, since he threw 17 of his 35 td’s in that 1 quarter, and never threw more than 7 in any other quarter.
sherry
July 9th, 2012
4:54 pm
I am not sure you can win national championship. But, getting rid of Crowell needed to be done. I am glad to see him go. These young men to realize that they are handed a free education, doing what they love and still can’t appreciate it. I am sick the whining time to move on. GO DAWG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AceDawg
July 9th, 2012
5:00 pm
UGA should indeed think of its football players as role players more often when the situation lends itself to that approach. So simple, so genius. Dooley needs to get Richt and Bobo’s attention on this. There may be players on the team right now like that.
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
5:01 pm
Seems like I remember all the players talking about how great the team would be in 2010, since all the “cancers” were gone.
Getting rid of the team’s favortie leader, Mettenberger, didn’t unify the team, the team went 6-7 the next season.
So, losing one of your best most popular players, can also destroy a team.
bham dawg
July 9th, 2012
5:03 pm
@AceDawg… if people think that crowell is the only one that carries a gun on our football team they are sadly mistaken, and that goes for and college not just UGA.
JoeFann
July 9th, 2012
5:04 pm
Great insight from a great coach. However, Chip, this is a Bulldogs blog. As Mr. Crowell is a FORMER Bulldog, and no longer matriculating at UGA, I’d be happy not to see any more articles about him. No ill wishes, but let’s please focus on the current team.
Go Dawgs!
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
5:05 pm
Hutson Mason finished 3rd in the SEC in pass efficency.
Murray was 7th.
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
5:06 pm
that is, 2nd half pass efficiency, in the SEC, accordng to cfbstats.com
Hutson Mason, UGA, 3rd
Murray, UGA, 7th
Bama Mike
July 9th, 2012
5:06 pm
Vince still needs to come out and admit that Hobson’s knee was on the ground prior to the lateral way back in 65. Yes my dawg friends some losses do sting for a long long time. But old Vince is an ok guy in my book.
78Dawg
July 9th, 2012
5:08 pm
I think the word Dooley used first had to be “dumbass.”
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
5:09 pm
By the reaction of UGA team leaders like Cornelius Washington, I think it created a rift in the lockeroom, as half were behind Crowell, and half were behind Richt dismissal of Crowell. Crowell was very popular, he had 3 or 4 players with him in the car when it happened, for example.
Funyums Munchies
July 9th, 2012
5:10 pm
Richt needs to line up the players and say look to your left and right – two of you will be thrown in jail by the end … LOL.
Truth
July 9th, 2012
5:12 pm
Zinodawg…you’re quick to spout off 10 out of 11 over GT, but some how you never remember 18 out of 21. That’s how much the Gators OWN you mutts. Don’t quote one stat without the other!! You’ll always be Gator bait!! Yummy!!
Joey
July 9th, 2012
5:18 pm
“if dooley didn’t have 34….he would have been fired”
***************************
How so, corkey? He had won 3 SEC Titles before Herschel got out of high school. When you don’t know UGA history, just don’t post and show that ignorance.
Thanks in advance.
Yeah.....
July 9th, 2012
5:21 pm
I’ve always thought having the SEC freshman of the year get kicked off the team is a good omen…..or maybe not so much?
corey simon
July 9th, 2012
5:24 pm
Vince has no idea what he is talking about as usual
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
5:26 pm
Murray is very good in opponents red zone, 21 td’s, 0 int’s. But he is terrible on his own side of the field.
So why not let Mason or Lemay handle the team form the 20-40 yard line, since Murray threw 1 td, and 6 int’s there last season?
Dooley might be on to something there.
corey simon
July 9th, 2012
5:27 pm
UGA football program should join either the Big East or MEAC. Things will get ugly fast in athens.
corey simon
July 9th, 2012
5:30 pm
@ JuniorsFarm
Dooley is not on to a thing! I guess you have to have some kind of hope for your dogs. QB is another issur for the dogs. This is not going to be a very productive season for them dogs!
JB
July 9th, 2012
5:31 pm
Someone on here posted a list of Georgia players for the last four years, signed, on the team, that are gone now. That list doesn’t include these two players in the last week or so. The list is alarming. We seem to sign some talented players, but the lunch pail types, the pollack types, the thomas brown types, the quality second teamer’s, seem to be missing. Roster management and loyalty to under performing assistants are two of Richt’s biggest weaknesses. Game planning and game day adjustments of late would be there also.
Ghost
July 9th, 2012
5:34 pm
Juniors Farm, Clueless one . Ealey didn’t have a choice was asked to transfer, Thomas transferred because he would’ve gotten zero carries.LOL at the Mason 2nd half stats Hutson played in 4 games all in the 2nd half. NM State, Coastal Carolina, Auburn, LSU.
TampaGator
July 9th, 2012
5:34 pm
Hey……the Dawgs are a “shoe in” to win the national title this year now….just ask the South Alabama head coach. He and Mikey know……sounds like perfect logic to me…..send a great player to S. Bama…..and the coach will guarantee you a national title that year. Yeah boy!
Dante Phillips was denied his appeal to gain entry into the University of Florida. I wish him luck….but I hear his HS transcript was….well…..somewhat questionable. He will most likely end up at Miami…..they will take anyone as a private school…….but guess who is after him in the SEC…….Ole Miss……imagine that…..with all their high standards for accepting only the highest performing student athletes from other programs.
Holy Guacamole
July 9th, 2012
5:35 pm
More BS on here than you would find in a cow barn.
TampaGator
July 9th, 2012
5:39 pm
“Lol.. You can carry a fire arm in Alabama, georgians can’t but we can…”
@See Rock City….
Letterman says…….#1 reason for staying the hell out of Alabama…….is……”
SOUTHGADAWGG88
July 9th, 2012
5:39 pm
The school get’s way more out of the deal than the players.UGA football revenue for 2009 was 72 million dollars according to Forbes.Let’s say it cost UGA 40k a year for each football player’s scholarship..that comes out to about 3.4 million for all 85.This means that off of ONE year UGA would be able to fully fund 85 football scholarships for the next 21 years.When you consider the fact that only half of all signed players ever graduate from college and it’s tilted even more to the school’s favor.UGA is also 2nd in the nation in profit margin at 50 million and doubled the profit margin of 10 other SEC programs.When it comes to spending on it’s football program UGA ranked 7th in the SEC
behind Bama,LSU,FLA,ARK,SC and AUB.
TampaGator
July 9th, 2012
5:40 pm
Holy Guac…..
I don’t know…..I spent a lot of time at my cousin’s farm growing up……and there was a lot of BS in that cow barn…………
TampaGator
July 9th, 2012
5:41 pm
……….actually……it was a horse barn……but doesn’t change the point.
Dawson Dave
July 9th, 2012
5:42 pm
Character is the last thing Richt considers when recruiting. It’s how fast they can run and how high they can jump. He would recruit from state prisons if it was within NCAA rules.
Gemini103
July 9th, 2012
5:43 pm
Enter your comments here
flea bitten dawg
July 9th, 2012
5:45 pm
No worries, this team has plenty of depth at the felon position. Someone will step up and shoot this team in the foot. But as usual, hope springs eternal in the cesspool. FBD out!
Gemini103
July 9th, 2012
5:45 pm
What about the two professors that still have there job
Devildog
July 9th, 2012
5:50 pm
It was Lloyd. Look at the size of the offense that year:
LE:Jimmy Vickers, 6-1, 190, Jr.
LT: Riley Gunnels, 6-3, 232, Sr.
LG: Pat Dye, 5-11, 190, So.; Billy Roland, 5-11, 205, Jr.
C: Dave Lloyd, 6-3, 220, Jr.
RG: Mike Anderson, 5-10, 205, Sr.
RT: Nat Dye, 6-3, 218, Sr.
RE: Gordon Kelley, 6-3, 200, Jr.; Bill Herron, 6-1, 201, Jr.
QB: Charley Britt, 6-1, 178, Jr.
LH: George Guisler, 6-0, 185, Jr. ; Fred Brown, 5-10, 172, So.
RH: Don Soberdash, 5-10, 184, Jr.
FB: Theron Sapp, 6-2, 201, Sr.
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
5:51 pm
Ealey, the top producing td guy in 2010, transferred because Richt wouldn’t make him the premeire back, Ealey just didn’t feel the vibe anymore for UGA, read the ESPN interview. Thomas was the leading yard per carry rusher, he left too because Crowell and the other backs like Samuel and Malcome were getting too many unearned reps. And Logan Gray, an Elite 11 transferred because he beat Murray out over 2 springs, and didn’t feel like he was given a fair shot, read his exit interview on ajc.
Entitlement has been a core issue for Mark Richt for years.
Rev Cleodus Jackson
July 9th, 2012
5:51 pm
When you set the bar higher by having one of the toughest substance abuse policies in the nation, you’re obviously putting yourself in a position to show up on the radar more often. I guess the alternative is to lower your standards like everyone else …..
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/web/COM1199883/index.htm
Granted, the SI article mentions nothing about weapons charges, leaving the scene of an accident, trading jersey’s/signatures for free tattoos/food/other gratuities, or getting caught with a honey in your car (ahem) or on your motorcycle.
chicken boy
July 9th, 2012
5:51 pm
It has all turned into a media circus event. If that Crowell guy would have been playing in 1946 he would have had his teeth knocked out and probably put in the hospital. Good that he is gone—he was way too fragile. Richt is still at UGA but that may not last much longer if the big one does not come soon. And that will be hard to do with LSU and Alabama hanging around. A few more months and we will find out who is who.
David M.
July 9th, 2012
5:53 pm
In a totally unrelated matter: What’s happening in Minnesota with the Caleb King assault case?
CaliDawg
July 9th, 2012
5:53 pm
When UGA was preseason #1 a few years back and had the toughest schedule in the nation…where were all the schedule excuse makers then? Play them one at a time and see where we end up.
ASU
July 9th, 2012
5:56 pm
We welcome you Mr. Crowell at Alabama State University!! GO HORNETS!!
Ghost
July 9th, 2012
6:04 pm
Junior, Logan couldn’t supplant Joe Cox, much less Murray, he switched to WR and when he left played WR at Colorado, Ealey was lazy and was asked to leave.If you believe Thomas is anywhere near the RB that Crowell, Marshall, Samuels .you are sadly mistaken. But you believe Gray was a better choice than a qb that was Elite 11 MVP.
James
July 9th, 2012
6:09 pm
Ahhh.. Lagrange….1925? Are we gonna talk about this years football class or debate bullshax? Let’s talk about something relevant like rice or sweet yams. I raised more hell at UGA than any of you yolks and I will tell you I never had a damn weapon. Gimme a “fill in the blank” break. This kid is a f’n “fill in the blank”.
JuniorsFarm
July 9th, 2012
6:10 pm
Let’s examine Dooley’s bad apple theory.
Rambo tested positive for drugs after Spring break.
Rambo only had 2 of his 8 interceptions against the 4 ranked teams.
So, All American Rambo, as part of the bad apple theory, would then be kicked off the team.
I guess you have to kick off all the secondary starters who got into trouble too.
Yeah, that will make the team SOOOO much better.
fishook dawg
July 9th, 2012
6:10 pm
Dooley’s son has already thinking of getting Crowell to come room with D. Rogers. I’m sure he can show Issiah how things are done the Tennesee way.