With all the arrests, citations and dismissals handed down to the Georgia Bulldogs this offseason, it got me thinking about who were some of the worst bad boys that had ever spent at least part of a season (or offseason) as members of the Georgia football team.
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Don’t misunderstand. I’m not condoning acting like a fool, or student athletes seemingly putting themselves above the law and the rules, but facts are facts. Georgia has had far too much notoriety when it comes to boys behaving badly.
Everything from guns, to drugs, to disruptive and violent behavior has caused more than one Georgia head coach to send a bright young prospect packing.
If you look back, the Bulldogs have had some major talent that ended up fizzling out because of personal demons. Some of that talent went on to shine at other schools, which (thank you NCAA) really kind of defeats the purpose of dismissing them anyway, but that’s a gripe for another column.
Georgia gets hit particularly hard when situations arise with students like these, because they have a local police department that does not look the other way or provide a protective shield for the players (like some other schools we know), and they have a head coach in Mark Richt who does not put up with shenanigans, and will not hesitate to suspend or dismiss a player, regardless of his importance on the field (unlike some other schools we know).
UGA’s drug policy is the strictest in the conference, with players being suspended 10 percent of their season on the first offense, 30 percent on the second offense and being dismissed if they reach a third.
So who are some of the most notorious players who were kicked off the team during Mark Richt’s decade-plus at the helm? Here’s a list worth getting pissed over.
Montez Robinson, Defensive End
Year left UGA: 2010
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Three separate arrests in four months
Result: Entered 2012 NFL Draft, went undrafted
Demetre Baker, Linebacker
Year left UGA: 2010
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: DUI arrest as freshman
Result: Transferred to South Alabama, played three season (dismissed)
Zach Mettenberger, Quarterback
Year left UGA: 2010
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Two misdemeanor sexual battery charges
Result: Transferred to Butler Community College, signed by LSU in 2011, selected by Tennessee Titans in 2014 NFL Draft
Marcus Dowtin, Linebacker
Year left UGA: 2011
Disposition: Voluntarily transferred
Offenses: Charged with second degree assault in bar fight in Maryland
Result: Released by UGA, transferred to North Alabama. Signed by NY Jets as undrafted free agent
Washaun Ealey, Running Back
Year left UGA: 2011
Disposition: Voluntarily transferred
Offenses: Several team incidents, traffic-related arrest
Result: Transferred to Jacksonville State
Chris Sanders, Safety
Year left UGA: 2012
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Dorm-room theft
Result: Transferred to Georgia Military Academy (dismissed), transferred to Baylor
Betsided
Uriah LeMay, Wide Receiver
Year left UGA: 2012
Disposition: Voluntarily transferred
Offenses: Arrest for theft by deception
Result: Released from scholarship, transferred to Charlotte
Sanford Seay, Wide Receiver
Year left UGA: 2012
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Dorm room theft
Result: Transferred to Junior College, transferred to Louisiana Tech in 2014
Isaiah Crowell, Running Back
Year left UGA: 2012
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Repeated violations of team rules, arrested on felony gun charges
Result: Transferred to Alabama State, signed by Cleveland Browns as undrafted free agent in 2014
Nick Marshall, Cornerback/Quarterback
Year left UGA: 2012
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Dorm room theft
Result: Transferred to Garden City Community College, transferred to Auburn in 2013
Ty Flournoy-Smith, Tight End
Year left UGA: 2013
Disposition: Voluntarily transferred
Offenses: Dorm-room marijuana incident, misdemeanor arrest for filing a false police report
Result: One season at Georgia Military Academy, now signed with Alabama
Josh Harvey-Clemons, Safety
Year left UGA: 2014
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Repeated violations of team rules
Result: Transferred to Louisville
Tray Matthews, Safety
Year left UGA: 2014
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Arrest for theft by deceptions, classroom incident
Result: Transferred to Auburn
Jonathan Taylor, Defensive tackle
Year left UGA: 2014
Disposition: Dismissed
Offenses: Arrest for domestic violence/assault
Result: TBD
Pretty much a who’s-who of 4 and 5-star players that could have helped to end Georgia’s dry spell of national titles had they behaved even close to their age.