pic.twitter.com/qQvn3udmFL. But other, more serious charges included aggravated stalking, domestic violence by strangulation, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and fraudulent use of credit cards, according to criminal record databases. Even more amazing, since Randy Shannon took over "Thug-U," only one player has been arrested: Freshman Robert Marve for breaking a car mirror. The episode led to Newtons transfer. Find out more. Ben Tobias, a spokesman for the Gainesville Police Department, wrote in an e-mail that it would be difficult to compare the arrest rate for football players in those years with the general arrest rate for Florida students. The 2008 Florida Gators squad was one of the most prolific in college football history. An Outside the Lines investigation of 10 major football and mens basketball programs found that the University of Florida had the most athletes -- 80, or 24 percent of its rosters -- named as suspects in more than 100 crimes from 2009 to 2014. norwich university tuition room and board. A roster on the universitys Web site lists 121 players, 41 of whom have been arrested, either in college or afterward, and sometimes both. They are 18-to-22 years old and, like most young people, they are trying to find their way. Everyone wants to defeat their biggest foe, after all. The Gators opened in the Top 10, steamrolled. But other, more serious charges included aggravated stalking, domestic violence by strangulation, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and fraudulent use of credit cards, according to criminal record databases. Hernandez was arrested last month and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd in Massachusetts. Jenkins eventually left for North Alabama after Meyer's successor, Will Muschamp, dismissed him from the team following marijuana arrests. Meyer's wife, Shelley, was right when she took to Twitter to defend her husband. Former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer opined during a football camp last week that his 2008 squad, winners of the 2009 BCS Championship, were the best team in the history of college football. In one example that did not make Outside the Lines overall investigation, a Gainesville police officer stopped former Florida linebacker Ron Powell for a lane violation in 2014 -- just a few months after he had been drafted by the New Orleans Saints. Jenkins told police he was fighting because he thought someone was going to steal the gold chain around his neck, but the officer said he didnt see anyone doing that. Ben Tobias, a spokesman for the Gainesville Police Department, wrote in an email that it would be difficult to compare the arrest rate for football players in those years with the general arrest rate for Florida students. Here's USA TODAY's latest projection, Georgia defense to be shorthanded in showdown with Gators, per report, WATCH: Dan Mullen talks defense, backup kicker Chris Howard, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Many of the charges were typical of college campuses: Underage drinking, disorderly conduct, violations of open-container laws. The aforementioned Joshua James and the gator through the Wendy's drive-through. But rivalries in sports rarely carry outright disdain, at least from coaches and players. Related: College Football: All-Time All-SEC Team, 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved, have been arrested, either in college or afterward, and sometimes both, Urban Meyer: Florida Didnt Cover Up Any Failed Drug Tests by Aaron Hernandez. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Meyer made a similar comment in a text message that was reported Saturday by a sportswriter for The Columbus Dispatch. 1. Oklahoma State ), My guess is the next time an Ohio State player is arrested, these Florida figures will be trotted out. Meyer just recently got his first crack at an NFL gig, taking over as the Head Coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Urban Meyer & Tim Tebow will be featured. That's right, 31. Relating or blaming these serious charges to the UniversityofFlorida, myself or our staff is wrong and irresponsible.. He noted that athletes arrests generally garnered more attention. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Never forget the time when the #Gators were beating Georgia 49-10 with a minute to go and Urban Meyer called all his timeouts to make the Bulldogs just sit there and suffer a few minutes longer. "This group of players we have now are by and large a pretty good group. Team punishment: Meyer suspended Grace indefinitely after the October arrest. He cited a case that made news, though it involved only a stolen taco. The full report. Joe Paterno has done it at Penn State and it hasn't hurt his team. Gators. The University of Florida has now taken their rightful spot as the number one team in the state, on and off the field. So a preacher, a racist and a murderer walk into a bar. BroBible writer. Grace later transferred to Georgia Southern. At Florida, he also had run-ins with the police. Most of the members of that 2008 team have now moved on from football, whether that was after college or the conclusion of their NFL careers. Just a handful of players from the 2008 team that went on to play in the NFL. But their success on the field was mirrored by drama away from it. He had also. Charge No. It was not Powells first incident with police. Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez is found dead in his prison cell Watch on Videos you may like FOLLOW US 1: Cited for misdemeanor property damage and criminal mischief in April 2007 for allegedly throwing a man onto the hood of a car during a fight. Outcome: Hornsby received deferred prosecution and the charge was later dismissed. Meyer's Florida program was a juggernaut during his six-year run, including two BCS national championships, two SEC titles and three division crowns. 1 dead from Howard Frankland Bridge crash; Pasco man charged with DUI, Pinellas County education is getting dragged into a medieval inquisitors dungeon | Letters, DeSantis targets 4 Tampa Bay area school board members in 2024 election, Florida should not execute a person with mental illness | Column, Steven Lorenzo sentenced to death for 2 Tampa murders. Tobias said Meyer visited the police department once to tell the officers not to give his players preferential treatment, which, Tobias added, was already the directive from police officials. Hornsby served a previous five-game suspension, but it wasnt for the first misdemeanor it was for selling his complimentary tickets. But Jenkins got up and ran away, ignoring commands to stop. We are disappointed when we encounter some issues along the way, but we are going to continue to educate and teach our players.". His presence was so overwhelming that he overshadowed his teammates and their arrest records. 1: Aggravated assault, battery and use of display of a concealed weapon during commission of a felony in April 2007 for shooting a semiautomatic rifle after a dispute with another man. 1: Misdemeanor charges of battery and theft in July 2005 stemming from a sworn complaint. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Marcus Gilbert. DT Omar Hunter (6-0, 322): Former coach Urban Meyer put a lot of pressure on Hunter by saying the Gators needed him to play well for the defense to be successful in 2008. The abundance of arrests from the 2008 title team and the seemingly constant enabling of Hernandez begs the question: Was Florida out of control? The 2008 Florida Gators squad was one of the most prolific in college football history. Oregon State In his six years at the helm, 31 Gators were arrested. All 24 since 2005, all under the watchful eye of Urban Meyer. Most of the cases never went to trial, the charges having been dropped or pleaded down. The penalties imposed on the players by Florida varied widely. This one had all the elements: an Everglades creature (in . Join our linker program. Of the 121 players on that roster, 41 have been arrested. Demps worked out with the Gators later that summer but never played for UF again. "Trying to find their way?" The SEC and the rest of College Football need to realize that winning is not always everything, if the players you have cant represent their university proudly. They feel like theyre above the law, Cristell told Outside the Lines, adding that he really didnt want to get Powell in trouble but he was afraid the altercation at the store would escalate. But hindsight is 20/20, and it's almost impossible to control the actions of 120 or more 18- to 22-year-old young men at all hours of the day. They closed their season with a 24-14 win over Oklahoma to win the BCS Championship. Ticket Office Student Tickets Baseball Tickets Men's Basketball Tickets Women's Basketball Tickets Football Tickets Gymnastics Tickets Softball Tickets Volleyball Tickets Gator Boosters Manage My Account . And coach Urban Meyer and the Gators showed no mercy. He was later arrested on charges of marijuana possession and of battery and assault. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In recent years, Meyer addressed the number of players charged with crimes during his time at Florida by noting the propensity of college students to get in trouble. Any "mentor" who would have this type of rap sheet from his/her "pupils" would not call themselves a success. ", "It is a continual part of our program to mentor and guide our players and it is not an exact process. That number is 31, as in, at least 31 arrests of Floridas football players from 2005 to 2010. Most of the cases never went to trial, the charges having been dropped or pleaded down. Maurkice & Mike Pouncey. Jamar Hornsby was among one of the players who faced charges. Record: 13-1 (2nd of 119) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP poll. MARQUIS HANNAH Charge: Felony burglary of an occupied dwelling unarmed and misdemeanor battery in late April 2009 for allegedly forcing his way into a Gainesville apartment and punching a man in the face. An officer wrote that he saw a group of men fighting and yelled at them to stop, but they continued. Team punishment: Suspended for one game, the 2007 opener against Western Kentucky. The woman previously filed a petition claiming Johnson date-raped her on three occasions. But he faked the kneel and popped back up, rushing down the sideline toward the end zone. All rights reserved. Coach Urban Meyer said Johnson would remain on the team as long as the investigation checked out. Twenty-five Florida athletes had multiple run-ins with police, often without facing charges or any public airing of what they did. Data analyst and reporter for ESPN's Enterprise and Investigative Unit. In July 2010, Jenkins and teammate Carl Moore were passengers in a car police stopped for having a dim tag light. Team punishment: Cunningham played in Floridas next game, the Capital One Bowl, but Meyer said he imposed physical punishment on Cunningham, who also couldnt accept bowl-game gifts. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? But the arrest record is also a major part of that narrative and has been for quite some time. The 2008 roster included Newton, who was charged with stealing a laptop from another Florida student. Wilson rejoined the team in 2008 but was suspended and eventually kicked off after the third charge. But even with the issues, the Gators were one of the best teams in college football history. Maybe the University of. He recently commented on the alarming numbers. Brandon Spikes. The felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor and later dropped. Previous Year Next Year. Oklahoma State Probably. Names like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Brandon Spikes, and Aaron Hernandez come to mind. CARL JOHNSON Charge: Misdemeanor violation of a sexual restraining order in February 2009 after getting on the same campus bus as an ex-girlfriend. Spectrum reporter, 9-year-old girl among 3 victims fatally shot in Orlando, Bucs players give team low marks for travel, treatment of families, How IndyCar is making this the greenest Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg yet, Former USF star Lindsey Lamar sets fast pace in CFL. They beat No. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Michigan State The 2008 Florida Gators, may simply be, as ex-coach Urban Meyer once announced on Twitter a couple years ago, the best team that ever played college football. JON DEMPS Charge: Misdemeanor driving with a suspended license in September 2006. Those charged included safety Jamar Hornsby, who was accused of ringing up 70 fraudulent charges in 2008 on a credit card that belonged to a woman who had died in a motorcycle crash. Will Hill. Oregon State Outcome: Charges were reduced to misdemeanor status, then the Alachua County courts gave him two years probation without proceeding with the charges. If Urban is looking out for his players, he might want to lend them that piece of advice. Outcome: Nothing has been ruled on the case, according to court records. The charges will disappear assuming he completes his obligations. In a battle of top-10 teams, UF beat the breaks off the Bulldogs and asserted itself as the top team in the SEC East, which it went on to win in addition to conference and national championships. There were also the Pouncey twins, Janoris Jenkins, Riley Cooper, and even Cam Newton. 1 Alabama in the SEC title game, and Tebow was dominant: He tossed three TD passes, rushed for another 57 yards, and the Gators advanced to the National title game, where they beat Oklahoma, and the announcers gushed over Timmy. Many of the charges were typical of college campuses: under-age drinking, disorderly conduct, violations of open-container laws. Some faced little discipline, while others left the university. Fast-forward five years, and the New York Times has apostmortem on that team: of the 121 players that were on the roster that season, 41 who have been arrested, either in college or afterward, and sometimes both., What does it all mean? The last time a Gators offense averaged 42 or more points per game in their first three matchups against SEC opponents, it was 2001 (46.7 PPG) when head ball coach Steve Spurrier was at the helm. Several police reports gathered by Outside the Lines also revealed that Florida athletes, if not suspected of criminal activity themselves, often hung out with people who were known offenders. Crimes range from unpaid tickets to murder, and everything in . Charge #2: Felony domestic violence by strangulation and felony obstruction of justice after a November 2008 altercation with a girlfriend. Ronnie Wilson, a lineman from Meyers initial 2005 recruiting class, punched and spat on a man, then opened his trunk, grabbed an AK-47 and opened fire outside a nightclub in April 2007, a police report charged. The authorities said Newton threw it from a window when the police arrived. Outcome: Curtis complied with the violation, served probation and the case was dismissed. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? Murphy will be a key contributor for the Gators in 2008. Carlos Dunlap. He dismissed criticisms that he was too lenient and that his players were too undisciplined. Team punishment: Curtis was in Meyers doghouse, but he was also injured, so it was difficult to tell why he was out. Outcome: Charges were dropped, and Murphy had to perform 12.5 hours of community service. 2: Misdemeanor violation of a city ordinance and disorderly conduct in October 2005 for his involvement in a fight. Florida Gators Main Navigation Menu. Jenkins pleaded no contest and the court withheld adjudication, which means he was not convicted. Marve is no longer with the team, having transferred to Purdue. Simply put, the Florida football program kept lawyers like Huntley Johnson busy (h/t Wall Street Journal). JACQUES RICKERSON Charge No. These college athletes, in general, get away with way more stuff that happened that didnt reach the papers.. The initial investigation took place in June 2006 with Atkins facing accusations of felony false imprisonment along with the battery charge. Tobias said Meyer visited the police department once to tell the officers not to give his players preferential treatment, which, Tobias added, was already the directive from police officials. Team punishment: No suspension for Munroe. That number included 16 players on that season's final two-deep roster, nine of whom were starters, as well as a kicker, punter and returner. 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