Bobby Bowden, Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier React to (Post)Season of Arrests

After a football season during which many coaches and universities were forced to address an increase in off-the-field disciplinary incidents, the postseason has continued this disturbing trend in college football.  

At times, the news lines on sports or team websites have read like a police-beat journalist’s stories. 

Notable disicplinary actions during last year’s season included:

•  At Iowa, from April 2007 to October 2007, 15 arrests of football players were made involving 11 individuals.
• At Florida State, up to 36 players were suspended for the Music City Bowl, 25 of whom due to an academic cheating scandal.
• At Mississippi, head coach Ed Orgeron, suspended 20 players one game for stealing hotel items ranging from pillows to radios.
• At Penn State, Joe Paterno suspended five players after their arrests for in an off-campus fight.  Three players so far this year have been arrested. 
• At Alabama, a total of 30 games were missed by players last year due to suspensions

Nick Saban, the head coach, speculated that the number of games suspended for his team “may be a NCAA record.” 

Saban feels “We’re heading in that direction again next year.”

 Arrests this year—Rashad Johnson, Alabama team captain, was arrested this offseason for disorderly conduct.  Johnson has not been suspended.  Four players arrested on similar charges last year were not suspended.  Saban said, talking to reporters, "He has a due process to go through and he is not guilty until he goes through that due process. I think this is America and I think we're allowed to do that even though you all have already convicted him of doing something terribly wrong."  

 Some offseason arrest reports have been alarming. 

• A Bethune-Cookman player was charged with attempted felony murder, trafficking cocaine, home invasion robbery, and false imprisonment.
• A Boston College football player was arrested for alleged rape and was dismissed from the team.
• A Penn State player was arrested for pulling a knife on another student.
• Three Kent State players have been charged with felony burglary.
• Two Illinois players fled the scene of an accident, were then arrested and found in possession of laptops and wallets.
• Three University of Montana players are facing varying charges from assault with a weapon or aggravated assault, burglary and robbery with two of them also facing kidnapping charges.
• A Kansas State player has been arrested in suspicion of a liquor store robbery and was suspended from the team.
• An Alabama player was arrested, charged with first degree robbery of two Alabama students and dismissed from the team.
• A Missouri player was dismissed from the team after an arrest for underage drinking and unlawfully discharging a firearm.

Of teams with more than three arrests of players—other than the six Tennessee players, and the six West Virginia players—eight South Carolina players, five Colorado players and five Indiana players have been arrested this offseason.

Alabama, Penn State, Kent State, Iowa, Illinois and Montana have had three football players arrested and/or sentenced this offseason.  Quite a number of other programs have one or two players arrested this offseason - assault, marijuana possession, minor in possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct are some of the common charges.

Apparently severity of discipline differs at institutions.  For DUI, a player’s scholarship at Tennessee was revoked after his fifth offense, and at Georgia, a player received a one game suspension.  At Notre Dame, a player was suspended for one semester from the football and lacrosse teams, and at Clemson, a player was dismissed from the team.

Clemson and South Carolina, for example, also have different methods for dealing with arrests or violations.

South Carolina’s eight player arrests have included arrests for marijuana possession, underage drinking, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and malicious injury to property. 

Steve Spurrier has “left the matter(s) to university officials” and to his athletic director.  Decisions may be pending. 

At Clemson, their two players have already been disciplined.  The football program suspended one player from the team indefinitely due to “violation of team rules” and suspended another for one year due to DUI - and just recently dismissed him from the team. 

Coaches’ individual views may impact their decisions.  Last year, the University of Miami banned players from carrying guns. 

Bobby Bowden said, after Parker’s arrest, that it would be hypocritical of him to ban guns at FSU since he owns a gun. 

Bowden feels, “"I hate to say this, but if you are in certain neighborhoods, you better have a gun. You have to protect yourself and your family. I really hate to say that, but it's the way things have gotten." 

Bowden suspended Parker for FSU’s first two games (Western Carolina, Chattanooga).  FSU suspended players from the online music course cheating scandal last year for the first three games.

Reasons for this alarming increase in arrests vary, including:

• recruiting players with violent backgrounds
• coaches concerned only with winning
• poor institutional control and weak discipline policies
• programs that lack emphasis on expectations and responsibilities of players
• individual coach’s values

In general, the NCAA allows the universities and their programs (and the courts) to discipline players who have committed crimes.  

The NCAA, however, may penalize a university for “lack of institutional control” in certain circumstances.   

Bobby Bowden concerns for his players increase in the offseason for brushes with the law.  

"This is the time of the year you worry when players go home and get together with their buddies."—a sentiment shared by many, Bobby. 

Hopefully, you have familiarized them with their Miranda rights.