Ut's Major Off The Field Problems

[GMoney]

Arrested development

By Alan Trubow

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Friday, August 03, 2007

Eight different Longhorns players have been arrested on various charges since the 2006 Rose Bowl. Several still have court cases pending.

Mack Brown With fall practice only days away, Longhorns coach dealing with more off-the-field issues.

(pictures of each on original article)

Aaron Harris

Tyrell Gatewood

Henry Melton

Robert Joseph

Sergio Kindle

Tarell Brown

Ramonce Taylor

Ramonce Taylor

Former running back

What happened: Taylor called 911 on May 15, 2006, when the rear window of his Chevy Tahoe was knocked out in a late-night disturbance. Bell County sheriff's deputies found more than five pounds of marijuana in Taylor's truck — inside a backpack featuring a Big 12 Conference logo.

Result: Taylor pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and given five years deferred probation. Transferred to Texas College in Tyler.

Tarell Brown

Former defensive back

What happened: Brown was arrested Sept. 4, 2006, on misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession and possession of a handgun when the car he was riding in was stopped on Interstate 35 for swerving.

Result: Brown missed the big Ohio State game that week. The misdemeanor drug charges were dropped when he passed a drug test. The handgun charge is pending.

Second arrest: Brown was arrested on March 22, when Williamson County deputies pulled over an SUV driven by Brown's cousin. Deputies searched the vehicle and found about half of a marijuana cigarette in the console.

Result: Charges were dropped when Brown passed a drug test.

Tyrell Gatewood

Former defensive back

What happened: Gatewood was in the car with Brown on Sept. 4, 2006, and also was charged with marijuana possession.

Result: Gatewood missed the Ohio State game, and the drug charge was dropped when he passed a drug test.

Aaron Harris

Former linebacker

What happened: Harris, whose eligibility had expired and was a three-year starter for Texas, was driving the car in which Brown and Gatewood were riding. He passed a field sobriety test but admitted he had been smoking marijuana.

Result: Misdemeanor drug possession charge pending.

Henry Melton

Sophomore defensive end

What happened: The running-back-turned-defensive-end from Grapevine was arrested on June 1 on a charge of driving while intoxicated after being pulled over by Austin police for erratic driving in the Sixth Street entertainment district.

Result: Court case is pending.

Robert Joseph

Freshman defensive back

What happened: Joseph was arrested June 9 and charged with two counts of burglarizing a vehicle. A couple of days later, he announced he would transfer.

Result: He was suspended from the team and announced plans to transfer. The case is pending

Second arrest: Joseph was arrested last Friday and charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony. He remains in Travis County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Result: Court case is pending.

Sergio Kindle

Sophomore linebacker

What happened: Kindle, widely considered as Texas' top recruit in 2006, was arrested at 2:35 a.m. Saturday on a charge of driving while intoxicated after his car swerved between lanes on South First Street.

Result: Court case is pending.

Andre Jones

Freshman defensive tackle

What happened: A warrant was issued for Jones on Thursday in the same robbery as Joseph.

Result: Aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon charge pending.

[Eagle1855]

yeah this is absurd... Texas is becoming the new Miami U. The Austin American Statesman had a pretty good write up on this, calling Mack to action.

Mack needs to act

Tough discipline, changes in recruiting needed after rash of Longhorn arrests.

Friday, August 03, 2007

The Texas Longhorns are no longer the fair-haired boys of college football.

"We are Texas"? How about: "Which Texas is this"?

Not the Texas that coach Mack Brown molded into a national power with high-character recruits who rarely ran afoul of the law.

Not the Texas that steered clear of serious off-the-field offenses.

The second arrest of former UT safety Robert Joseph, this time on aggravated robbery charges, was a head shaker. For the Longhorn Nation, the allegation that freshman defensive tackle Dre Jones participated in the robbery, too, was like running headfirst into a tackling dummy. Without a helmet.

We can't keep saying "another black eye for the program" because the eyes of Texas are rapidly becoming slits. No amount of makeup can cover up these scars. Hook 'em is fast becoming Book 'em.

Since Mack and Vince Young led the program to a fourth national championship on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, there have been 10 — count 'em, 10 — arrests of players involved with the Texas program. Five have come in the last two months.

What is going on here?

Accountability is everything, and Mack must take the hit here. He won a national title and returned this program to top-five prominence. Now he must re-evaluate his recruiting practices before his program disintegrates into something ugly, or uglier.

Brown has a problem in his football family, and he must face that fact. Instead of taking responsibility, he chided the media this week when he said, "It's very interesting that when you have 130 kids, and 128 of them do everything right, if one gets in trouble, you stir it up about one or two."

I like Mack. He's a good, family man who could charm the rattles off a Texas rattlesnake, but the time has come to take another approach in determining what type of kids he's bringing in here. I know there are background checks conducted on recruits every year. Incoming freshmen in orientation are cautioned to avoid drinking, late nights and to pick their friends wisely.

It's worked for the most part, but changes are obviously needed. What changes are up to Mack. That's why he makes over $2 million a year, to make those tough decisions.

If eight current and/or former players are arrested within an 18-month period, it puts a damper on the clean standing of the other 78 players. Bad news travels fast.

This is not the time for coaches or fans to make excuses. Be angry, not apathetic.

One or two arrests a year? Happens in most every major football program in America. But 10 in a year and a half? Now you're venturing into the seedy era of the camouflage-wearing Miami Hurricanes of yesteryear. We saw what Joe Paterno did when six of his Penn State players were arrested for a fight on campus. In addition to any legal punishment the offenders must face, he ordered the entire team to clean the football stadium after each home game.

Like it or not, it's called accountability. Accountability not only as a football player but as a football program.

Brown can't be everywhere his players go. But they hang out with one another. If a team member knew about guns or robberies, they should have intervened.

In the Texas football media guide, Jones is described as a Parade high school All-American, an honor roll student who graduated from Andress High School in El Paso early so he could join his future college teammates for spring football.

Jones grew up dreaming of being in the UT starting lineup one day, not the photo lineup in which he was identified. Now he will join Joseph in jail, in a different shade of orange uniform.

Which brings us to the easiest decision Mack Brown has faced since he offered Vince Young a scholarship. The lawbreakers must go.

Haven't these kids learned anything from Michael Vick? This dude was a $100 million industry unto himself and now there are sewer rats who wouldn't trade places with him. The lesson is you're only as good as your associations. If you lie down with dogs, you will soon wake up with fleas. So If you want to follow your buddy to the penitentiary, go ahead. But you shouldn't be allowed to do it under the guise of being a law-abiding student-athlete for a college reputed to recruit solid citizens.

How many times have we heard coach Brown say: "He's a good kid from a good family."? Well, it's time to find some better kids. More Kelsons and McCoys. Fewer thugs.

[NT80]

It's the Big 12 overall:

"Texas isn't alone in off-the-field issues this summer. Maurice Purify, the leading receiver for Nebraska in 2006, received a one-game suspension after pleading no contest to criminal charges, including assault, last month.

The Missouri basketball team had a player shot in the ankle during a nightclub disturbance and another dismissed for allegedly hitting someone in the head with the handle of a gun. As a result, Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel has imposed a rule that none of his players can be in a nightclub or bar later than 9 p.m.

Oklahoma State sophomore linebacker Chris Collins faces a pretrial hearing Aug. 20 on charges he sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in 2004. Three OSU basketball players and a football player also have had brushes with the law this summer."

Oklahoma basketball coach Jeff Capel has dismissed two players from his team, one for a run-in with the law.

[Arkstfan]

Every school is going to have off-field problems. The difference is in how they deal with those players.

[emmitt01]

As to the title of this thread, it'll never happen. The DMN makes too much cheddar catering (and cowering) to UT fans. Not an anti-UT statement, just a statement of fact.

As far as what to do about the problem kids? Boot 'em. UT recruits at a high enough level that there are blue chip athletes sitting behind any thug that wants to run afoul of the law. Let it be known that competition isn't the only way you can lose your playing time in Austin and perhaps some of these kids will think twice.

[GMoney]

Of course my title had a lot of sarcasm to it. We all know that the DMN would never slam UT but would cater to the UT fans by running front page articles for 3 days on the OU problems. It just amazes me that blasting of one you hate, while pretty much ignoring the one you love, never ends and worse yet - no one calls them on it!

As for how the players are dealt with being the key issue... OU dismissed its starting QB and OL when they found out and imposed self sanctions. One quote by Mac Brown (seen on this board in another thread about Sergio Kindle), "It's a family matter and we will deal with it internally." Pretty soon the slaps on the wrist to the major stars (such as Cedric Benson, Mouton, Tyrell Brown) filters down to the rest of the players and they stop fearing the consequences of being caught and the action becomes acceptable.

Edited August 3, 2007 by GMoney

[untbowler]

Andre Jones I am sure will be allowed to play since he is a H.S. All-American, but guarantee if a 2nd or 3rd stringer gets busted for something Mack Brown will make an example of that player.

[LongJim]

It's out of control. No excuses for it. Kick them off the team.

Agreed that most programs will have issues like this. Florida has 11 arrests since January.

[MeanMag]

It's not just UT fans and coaches that should be upset about this. All Texans should. When any University in the state gets in trouble for this we should be angry and embarrassed as Texans, especially STATE FUNDED universities, and especially the one that bears the States' Name, proclaims "We're Texas", and is a couple of blocks from the state capitol.

Edited August 3, 2007 by MeanMag

[jimmyjames_99]

It just amazes me that blasting of one you hate, while pretty much ignoring the one you love, never ends and worse yet - no one calls them on it!

And their bias, or really any other media's bias for that matter, doesn't end with just sports teams.

But, they don't want you to know that.

[gruu]

It's not just UT fans and coaches that should be upset about this. All Texans should. When any University in the state gets in trouble for this we should be angry and embarrassed as Texans, especially STATE FUNDED universities, and especially the one that bears the States' Name, proclaims "We're Texas", and is a couple of blocks from the state capitol.

Ah ha... maybe that is the problem at UT? So close to the state capital and all of their...

[FirefightnRick]

Along the same lines I noticed that the Fort Worth Startlegram didn't have anything in the sports section today or yesterday about their Loan Lending problem that is under investigation but certainly had something about the tU players.

Rick

[GreenBat]

Mack Brown releases statement on Jones

Texas coach Mack Brown has released a statement on the aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon charge against freshman defensive tackle Andre Jones, who turned himself into authorities today:

"We are disappointed to hear about the recent allegations against Dre Jones," Brown said. "They are very serious charges. We will cooperate with authorities through the legal process and support Dre any way we can. We've talked with Dre and his family and have decided to suspend him indefinitely. He will not be involved in any team functions at this time, pending the completion of the legal process."

"I am extremely disappointed that four of our student-athletes have had issues with the law this summer," Brown added. "That is not reflective of the high standard of class, character and integrity we have established at Texas for many years. It's a shame that these recent events have generated a great deal of negative attention, because I do think that overall, this is as good of a group of kids that I've ever coached. I think that will show over time."

___________________________________________________________

The "Class" of Ricky Williams getting suspended from the NFL for smoking herb. The "Character" of Cedric Benson kicking down a girls door looking for his TV. Or the "Integrity" of safety Robert Joseph who was charged with misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle.

The problem is deeper than the four arrest this summer.

Edited August 4, 2007 by GreenBat

[EagleD]

Comments I've heard this week:

"Texas recruits can't wait to wear orange... fluorescent orange."

"If this keeps up we'll be able to listen to Longhorn games on the police scanner."

"Book 'em Horns!"

[GreenBat]

Mack steps up, kinda.

Brown suspends UT pair for arrests

03:33 AM CDT on Monday, August 6, 2007

By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

E-mail chipbrown@dallasnews.com

AUSTIN – Texas coach Mack Brown on Sunday suspended sophomore linebacker Sergio Kindle of Woodrow Wilson and junior defensive end Henry Melton of Grapevine for three games after both were charged with driving while intoxicated this summer.

The suspensions represent what Brown hopes is the end of a summer of negative news made by players off the field. Brown said a "zero-tolerance" policy resulted in the three-game suspensions, whereas in the past the players might have missed only one game.

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