Mark Richt Is Hoping Georgia Football Players Don’t Repeat History, Make Horrible Spring Break Decisions

Rob Fox12 years ago

On December 1st, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia, the Georgia Bulldogs came five yards short of winning the BCS National Championship, which of course was played that day in the Georgia Dome, and not over a month later in an exhibition in Miami between an NFL minor league team and America’s college football sweetheart, who turned out to be as much of a fraud as one sexually confused player’s actual sweetheart.

A few months later, Georgia players are presumably over the heartbreaking loss, and looking forward to a new season in which they will once again be national title contenders. But before the season begins, the Georgia players have something else to look forward to: Spring Break.

After all, the season is still a long way off. Too long, if you ask Mark Richt, who will be spending the next week of his life anxiously wondering which Florida municipal police departments he’ll need to be making sizable donations to. If recent history is any indicator, more than a few.

…if only the Bulldogs could do something about spring break. Several Georgia players have fumbled away their free time in recent years, and coach Mark Richt cannot afford much disciplinary action in 2013 with a schedule that opens with Clemson and South Carolina.

Speaking before Thursday’s practice, Richt said former Bulldogs left guard Steve Herndon had been brought in to talk to the team about making good choices. Richt promised to give a similar address following the workout and expected to have some company.

…

Last March, cornerback Branden Smith was Florida-bound when he was arrested for marijuana possession after being pulled over near Dothan, Ala. Smith eventually had the charges dropped and did not serve a suspension after reportedly passing multiple drug tests.

Safety Bacarri Rambo successfully made it to Panama City, Fla., a year ago but then, according to his high school coach, ate brownies that he didn’t know contained marijuana. Rambo failed a drug test and missed the first four games of his senior season.

Even quarterback Aaron Murray had a rough spring break a year ago, as a trip to Key West, Fla., was overshadowed by a picture of him with company in his room that made the Twitter and Facebook rounds.

Georgia’s most unfortunate spring-break mishap in recent years took place in 2010, when redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Mettenberger was arrested outside a bar near Valdosta, Ga. Mettenberger was suspended and then dismissed from the team, and he wound up pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.

Mettenberger, now entering his second spring as LSU’s starting quarterback, is banished from setting foot in Valdosta again.

So what’s the Georgia rap sheet here? Weed, weed, sluts, sexual battery? That’s impressive, like Oakland Raiders impressive. At least Mettenberger took his wandering hands to LSU.

One player who Richt won’t have to worry about is quarterback Aaron Murray, who will be spending his Spring Break in Norman, Oklahoma, training for the upcoming season.

“I’ve had my share of fun spring breaks,” Murray told reporters earlier this week in Athens. “It’s my last go-around, and I’ve got to make sure I’m ready to go this season and not do anything stupid, either.”

Murray added, “Plus, if I want to bang out some dime, instead of going on Spring Break, I can always just keep existing as Aaron Murray.”

Somebody get us incriminating UGA football photos this Spring Break. I’m looking at you, Florida fans.

[via TimesFreePress.com]