By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Atlanta, GA

Former Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley described as "blessing in disguise" the arrest and eventual removal of running back Isaiah Crowell from the team.

"I don't want to put any pressure on them, but losing that guy may have been the best thing to happen to them," Dooley told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It was a bad apple-type thing, if you ask me."

The Bulldogs' leading rusher last season, Crowell was kicked off the team by head coach head coach Mark Richt after he was arrested on felony weapons charges.

Dooley, who coached the Bulldogs to six SEC championships and a national title in 25 seasons, said Crowell's negative effects being a troublemaker and distraction have outweighed the skills that he brought to the team.

"That kind of thing will unite a team many times," Dooley said. "Historically, when things like this have happened in the past, they tend to have a unifying effect on teams. They go on to have an even better season than they were predicted to have."

The 19-year-old Crowell was arrested June 29 and charged with a felony count of possessing a weapon in a school zone, a felony count of an altered identification mark and a misdemeanor count of possession/carrying a concealed weapon.

Authorities said the serial number on a 9 mm Luger pistol found under the driver's seat had been scratched off, but Crowell denied knowing a gun was there, saying other people drive his car. Police said the altered ID mark charge stems from the tampered serial number.

The running back could face a fine of up to $10,000 and a prison sentence of two to 10 years if found guilty of weapons possession in a school zone, while the use of an article with an altered ID mark carries a sentence of one to five years.

Crowell ran for 185 times for 850 yards with five touchdowns as a freshman for the Bulldogs. But his outstanding play was overshadowed by disciplinary problems throughout the previous summer.

Crowell has transferred to Alabama State, a Football Championship Subdivision-level program in Montgomery, and started classes Monday. He will be eligible to play this season, instead of sitting out the required year if he transferred to another Football Bowl Subdivision school.

 

 

Crowell's Removal from Bulldogs 'Blessing in Disguise'