This season, but he made too many off the field mistakes.
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Darryl Stonum Dismissed
Filed under:
high, and low
Getting stopped was the straw that broke the camel's back. Press release:
University of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke announced on Tuesday (Jan. 17) that wide receiver Darryl Stonum has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules.
"I love Darryl and wish him nothing but the absolute best," Hoke said. "However, there is a responsibility and a higher standard you must be accountable to as a University of Michigan football student-athlete. That does not and will not change. It's unfortunate because I believe he has grown a great deal as a person since the beginning of the season. My hope is that maturing process continues."
Stonum started 25 of 36 career games at U-M, catching 76 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned 62 kickoffs for 1,538 yards and holds the single-season kickoff return mark with 39 returns for 1,001 yards in 2009. Stonum redshirted in 2011.
"I appreciate everything the University of Michigan, Dave Brandon and Coach Hoke have done for me," said Stonum. "I look forward to continuing my football career down the road, but more importantly, right now I'm focused on graduating from Michigan this Spring. I understand only I am responsible for my actions. I'm sad about how all of this turned out, but I completely understand. I love this school and my team and will miss them all greatly. But I'll always be a Wolverine. I know I have grown and matured as a person over the last nine months, and I will continue to learn and grow every day. I want to thank everyone for all of their support, and I hope they will support me in the future."
Michigan now has a major hole at outside receiver with the departures of Stonum and Hemingway. Roy Roundtree will start at one spot; the other spot will either be Jeremy Gallon, Jerald Robinson, Jeremy Jackson, or some freshmen. Gallon will be needed for slot duties, so inevitably this puts Robinson and or Jackson on the field for a bunch more snaps. Probably Jackson; since Jackson is very much a possession type that will expose Michigan to the same sorts of athleticism issues that plagued them in the Virginia Tech game.
If Michigan knew this was coming it makes the Arnett situation strange; it was always strange they didn't take Devin Lucien last year; this may open up a spot for OH WR Monty Madaris, who is scheduled to visit next weekend and suddenly has a wide open depth chart to luxuriate in should he want to don a winged helmet. CA WR Jordan Payton committed to Cal at the Army game only to see his recruiter hired at Washington; Hoke has an in-home with him scheduled.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:17 PM
#2
We could of use him
January 17th, 2012 at 5:27 PM
#3
"could have used"
"could have used"
January 17th, 2012 at 5:17 PM
#4
(No subject)
January 17th, 2012 at 5:17 PM
#5
Happy to see Hoke take a
Happy to see Hoke take a stand. Feel bad for Stonum, but he had his chances.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:20 PM
#6
Totally agree...we are gonna
Totally agree...we are gonna miss him hard next year, but if we had kept him, we'd be no better than those guys up in East Lansing.
Best of luck to Stonum!
January 17th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
#7
yeah
Good to see Hoke walking the walk instead of dismissing only fringe players the way Dantonio does.
I hope Stonum can keep his nose clean.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:43 PM
#8
I loved the statement he
I loved the statement he made...no sour grapes, accepts the punishment and the consequences of his actions. I sure hope that he has grown and learned from his mistakes. I certainly hope that he lands on his feet somewhere.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:19 PM
#9
really too bad
For some reason, one of the most vivid recollections I have of watching the Wolverines play football over the past 5 years is Stonum's TD return vs. ND '09. He kind of gives this little chest bump and points up to the crowd. Good luck to him.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:43 PM
#10
Mine was his TD reception in
Mine was his TD reception in the 2009 MSU game that was the first of two TDs to tie the game in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter. He caught the ball in the middle of the field and I thought there was no way he was going to make it to the sideline let alone score.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:20 PM
#11
Sad..
but this needed to happen. He will be missed next year for sure. I enjoyed watching him play, and I wish him all of the best in the future.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:20 PM
#12
All I can say is....
January 17th, 2012 at 5:20 PM
#13
Had to be done
Disappointing... But it was the right choice. I'm glad Hoke sticks to his guns
January 17th, 2012 at 5:22 PM
#14
Sucks but
Hoke gave him at least one second chance (and probably more). It's one thing to ignore the instructions of the court, but to then let down your head coach and the team with more of the same, that's dumb. Hoke handled this correctly.
Hope Stonum gets his head screwed on straight and can play someplace else. Good luck Darryl.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:22 PM
#15
Sad to see Stonum's career
Sad to see Stonum's career end like this, but it had to be done. Tough decision for Hoke, but glad Hoke maintained consistent approach on his discipline for Stonum and didn't cater to one athlete, ala Kelly and Floyd.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:23 PM
#16
I truly believe Stonum is a
I truly believe Stonum is a good kid. He will do well wherever he goes from here. I'm glad that he's sticking around to earn his degree.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:23 PM
#17
Dantonio?
He will drive him from jail to practice. I am glad Hoke set an example, and I wish the young man the very best.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:23 PM
#18
Right thing to do for both
Right thing to do for both parties. Obviously Stonum would have benefitted from another year here, but he's learned that consequences aren't always going to be light/shrug them off easily. Hope he sorts everything out
January 18th, 2012 at 10:18 AM
#19
Who is Denard going to throw
Who is Denard going to throw those 50/50 jump balls to now?
January 17th, 2012 at 5:26 PM
#20
Correct me if I'm wrong, but
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Stonum still on scholarship for the rest of the spring semester? We still wouldn't have been able to get Arnett right?
January 17th, 2012 at 5:44 PM
#21
We are currently under the 85
We are currently under the 85 scholarship limit, so there's nothing stopping us from getting Arnett.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:26 PM
#22
Besides mutual interest.*
nm
January 17th, 2012 at 6:29 PM
#23
Obviously, but he was asking
Obviously, but he was asking about the scholarship situation.
January 18th, 2012 at 2:19 AM
#24
except
I believe Arnett is enrolled at MSU
January 18th, 2012 at 1:31 PM
#25
http://mgoblog.com/content/da
January 17th, 2012 at 5:26 PM
#26
The Arnett situation was a no
The Arnett situation was a no go no matter what..he didn't know this staff and already have relationships with marky D. Also if I'm not mistaken didn't he visit spartyland while we were still in Nawlins?
It seems like Arnett wanted Sparty from the start and oh well more power to him I'll gladly take madaris or Payton at this point.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:29 PM
#27
i think we turned away arnett
i think we turned away arnett the day before stonum drove on his suspended licenese.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:54 PM
#28
Hey,
Arnett could always pull a "Gunner" and just show up for classes at Michigan this week, instead of MSU.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:26 PM
#29
crap - but had to happen
Guy on double not so secret probation cannot get his real probation revoked and then stay on the team - not unless you are in East Lansing.
Writing was on the wall, and Payton's revelation that Hoke would take a third receiver in this class confirmed it.
Glad to see back in it with Madaris because I think Payton will stay out west.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:56 PM
#30
Yeah, when I read that in the other thread
It seemed like a pretty good sign something was up. It's unfortunate, but it likely had to happen. If this hadn't been try number 5 or whatever, then maybe not. I'm glad to see he's going to get his degree, and that all parties handled it with caring and class. Good luck Darryl. You may have screwed up, but Michigan will still be your home.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:31 PM
#31
It was the correct move by
It was the correct move by Hoke, but man, that really hurts. We were already lacking in playmakers at WR...guess we're gonna have to learn to run well against 8 and 9 in box.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:52 PM
#32
Well..
If they put 8 or 9 in the box, I like the chances of Tree and Gallon vs CB with no safety help.
Secondly, the athleticism from VT defense is way above the bar for the teams we'll face next year (with the exception of Bamajama).
So, if we run the ACE, or a 3 wide TE single back Shotgun (both of which we run from relatively well), that leaves 8 in the box, with 4 to cover 4. I like 1 on 1s, especially with Gallon on underneaths and tree in the seams.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:24 PM
#33
But Roundtree is going to be
But Roundtree is going to be playing the outside receiver, which means few seam routes,and he's shown he's not the greatest at getting away from corners. Plus Borges is going to have to realize we don't have the outside receivers to run 2 or 3 man long developing patterns like he seems to like.
January 17th, 2012 at 6:40 PM
#34
I'd say Bama, ND, MSU, OSU, and the bowl opp
All have DBs that can run with Roundtree and whoever else we have on the roster that plays on the outside in a 1v1 situation. UM is going to want to win 3 of the above 5 games so we better find/get another outside WR or fundamentally change the passing game(not going to happen).
This is a huge loss. Hopefully there is a stud frosh that can stretch the field or one of the current guys (Jackson, Robinson) make a Denard like LEAP in the offseason.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
#35
If he can graduate, he can
If he can graduate, he can transfer and play next fall. as long as it's not the big ten, I hope nothing but the best for him. I don't quite understand how a judge can expect a guy to make regular 7:30 probation check-ins without a driver's license. Wouldn't his have been a good case for a restricted license?
Whatever.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:47 PM
#36
Probably not
Not sure on the Michigan specifics, but a 2nd DUI usually isn't eligible for anything but a nice long stretch without a license.
And normally I could see the "set up to fail" argument, but the guy was living in Ann Arbor. One of my favorite parts about going to school there was that I never needed a car and could get as hammered as I want and just stumble home. To pick up two driving offenses and then get caught driving a car to get over to Main St. in a town that size with all the public transportation options with a shitload of people who I'm sure would gladly give the dude a lift is just mind boggling.
Hell, if he had just stuck his thumb out on State St. I'm sure he could have gotten picked up in less than 5 minutes and he'd still be on the team. He (especially) and everyone around him totally dropped the ball on this one.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:47 PM
#37
You do understand how most
You do understand how most people get around Ann Arbor, don't you?
January 17th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
#38
Please don't talk to me right now
I'm a little verklempt
January 17th, 2012 at 5:32 PM
#39
The high road
It stinks to be on it sometimes.
Thanks for returning that kick against ND, Darryl. I wish you the best.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:34 PM
#40
Always seemed like a nice
Always seemed like a nice guy, loved seeing him play, but it was the right decision.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:34 PM
#41
Ultimately Hoke stuck to his
Ultimately Hoke stuck to his guns. I think it was the right move, but I hope Stonum can finish his degree and move in a positive direction.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:35 PM
#42
Walk tall, young
Walk tall, young man.
If that's the worst of your mistakes you can certainly be proud of your life and time here.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:53 PM
#43
False
Breaking your friend's TV while drunk is no big deal and a "college mistake." The whole "everyone makes mistakes" line is a load of shit. I've made mistakes, but they've never had the potential to kill people.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:36 PM
#44
Silver linings
This does suck, and is the right move... but the timing of it certainly gives some silver linings all around. Stonum is going to graduate with a degree from the University of Michigan. That's awesome for him. Not as awesome as playing next year, but still awesome. Stonum can also declare for the NFL draft now. I dunno if he'll get drafted/his stock/etc. but if this happened a month from now he'd be S.O.L.
The silver lining for Michigan (as mentioned above) is this is happening before signing day, giving the coaches a chance to fill a need.
I don't think this is a "good" situation by any means, but it's not all bad. Best of luck to Darryl moving forward, I hope he lands on his feet and stays off the sauce.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:49 PM
#45
Will propose one other silver lining
though it will by its nature be a forever silent and unproveable one.
By dismissing Stonum, though we lose a great athlete at a position of need, Hoke may have prevented other losses with even bigger consequences for the team in the future. If Team 133 (and beyond) wasn't on notice before, they're certainly now aware they'd better fly right or there are real consequences. When young men know rules are rules, and breaking them has painful and consistently enforced consequences, it's a good bet they think twice about doing some dumb things.
But still. Ouch and whatnot. Get someone to drive you, Darryl. Arrrrrgh.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:36 PM
#46
Balls
So frustrating to stick with a guy through two DUIs only to lose him because he can't get a ride to court. How the fuck does that happen? How easy would it have been for him to set up some sort of "give Darryl a ride" program on a team with 100 guys, a dozen coaches, countless support staff, and thousands of students who would be more than happy to help out if it meant keeping the guy on the team? And he just happens to get pulled over, probably because he is easily recognized.
Balls.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:44 PM
#47
I think he was discovered
I think he was discovered because his probation officer caught him in a lie...I don't think he was pulled over.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:46 PM
#48
What probably happened was,
What probably happened was, he showed up to his probation office. The officer in charge saw him roll up, then called the cops after he left.
Ive heard from a family member that is an attorney he see's stuff like that happen all the time.
Hopefully it didn't happen like that and was just unlucky that he got pulled over.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:50 PM
#49
Probably right
That does seem more plausible. It also adds to the frustration to think he could still be on the team if he had just been smart enough to park a few blocks away (on top of how just plain dumb it is to drive a car in his position when you live in a town like Ann Arbor).
Balls.
January 18th, 2012 at 10:27 AM
#50
I get the impression that if
I get the impression that if it was not this, it would have been yet something else.
Come September, he was not destined not to be on the team, one way or another.
January 17th, 2012 at 5:40 PM
#51
Brian
Are you sure Mondaris is still visiting? Last I read, he had a final three that did not include us (MSU, Cincy, UK, I believe) and he was not visiting. It seems right now that Jordan Payton is our top target.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
