OT: Tide Clear Scholarship Room by Punting Thieves

Submitted by Geaux_Blue on

Four players were kicked off the team for assorted forms of larceny

Pettway, Williams and Hayes are charged with two counts of second-degree robbery. Williams and Calloway are charged with fraudulent use of a credit card.

Williams confessed to robbing a student who was punched in the head and face and kicked in the ribs and back. He said Pettway and Hayes watched him commit another robbery from a nearby vehicle about an hour later.

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BONUS SEC COVERAGE: Per the WWL, Georgia has lost the 9th member of a 19 player recruiting class from 2010. Attrition exists outside of Ann Arbor. YAY!

Maize and Blue…

February 27th, 2013 at 2:09 PM ^

but I don't recognize the other three.  Surprisingly, the three I don't remember get the boot while Calloway gets to stay.  Definitely done the Saban way.  I just get the feeling that Dee Hart will not be with Bama next year.

Jinjooappa

February 27th, 2013 at 5:19 PM ^

Call me a cynic, but it's easy to make this move when the football team's at the top of the mountain and their recruiting machine is bringing in top recruits on an annual basis. Also, was this Nick's doing or the University's? UA couldn't take the PR hit that would've accompanied keeping these guys on, especially if they only kept the guys most likely to contribute on the playing field. They don't want to actually confirm to the world that they have a win-at-all-costs mentality.

Charlestown Chiefs

February 27th, 2013 at 1:49 PM ^

Terrible title.  We all bash the coaches for being too lenient on players who violate the rules.  So instead of appauding Saban for having a backbone you are making him seem devious by kicking off player who broke rules?  Saban might be a douche but give the man credit this time.

Mr Miggle

February 27th, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^

Your title leads with "Tide Clear Scholarship Room". That's strongly suggesting a purpose behind the dismissals that has absolutely nothing to do with doing the right thing. Claiming you aren't taking any credit away from Saban because you also give another reason for the dismissals is just silly.

LSAClassOf2000

February 27th, 2013 at 2:01 PM ^

To add to the troubles of Eddie Williams in particular, I believe there had been a story somewhere that said he was arrested the day before the robberies and attacks described in the Washington Post article for carrying a handgun without a license, and I think Calloway has been in trouble before as well, but for marijuana possession.

It is hopefully fair to say that what these players did should not reflect the values of ANY organization, to paraphrase Nick. Here is a slightly more detailed piece with some more of his quotes regarding this (LINK). Actually, it states that after their judicial review at Alabama, the four mentioned in the article are no longer enrolled there either.

Geaux_Blue

February 27th, 2013 at 2:08 PM ^

And completely separate from the post itself

Brent Calloway: 10 carries for 63 yds, 0 TDs

DJ Pettway: 4 TFL, 2.5 Sacks, 1 QB Hurry, 8 total tackles

Tyler Hayes: 10 Solo tackles, 14 total, 1 QB Hurry

Eddie Williams: No available stats

 

So Saban actually did lose a bit in Pett and Hayes, both Freshman

woodfeld

February 27th, 2013 at 2:31 PM ^

Eddie Williams was a universal 5 star recruit, the other 3 4-star recruits (Calloway being a Rivals 100 guy).  We can all snicker about how convenient it is for Saban to find room for his next class, but he lost some big time football talent with these guys.  The crimes definitely warranted being booted though, just trying to say this wasn't about Saban booting some scrubs off his roster.

woodfeld

February 27th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^

Eddie Williams was a universal 5 star recruit, the other 3 4-star recruits (Calloway being a Rivals 100 guy).  We can all snicker about how convenient it is for Saban to find room for his next class, but he lost some big time football talent with these guys.  The crimes definitely warranted being booted though, just trying to say this wasn't about Saban booting some scrubs off his roster.

APBlue

February 27th, 2013 at 3:15 PM ^

We should snicker about Saban kicking these kids off. This is exactly the problem with oversigning. Any school that doesn't oversign would be facing the likelihood of being down 4 players right now. But because Saban had room for 12 or 13 (or whatever) and signed his SEC allowed 25, he has plenty of room to give these kids the boot.

MI Expat NY

February 27th, 2013 at 4:03 PM ^

Agree with your point, but other than Calloway, I can't imagine these are players he would have wanted to kick off the team.  One was an all freshman-SEC performer, another contributed on special teams as a freshman and a third was redshirted.  Calloway seems to have fallen hopelessly behind in the RB depth chart, but I'm sure Saban and Co. at least had hopes for the future out of the other three.  You are right though, in that this won't hurt Bama nearly as much as it would other schools.

woodfeld

February 27th, 2013 at 4:09 PM ^

It's fine to snicker about oversigning, sure, but this isn't a case where Saban is in the wrong.  Booting these kids was warranted (at least the 3 that were part of the beating/robbery)....if he hadn't, I guarantee there'd be a thread about how could he let this slide, about how he only cares about football and winning.  I'm pretty sure Saban was not eyeballing 4 freshmen with solid football credentials coming out of HS for St. Saban's Hospital or whatever pastures he's sending some kids out to in order to get his next class in.  All that said, Saban still treats his football program like a ruthless CEO treats his/her business and it's not fair to the kids that just want to have an enjoyable college experience.

treyanastasio

February 27th, 2013 at 3:54 PM ^

Was the best player of the group. Would have been a stud saefty, he redshirted because of depth. Hayes is the next biggest loss. Was a LB in the CJ Mosley mold. Smaller then they normally use, but very fast and can run the middle. Pettway and Callaway were most likely career depth guys. 

icefins26

February 27th, 2013 at 2:22 PM ^

I have tons of respect for Nick Saban.  I really do.

Quote from him regarding those kids:  "Some people learn by words, some people learn by consequences and some people can't learn at all." 

pharker

February 27th, 2013 at 2:40 PM ^

"There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."

Saban is a brilliant football coach and motivator, and obviously he's doing the right thing here. His penchant, though, for stretching the letter of the rules and as such ignoring their spirit makes him warrant every bit of the suspicion he gets for the way he manages the roster.

UMFoster

February 27th, 2013 at 2:45 PM ^

I honestly don't think he did it to clear roster space. All 4 were really good recruits and 3 of them saw time as freshman. He wouldn't just drop them for unproven recruits. As much as I hate Alabama and Nick Saban I think he did it to teach a lesson to those kids. Just my thoughts

Lazer with a Z

February 27th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^

Now, I dislike the Dark Lord Nick Saban as much as the next guy, but that thread title is weak. That was very TMZ/Tabloid Magazine of you. 

Maybe they were kicked off the team for being turds, not for clearing scholarships?

Soulfire21

February 27th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^

Well, obviously Saban set them up on the crimes.  Must've been a handful of the 3-stars that he overlooked when they signed their LOI (aka letter-of-you-can-try-out-for-bama).  Now he looks like a Saint instead of Satan because he booted some "lawbreakers" from his team.  It's the perfect scheme!

/s <-- Someone would miss it.

TruBluMich

February 27th, 2013 at 3:23 PM ^

The part of the story everyone is missing, is Saban didn't dismiss anyone, the University kicked them out.  Unless, I read it wrong.

University spokeswoman Deborah Lane said Wednesday that linebackers D.J. Pettway and Tyler Hayes, safety Eddie Williams and H-back Brent Calloway are no longer enrolled after a judicial review.