Twistity Sports Exclusive: COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S BAD BOYS

 
We don’t expect college students to be angels. We anticipate an even lower code of conduct for student-athletes, sadly. And even with that diminished standard, life on campus has become embarrassing. No wonder criminal justice is such a popular major. First-hand experience is great for landing internships.
 
The University of Texas recently dropped two players who will face sexual assault charges at a hearing on Sept. 2. Notre Dame has an academic scandal involving four players under investigation. Georgia Tech keeps throwing future engineers off the team. And so humiliating were the past few months at the University of Georgia that players called a meeting (minus coaches) before the start of fall camp to discuss behavior and the issues staining the program.
 
Here’s what’s happened in Athens alone:
 
Starting safety Josh Harvey-Clemons was kicked off the team after being suspended twice last season. Four players were arrested on charges of illegal check-cashing, including another starting safety, Tray Matthews, and defensive lineman Jonathan Taylor. Matthews was dismissed from the team and transferred to Auburn, a notable collector of others’ miscreants.
 
Taylor rode off into the sunset after his second offseason arrest, for the alleged beating of his girlfriend. Freshman linebacker Davin Bellamy was arrested in Athens on charges of driving under the influence.

“The majority of our guys are doing a great job,” Georgia coach Mark Richt insists. At what? Raising bail money? Baking files into cakes for visits to the local jail?

The kids get away with what the college tolerates. The college gets away with what the community, and the NCAA tolerates. And winning programs tolerate a lot because they’d rather win than uphold appropriate community standards.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .