Cunningham allegedly threw paper cups at the clerk. JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM Charge: Misdemeanor battery in December 2007 for an altercation with a clerk at Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shop in Gainesville. Hornsby served a previous five-game suspension, but it wasn’t for the first misdemeanor – it was for selling his complimentary tickets. Team punishments: No punishment for first offense, kicked off the team for second offense. Outcome: Charges were reduced to misdemeanors and Hornsby took a plea deal-probation and community service. 2: Unauthorized use of a credit card to obtain goods and services, a felony, along with misdemeanor larceny of a credit card for allegedly making more than 70 fraudulent charges on the gas credit card of a female UF student who died seven months earlier. Outcome: Hornsby received deferred prosecution and the charge was later dismissed. 1: Cited for misdemeanor property damage and criminal mischief in April 2007 for allegedly throwing a man onto the hood of a car during a fight. Team punishment: Davis was always in Meyer’s doghouse and hardly allowed to practice or play with the team for various academic and disciplinary reasons, so it’s safe to say Meyer suspended Davis for his crimes.
TORREY DAVIS Charge: Misdemeanor knowingly driving with a suspended license on numerous occasions, including once in July 2008 and another in March 2009 – two weeks after he left the team – that placed him in jail. Team punishments: Rickerson was suspended for the 2007 season opener for the marijuana charge, then kicked off the team the morning of the domestic violence incident. Outcome: Charges were reduced to misdemeanor status, then the Alachua County courts gave him two years probation without proceeding with the charges. 2: Felony domestic violence by strangulation and felony obstruction of justice after a November altercation with a girlfriend. Outcome: Charges were dropped without legal ramifications. 1: Misdemeanor possession of marijuana in February 2007. Newton transferred to Blinn (Texas) Junior College. Team punishment: Meyer suspended Newton for the rest of the 2008 season. The charges will disappear assuming he completes his obligations. Outcome: Newton received pre-trial deferment – common for a first-time offender – and is serving community service and probation time. Team punishment: Cooper played baseball during the spring, and it’s unknown whether Meyer sought out punishmentĬAM NEWTON Charge: Felony counts of burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice in November 2009 after allegedly stealing a laptop from a UF student and throwing it out his dormitory window upon police suspicion. Campus police cited Cooper for not getting out of the way of a moving car upon police’s orders, according to Johnson.
This means that there have been 24 different times a Gator player has faced a charge in a court of law.
Since 2005, Florida has had 24 Gator arrests. The University of Florida has now taken their rightful spot as the number one team in the state, on and off the field.
History tells us of "Thug-U" (University of Miami) and Free Shoes University (Florida State) and their success with questionable character athletes. Urban Meyer's teams are trouble off the field, lots of trouble.