In normal, everyday life, this is the sort of punishment that would be expected, but in the win-at-all-cost world of college football, UCF's dismissal of four players for dangerous and unacceptable behavior is being portrayed as bold and groundbreaking.
An average college student would likely be expelled from school if he were driving recklessly through campus at a high rate of speed with no valid driver's license, possibly under the influence of marijuana, in possession of loaded handguns and a loaded assault rifle and yelling obscenities at police officers who pulled him over.
But when the four UCF players — senior defensive back Antwan Collier, junior defensive end Randy Charlton, redshirt senior defensive tackle Kenny Turnier and redshirt senior linebacker Eric Mitchell — were dismissed from the team earlier this week for that behavior, the reaction was one of shock. In the alternative universe we are now living in, there were even critics saying the school was treating the gun-carrying, cop-berating players too harshly. Why couldn't UCF football coach Josh Heupel be like so many other big-time college coaches, keep the players on the team while the slow crawl of the judicial process runs its course and then just sweep the ugly matter under the rug in a few months when everybody has forgotten about it?
When I asked Heupel during a videoconference with reporters Thursday how tough it was to dismiss the players, he called it his "worst day as a coach. ... It hurts. ... It's your family and it's difficult."
But he sternly and steadfastly added: "When you're a part of this program, for all of us, there is a standard and expectations all of us have to meet, and when you don't meet those, there are consequences. For a few young men, they no longer will be representing us on the field."
It should be noted the players can still keep their scholarships and continue their progress toward a degree; they simply cannot represent UCF in the athletic arena. I know, I know, the cynics will roll their eyes and scoff at what I am about to write, but UCF has spent years carefully building a brand based on doing things the right way. It's what the faculty, the fan base and the well-heeled boosters expect. The UCF athletic program traditionally has one of the highest graduation rates in the NCAA and UCF athletes typically are outstanding community role models. I can't remember the last time a football player got into serious trouble and embarrassed UCF.
There's no question that the incident at 3 a.m. last Thursday reflected badly on the university. According to university police, UCF players were in a car driving recklessly at a high rate of speed near campus when they were pulled over. Police officers said they smelled marijuana in the car. The players were found to have a loaded AR-15 assault rifle and two loaded handguns in their possession. Collier, the driver of the car, did not have a valid driver's license or a permit for his loaded handgun. As Collier was being arrested, body cam video showed other UCF players who were bystanders aggressively yelling obscenities at their university's own police officers, who handled themselves in an extremely composed and professional manner.
"I still think our kids do a great job off the field being engaged in the community," Heupel said. "Our kids have behaved in a great way since I've been here, for the most part. At the end of the day, some kids made a mistake and they will be better for it and we'll be better for it, too."
The "mistake" Heupel referenced is a point of contention for those who believe UCF is punishing the players too harshly. Granted, there is some merit to saying these young men deserve a second chance, but who's to say they haven't already received second, third or even fourth chances? We in the general public aren't privy to the inner workings of a college football program. We don't know how many times players violate team rules, fail drug tests, get put on academic probation, etc. We don't know if these players have been warned before about having loaded semi-automatic weapons in their possession.
I, for one, am glad colleges in our state don't tolerate their students having guns on campus. It's because of the gun possession that the dismissed UCF players will now likely have to go through the student conduct review process. According to school policy, UCF "prohibits the possession, use, or storage of weapons on university property."
Max Chambers, a former engineering student at UCF, was arrested last year after police discovered he was keeping an illegally modified fully-automatic AR-15 in his car at an on-campus dorm. He was arrested, booted off campus and is currently facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
This is what happens in the real world.
But in the alternative universe of big-time college athletics, it has actually become controversial to dismiss players who make reckless and dangerous decisions.
