| NEWS Deonte Brown, two others suspended from Orange Bowl

[JoshB]

Source: Three Alabama football players to miss Orange Bowl due to violation of team rules

Pete Thamel
Yahoo SportsDec 24, 2018, 5:39 PM


Three members of the Alabama football team, including starting left guard Deonte Brown, will not be playing in the Orange Bowl according to a source. The three players didn’t make the trip to Florida because of a violation of team rules. Brown is believed to be the only starter impacted.
The biggest news will be the loss of Brown, a 6-foot-4 and 344-pound guard, who cleared the way for an offense that ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring offense with 47.9 points per game. In Alabama’s matchup with No. 4 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, the point of offensive attack is thought to be the Crimson Tide’s biggest advantage.
The news made Christmas Eve a busy day for bad news in college football. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney announced that three Clemson players, including star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, had failed a drug test and likely wouldn’t play in the Tigers’ College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame.


Source: Three Alabama football players to miss Orange Bowl due to violation of team rules

Nick Saban statement:
"We have three players, Deonte Brown, Elliott Baker and Kedrick James, who did not
make the trip and are suspended due to a violation of team rules and policies."

 

[JoshB]

Alabama just sent this out too:
"We have three players, Deonte Brown, Elliott Baker and Kedrick James, who did not
make the trip and are suspended due to a violation of team rules and policies."

 

[planomateo]

Damm, was hoping Deonte Brown would be in for the run game.

 

[rick4bama]

Still not know why these guys are out for the game? It not like those from Clemson is it?

 

[TerryP]

Still not know why these guys are out for the game? It not like those from Clemson is it?

It doesn't matter why. It matters that. Do what you're supposed to do.

No.

 

[jdpas29]

It sucks being on the naughty list

 

[rick4bama]

Still not know why these guys are out for the game? It not like those from Clemson is it?

It doesn't matter why. It matters that. Do what you're supposed to do.

No.

Right, Yes, That's it!

 

[sean]

seriously?! you can't get your shit together and keep it together for the biggest game of the season, so far?

come on, man!

Alabama starter Deonte Brown, 2 others suspended for Orange Bowl

 

[Rolltide24]

Reminds me of a couple guys getting sent home before the Notre Dame N.C. game also in Miami a few years back. Although Ryan Anderson and Dillon Lee weren’t starters. Really hoping we had Brown back healthy.

Miami, January 2013. Bama vs ND. Ryan Anderson and Dillon Lee. Deja Vu.

 

[ColAngus]

Shitty grades?

 

[94 Grad]

Shitty grades?

More likely failed drug test.

 

[Tidestalker]

Daaaaaaang. D Brown was is such an important piece of the OL. At least there's time for big Lester to get it right!!!

RTR

 

[utstnx]

Nah...it was "team rules" which makes me think drinking or got in a fight somewhere. If it were drugs it would be NCAA drug tests like we are hearing about Clemson.

 

[Bamabww]

Bummer! Reminds me of this:

 

[50+yeartidefan]

@sk33tr ....hit it....biggest game of season....HC gives you a couple days extra to
Get ur shit together...and you do this...whatever "this"is....pooey

 

[OldPlayer]

Alabama uses "violation of team rules" as a catch all for screwing up. Could be failing a drug test (non-PED), drinking, grades, missing curfew (more than once), getting in a fight, missing treatment, being late to meetings (more than once) or a host of other things.

 

[JoshB]

Alabama uses "violation of team rules" as a catch all for screwing up. Could be failing a drug test (non-PED), drinking, grades, missing curfew (more than once), getting in a fight, missing treatment, being late to meetings (more than once) or a host of other things.

^^ This. But for it to be a non-PED drug test failure it would also mean that it was either the third (or more) failed test for weed or something heavier than weed. If it was PEDs it would be an NCAA deal.

 

[TerryP]

If it were drugs it would be NCAA drug tests like we are hearing about Clemson.

If it was PEDs it would be an NCAA deal.

All schools test for PED's as well as marijuana, etc. If Bama were to have tested a player and that came back positive for PED use the player would be suspended by UA and we'd still have "violation of team rules" as the reason. It's a privacy issue between the University and the player falling under HIPPA guidelines.

There is an outlier here when it comes to what the University's can release. IE: If a player, or a players family, allows details to be released the school can: they don't necessarily release them even with permission. (While it's not a drug case, a good example if found with UCF's QB being hurt and what happened after that...his family asked that details not be released in full.)

Just because the NCAA notified Clemson of the failed test and Clemson decided to release those details doesn't automatically mean "the NCAA releases those results." Again, that was a decision made by players, players families, and the staff at Clemson. Addressing what they believe to be false positives...putting this in the public spotlight can't hurt their cause(s.)

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Does the NCAA test the players for every team before the playoff games? The timing tends to lead to the NCAA test.

 

[TerryP]

Does the NCAA test the players for every team before the playoff games? The timing tends to lead to the NCAA test.

The timing may lead people to think that way. The announcements do not.

The NCAA conducts drug tests before championship events and bowl games. It's a common practice and has been for years. You may recall Oregon had two suspended back in '15 for a failed drug test.

When it's a NCAA test (and I'll use smoking weed here as an example) it's a rule that the school must declare the player ineligible. There's nothing there about a suspension. I realize we're splitting hairs here, sort of, but there is a distinct difference. In Oregon's case their fans were complaining and suggesting the Ducks were singled out. That wasn't the case as all four teams had the same tests.

I realize we're dealing with semantics a bit here, but it's important to note that if this were a NCAA test, they would be ineligible for 50% of the season. This would also carry over until next season.

“We have three players, Deonte Brown, Elliott Baker and Kedrick James, who did not make the trip and are suspended due to a violation of team rules and policies.”

There needs to be a distinction drawn between these two phrases: "they should have been doing what they needed to do" versus "they didn't need to be doing something they knew they shouldn't."