Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger was arrested over the weekend in Remerton on five charges including underage consumption, disorderly conduct and possession of a fake I.D.
Mettenberger was arrested at approximately 1:39 a.m. Sunday outside of a local restaurant called Flip Flops and was taken to the Lowndes County Jail.
Mettenberger, a freshman, is competing with fellow freshman Aaron Murray and rising junior Logan Gray for the starting quarterback job this spring. Although spring practice began last Thursday, Georgia’s players are on spring break for the next week and will not return to work until March 16.
Georgia’s Athletics Association mandates a minimum one-game suspension for any players found guilty of an alcohol-related violation, which could cost Mettenberger a chance to play in the team’s opener against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 4.
Georgia officials said head coach Mark Richt was aware of Mettenberger’s arrest and was still getting details on the incident. He was not likely to announce any punishment immediately.
Mettenberger redshirted last season but offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the strong-armed quarterback had made impressive strides since arriving in Athens last spring and was contender for the starting job left open following the graduation of Joe Cox.
“He’s improved tremendously and a lot has to do with getting himself in good physical condition,” Bobo said. “He’s always going to be a big boy. He’s always going to weight around 240. But being in good physical shape where he doesn’t get tired and his legs get tired – he’s never going to be the fastest or the quickest guy, but if he’s in good shape and good condition, he’ll be able to improve his foot quickness.”
Mettenberger played in high school at nearby Oconee County High School.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Mettenberger Arrested on Alcohol Charges
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
Let the first person who attended college and didn't drink cast the first stone....anyone...anyone...Bueller?
Yeah, he messed up and got caught drinking underage with fake IDs, but the worst things to me are the disorderly conduct and obstruction charges. The latter may have been due to the former, but still.
Bad decision by a good kid. Let him serve his suspension and embarrassment and let's move on!
Sucks when one of the three-horses in a two-horse race snaps its leg coming out of the gate.
This is disappointing news for sure. While I agree with MoDawg that it's not unusual for a college kid to have some fun, it's a shame that Zach didn't show better judgement and avoid putting himself in this situation.
Given the headlines of past SEC off-field news, I'm sure the entire team was warned before heading off for Spring Break. It certainly shows a lack of judgement and understanding of the commitment it takes to be involved in a high visibility program like UGA.
You have to hand it to Mettenberger, he managed to end his spring break early and lose any realistic shot at starting at QB all in one night.
This sucks for him, but most everyone does not realize that in a post 9/11 world a person holding a fake ID with a state logo is a felony. Major screwup on his part. Yes, I know most kids have one, but getting caught is a whole new ballgame.
Post a Comment