Jun 25 / Rob

Withers Dismisses Three Players from JMU Football Team

Moreland TDEverett Withers doesn’t mess around. JMU’s head coach has spoken a lot about creating a new culture for JMU football and holding everyone accountable to his high standards. Yesterday, he backed up the talk. Withers dismissed three players who failed to live up to his expectations from the program. The players, Rhakeem Stallings, Jimmy Moreland, and K.J. Ford, were charged with petty larceny earlier this year and were suspended indefinitely. They’re due in court today, but Withers had had enough apparently. He offered the following explanation:

It is my responsibility to grow and mentor young people as we take our journey through the process of building a culture in the JMU football program.  We must establish a foundation that seeks competitive excellence on and off the field.  We set standards and we mentor our student-athletes to meet those standards.  Unfortunately, these three young men are no longer associated with James Madison University football due to violations of our team core values and disregard for the legal system.  When individuals threaten the integrity of our team appropriate action will be taken.

Make no doubt about it, this is a tough loss for the Dukes on the field. Moreland was a fan favorite and a tremendous talent. As a true freshman, he started all but one game at corner last season. He had three picks, 12 pass break ups, and blocked a ridiculous 5 kicks. The sky was the limit for him. Stallings was no slouch either. The redshirt sophomore started 10 games at linebacker and was third on the team in tackles with 80. Ford redshirted last season, but the defensive lineman was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school.

While this does nothing to raise our expectations for the defense this fall, it’s a good move for the program as a whole. Withers is huge on accountability and this sort of decisive action definitely sets a tone and helps avoid any Andre Nation or Justin Thorpe type situations down the road. Withers has made it clear that he wants players to excel on the field and set an example off it. Dismissing players as talented as Moreland and Stallings shows he’s not kidding around.

17 Comments

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  1. 2004 Duke / Jun 25 2015

    Good for him. If any “student athlete” is found guilty of breaking a (legit) law (i.e. other than MIP/DIP/Open Container)…they should not only be kicked off the team, but they should be kicked out of the University. Period.

  2. LD / Jun 25 2015

    Withers quote is laughable. “It is my responsibility to grow and mentor young people”.

    Bang up mentoring job Withers. First of all if you were doing a good job they wouldn’t be stealing stuff. Then when they do something wrong you hang them out to dry. I am sure this will help recruiting. But hey I am sure we will never have another 19 year old on the football team who will do something stupid.

    I don’t care about any of these guys but unless there is more going on I just don’t see this as a great solution to the problem and lets face it the football team is worse off.

  3. Chris / Jun 25 2015

    His Court date is today at 2:00 p.m. He is innocent until proven guilty. Who are you to determine what a “legit” law is anyway? People make dumb decisions all the time. Kicking off the team seems, on its face unreasonable, although I don’t know all the circumstances. Kicking him out of school? That is absurd. I’m with LD on this one. Some disciplinary measures might be appropriate, but kicking him off the team? Petit larceny, a class 1 misdemeanor is theft of something valued at $200 or less. A stick of gum would qualify. You know what else is a class one misdemeanor in VA? — Driving in excess of 80 mph. Should we all get kicked out of school or off a team for that?

  4. GYSOT / Jun 25 2015

    Stands to reason if you are suspended for stealing 6 months ago, you might want to walk the straight and narrow and do what you need to do to salvage your education and your position on the team. Rumors of failed drug tests, getting sh$tty grades and have more pending charges for theft is not the way to work oneself back on the team, good riddance….90 other players get it, these 3 knuckleheads obviously don’t. I am sure these 3 will surface at the D2/D3 level and still chase the dream of cashing the Sunday game check or they’ll be in the stands of thier local HS on a Friday night telling people how the they got screwed over and what could have been…

  5. LD / Jun 25 2015

    Thanks Chris.. you basically said what I was thinking but in a much more PC way.

  6. Rob / Jun 25 2015

    I think the point is that Withers has some sort of zero tolerance policy and he’s not making exceptions regardless of talent. He’s kicking the guys off the team because they violated the rules & standards he’s established for the program. It really doesn’t matter if the violation is a misdemeanor, felony, or completely legal.

    Obviously, it doesn’t mean that any of them are bad guys. It just means that they aren’t meeting the program’s standards of behavior. It’s a tough lesson, but they’re only being kicked off the JMU football team. They’re not expelled from school and this isn’t going to ruin their lives.

  7. Chris / Jun 25 2015

    Not only is it not good for our team, it is not good for these young men. That’s where I’m coming from. They need guidance and development; here I’m talking about as human beings not just football players, and their mentor is abandoning them. This is really unfortunate.

  8. Rob / Jun 25 2015

    Like others have said, we don’t know the entire situation. Maybe their are other facts at play. Regardless, Withers is setting a tone that he expects his players held to very high standards.

    Whether you think this is Withers abandoning the players or simply dishing out some tough love is up for debate. It’s a difficult situation and either approach has downsides. The Brady-Nation example shows us that giving players multiple chances doesn’t always pan out anyway.

  9. Chris / Jun 25 2015

    GYSOT… if you know something I don’t; fair, and I would tend to agree with you. There are no pending charges for anything else as far as Moreland is concerned; I didn’t check on anyone else. But… rumors are not to be trusted, and as far as any of us know, it is for these as yet unajudicated matters that these guys find themselves off the team.

  10. GYSOT / Jun 25 2015

    Look, we can debate what is rumor, what is pending, what is reported all day long. There is always more to the story that what we know. i am sure that at some point during the process it was discussed to bring these 3 back but situations arose in the past 6 months that would not allow that, other infractions are committed by the 3, dope, grades, theft, accusations of being the 3rd, 4th, and fifth gunmen on the grassy knoll, it doesn’t matter, They did not do anything to help their situation and now they pay the price. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes, more so at 19-20, but the 1st mistake is just that, a mistake, the 2nd or 3rd are choices. The 3 amigos must have chosen poorly.

  11. Chris / Jun 25 2015

    ??? so lost. You don’t know, but assume that they were given some kind of an opportunity. Therefore, based on that assumption, they blew it. And furthermore, based on that assumption, this isn’t a case of just making one mistake, but 2 or 3 more? Did I get that right? And I’m not debating that there are anymore charges pending, I’m saying as a matter of fact that there are not.

  12. Shady_P / Jun 25 2015

    Probably a tough decision to make for EW as all 3 were probable defensive starters. But I give the coach credit he is holding young men accoutable for their actions and letting it be known to every young man in that locker-room that no player is above the rules for this team and setting the example for what is and is not acceptable behavior for someone associated with the JMU football program.

    I feel bad for those 3 personally and from a selfish football stand point —- but I think this is the correct call and one that EW has to make as a still new coach and leader of this program.

  13. GYSOT / Jun 25 2015

    Chris, you are correct, not saying they got an opportunity, just saying I am sure it was discussed, I’m more upset that my JFK reference totally missed, thought it was gold!

  14. GYSOT / Jun 25 2015

    Chris, you are correct,, I’m more upset that my JFK reference totally missed, thought it was gold!

  15. Chris / Jun 25 2015

    fair enough… I did catch the reference. I’m a criminal defense lawyer too, so that might explain some bias. Its EW’s call in the end, I think its misguided, but oh well… nobody listens to me anyway. Go Dukes

  16. Deacon Danny / Jun 25 2015

    Obviously, most of us, if not all us are not aware of all of the facts and information that went into these decisions. But I have seen enough of EW to support his decision. I am disappointed for these three guys and I am disappointed for the loss this create for the team (i.e. 3 projected starters) but personally, I have seen enough 3rd, 4th, 5th chances in various programs (I will not name names). Most of these guys are on scholarships so if they can’t respect themselves, they should at least respect the significant opportunity that has been provided to them.

  17. OuterBanksDuke83 / Jun 26 2015

    I know 3 things.
    1. We will never know all the facts of this decision or any decision to keep or get rid of a player, so I can have no informed opinion if the decision is a good one.
    2. I really don’t these types of situations to be the only time I read about my school’s athletic teams.
    3. I am really going to miss watching Jimmy Moreland in a Duke’s uniform.

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