Florida State's list of available receivers continues to dwindle.
Richard Goodman, a senior receiver for the Seminoles, was arrested by Florida State University police Tuesday night and charged with aggravated battery, a felony. He was released on $1,000 bond. The charge, according to a sheriff's office spokesman, stems from an on-campus fight in November 2008 between members of the football team and members of a fraternity.
Goodman was suspended indefinitely from the team on Wednesday by FSU coach Bobby Bowden.
Trouble also has filtered into the local high school ranks, where star quarterback A.J. Graham, the state's Mr. Football Award winner who signed with Marshall University last February, was arrested on Tuesday by Tallahassee police on a robbery with firearm charge.
The Seminoles are down to one senior receiver in Louis Givens following Goodman's arrest. The charge stems from the on-campus fight Nov. 12, 2008 between football players and the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, then Goodman, 22, becomes the third FSU player to face criminal charges as part of that investigation. Fellow receivers Bert Reed and Cameron Wade faced misdemeanor battery charges from their alleged involvement in that fight.
According to FSU Police Department documents, police believe Goodman is the individual who swung a chair that struck a female in the face during the on-campus fight last November. Goodman's charge is aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm. That's a second degree felony.
The FSU Police Department had been investigating the fight for six months, trying to establish the identity of the individual who used a chair to assault a female. The case received its break on April 2 when, according to police department documents, a female witness identified Goodman as the one who swung the chair. The witness picked Goodman out of a photographic lineup that included three FSU football players and nine other students.
Up until then, according to the affidavit, a positive identification had never been made. Since Goodman is charged with a felony, he will be suspended indefinitely, according to FSU's athletic department policy.
FSU receivers have been involved in their share of headlines.
Preston Parker, the 2007 team MVP, was kicked off the team after a DUI arrest in January. Corey Surrency's career officially ended this week when the NCAA denied the player's final appeal granting him another year of eligibility. Senior Rod Owens has been suspended indefinitely after he was arrested on DUI charges in April. Taiwan Easterling ruptured an Achilles in spring drills. Reed, Wade and Goodman also were suspended during the season last year for their reported involvement in a campus fight.
Latest College Football Images
In this undated photo released by the University of Kentucky, Jeremy Jarmon is shown. Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for his senior season by the NCAA because of a failed drug test. He said at a news conference Saturday, May 23, 2009, he had inadvertently taken a banned substance that turned up positive during a random NCAA test in February. An appeal was denied, in effect ending his college football career. (AP Photo/University of Kentucky)
AP
In this Dec. 27, 2008, photo, Florida State's Corey Surrency signs autographs following the Champs Sports Bowl college football game in Orlando, Fla., against Wisconsin. The NCAA has denied Surrency's final appeal to play another year. The decision Tuesday, May 19, 2009, upheld an April ruling. It means the senior, who played just one year at Florida State, has used up his eligibility. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
AP
In this Nov. 1, 2008, photo, Boston College's Mark Herzlich plays against Clemson in an NCAA college football game in Boston. Herzlich, the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, has cancer. Herzlich said Thursday, May 14, 2009, he was diagnosed earlier this week with Ewing's Sarcoma after feeling pain in his leg and will undergo more tests in his home state of Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
AP
Josh Halter is swarmed by family and friends after being named the drum major for The Ohio State University Marching Band in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (Jeff Hinckley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT)
MCT
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
AP
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaks to reporters in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
AP
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
AP
Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
AP
Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009, in front of a statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the founder of the university. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
AP
Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, left, and West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, right, are sworn in before giving their testimony before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
AP
In an interview with FanHouse last week, FSU quarterback Christian Ponder said he's determined to help the Seminoles improve their bruised image.
"I am trying to shine a new light on FSU and trying to change that negative image into a positive image, as well as trying to get this team back to being a successful team," Ponder said. "A lot of that depends on getting rid of these off-the-field issues and getting people to focus more on successes on and off the field, and forgetting about the things that don't matter and get us in trouble."
Graham, meanwhile, spent his high school graduation night in a cell at the Leon County Jail, according to The Tallahassee Democrat. The standout quarterback from Godby High was arrested at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, less than two hours before the school's graduation ceremony.
Graham became the first Tallahasseean to earn Mr. Football honors for the state of Florida. He was also named the Tallahassee Democrat's Big Bend Player of the Year after leading the Cougars to the Class 3A state title game, where they fell 7-6 in overtime to Cocoa.
Graham, who selected Marshall over Clemson, Illinois and Kansas State, accounted for 4,434 total yards and 48 touchdowns last season. He threw for 3,870 yards and 38 touchdowns and ran for 564 yards and 10 scores. Graham ended his Godby career with single-season records and career records in pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes.
On Wednesday, Marshall head coach Mark Snyder released Graham from his scholarship.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Another FSU thug. Future Cowboy. GO HOKIES !!!
Not really sure what AJ Graham is in the article for, especially before the jump, as the two have nothing to do with each other.
why would a hokie(turkey buzzard)fan make comments about anything other than Mike and Marcus Vick (Halfway House Hokies)who somehow managed to graduate from the school? The article is troublesome, does anybody know if we have any quality wide recievers coming into the fold?
I keep wondering why these young men can't get it together. You would think if their in college, then they would have the knowledge to understand what they would get for their actions. I do see more blacks in trouble than whites. Is it because there are more of the blacks being offered scholarships to play than whites? "Not a race statement folks either." I just for the life of me wonder why they would throw this away. I'm begining to think there should be also an IQ test given before even offering a scholarship to a high school player. Set the bar high too. Just thinking about the waste of a spot someone could and would make great use of wasted because someone didn't think before acting out.
I think it's starting at the high school level. These young kids are being led down this path. Let me explain, anyone that has attended high school knows sport players seem to get a certain treatment at some schools. To a young person having that kind of power (that's what they think)is like a drug. There are other races being wrote about in the news. If you are a true nole fan, then you will remember these two players that are white. Wyatt Sexton and Chris Rix just from Florida State. There are numerous problems going on but it's not only black players.