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Alabama And Auburn Football: Two Incidents, Two Different Responses

Analyst Written on August 21, 2009

AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 16: Members of the Auburn University Tigers take the field before playing the Louisiana State University Tigers September 16, 2006 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. Auburn defeated LSU 7-3. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The state of Alabama has something to talk about even before the college football season starts. Two players, Courtney Upshaw (LB) from Alabama and Eric Smith (RB) from Auburn, have been arrested for different disturbances. Upshaw was arrested on Wednesday night for a domestic violence dispute with Lynn Grzyb, his girlfriend, near the student recreation center. Eric Smith was arrested for disorderly conduct early Friday morning in front of the Lexington Hotel in Auburn.

The news of players getting arrested is unfortunately nothing new in this day and age of college athletics, but what got me was the responses from both coaches. Head coach Nick Saban commented on Upshaw the day after,

"This is as fine a young man as we have in the program. He's a really great person. He really works hard academically. You couldn't ask anybody to be a better representative of the university."

Saban also said, "He's on behavior probation. He'll learn from the mistake he made. Hopefully our entire team will learn something."

Upshaw was at practice the next day with the team.

Meanwhile, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik had this to say about his running back:

"In my opinion, it's a family matter between Eric, myself and our football team. We have certain expectations of an Auburn man and quite frankly he didn't live up to that. So we've addressed it and if you see him in an Auburn uniform again I can guarantee you that he's paid a price to be an Auburn man and he'll be a lot better one at that point than he is now.''

Eric Smith was not attend practice with the team today.

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written on August 21, 2009 Opinion