Florida Football WR Chris Rainey Arrested: Will He Play Again for Gators?
Chris Rainey was arrested on charges of aggravated stalking on Tuesday morning, according to an early report from the Gainesville Sun.
Rainey allegedly went to the house of a girl he has been dating on and off for three years. When she told him to leave after a 10-minute conversation, he sent her a text saying, “Time to die.” He also told her to wait until the police left to see what happens, according to the report. He allegedly admitted to the text but not the other threatening statement.
It’s yet another embarrassing story in the arrest saga that has plagued the Florida Gators, and this might be the last straw for Chris Rainey in a Florida Gators uniform.
For one, the pressure might build to do something about all these arrests. Unfortunately for Rainey, he is just the latest in a long line of incidents, so he might be made into an example.
To make matters worse for Rainey, his incident involved a crime against a woman. Whether or not the charges hold, if you have read anything about Urban Meyer, this is the sort of behavior that he does not stand for.
With all of the arrests that have surrounded the program, Meyer has been painted as the kind of coach who will give players a second chance and try to rehabilitate them into true respectful men. But, by all accounts, he draws the line at any kind of poor behavior directed toward women.
It remains to be seen how things play out, but until then, Meyer will give a long hard look at Rainey and may consider giving him an indefinite suspension until things play out.
With Rainey being eligible for the NFL Draft this season, he may take that as a sign to leave for the pros after this season, no matter how things play out. If that is the case, there may be a very good chance we will not see Rainey suit up for the Gators again.
This obviously will not be the best outcome for on-the-field product, but for the image of a program that has taken a beating in the arrest headlines lately, there might not be another choice.
