Florida Gators suspend trio for season opener
Florida announced a trio of players are suspended for the season opener.
The Florida Gators will play their September 5 season opener against New Mexico State without a trio of players. Safety Marcus Maye, defensive end Alex McCalister and receiver Latroy Pittman would not be playing in the contest because of what the Associated Press called “an undisclosed violation of program policy.”
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“It’s a choice and some strikes might have been against them obviously before we got here,” Florida head coach Jim McElwain said following a scrimmage Friday night. “And yet at the end of the day we all have those freedoms and those choices and you know for us there will be some guys that will get some valuable playing time obviously losing some guys like that. They’ll be back with us and they’ll serve their suspension and be ready and roll.”
This is a significant development for the Gators because both Maye and McCalister are projected starters as McElwain begins his inaugural season. A junior, Maye ranked third on the team with 62 tackles in nine starts last season. McCallister is a fourth-year junior who will also have big shoes to fill as he is expected to help fill the gap left by talented defensive end Dante Fowler, who has since moved to the NFL.
This will be Pittman’s second suspension. He did not play in the first three games of the 2013 campaign for violating program rules. He has certainly played a role in the Gator offense, notching 19 career receptions for 188 yards.
This suspension could not have come at a worse time. From a coach’s point of view, suspensions that occur at the beginning of the season drive you crazy to say the least. It is so important to have all your players on the same page for at the very least, the first game of the season. The coaches certainly do not like doing it and it puts them in a tough position, but it is very important to carry out discipline to establish continued stability within the program.
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