JANORIS JENKINS IS GONE

GATOR GRIDIRON
ROGER FRANKLIN WILLIAMS


Less that 72 hours after All-SEC CB Janoris Jenkins second arrest for marijuana possesion in 3 months Coach Will Muschamp weighed in with his response. Janoris Jenkins is no longer a Gator.

On Tuesday Coach Muschamp posted the following statement on twitter; "After meeting with Janoris Jenkins today, we both felt it was in his best interest to move ahead to the next stage of his career. We appreciate Janoris' contributions to the University of Florida during his time here and wish him the best of luck."

Jenkins arrest last Saturday came in the wake of the news that two other Gator football players were arrested for marijuana possession in early 2011 AND a report from Pro Football Weekly that former UF OL Maurice Hurt tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine this year. If the PFW report is true, that gives the University of Florida an embarassing trifecta---for the last 3 years in a row UF, reportedly, has had a former player test positive for pot at the combine (reportedly Percy Harvin '09, Aaron Hernandez in '10 and Hurt in '11). (With Janoris projected as a possible 1st round pick for 2012, the Gators have a chance to extend this dubious achievement a record 4 years in a row.)

It is regretful that a great player who was a key member of a National Championship and back to back 13 win seasons has to end his career as a Gator in such an ignominous way. Janoris, however, left Coach Muschamp no other choice. Jenkins was arrested in January, just weeks into Muschamp's new regime. By willfully engaging in the same illegal behavior in the same part of town less than 3  months later Jenkins obviously was sending a message that he didn't take his new Head Coach seriously.

Now, we suspect, the other Gators, most of whom CWM inherited from the Urban Meyer/Steve Addazio regime, will take the new HC a little more seriously. If he'll bounce a Senior, All-SEC, potential 1st Round NFL draft choice out of the program for a little pot smoking, what will he do to the next guy who breaks the law?

There is one other significant footnote to this story that is either tragic or hilarious depending on your perspective. As we know, the NFL is currently engaged in negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. One aspect of the potential new agreement is that the pay scale for rookie draft choices could be significantly reduced, significantly as in millions of dollars. Coupled with the fact that this kind of career "turbulance" is not exactly conducive to raising a players draft stock, the "marijuana cigar" that Janoris so proudly lit up, allegedly, in downtown Gainesville last Saturday could end up costing the youngster from Pahokee several million dollars.

Upon reflection, this difficult decision by the Gators young, new Head Coach just might work out best for all involved---Coach Muschamp and his staff can continue to move forward in building the foundation for the new culture of the Gator program and Janoris is now free to take his bong and blunts to Valdosta St or Bethune Cookman to play a little football while blissfully enjoying his true passion in life.