65° CLOUDY, Notebook: Players, coaches have Spikes’ back
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 8:40 a.m.
Despite the negative attention surrounding Florida senior linebacker Brandon Spikes, his teammates and coaches have his back.
“Everybody’s rallying around him,” junior cornerback Joe Haden said after Tuesday’s practice.
Spikes was suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt (2-7, 0-5 SEC) by coach Urban Meyer after reviewing tape of Spikes reaching into the face mask of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey during No. 1 Florida’s 41-17 win over the Bulldogs last Saturday.
While Meyer has come under intense fire from multiple media outlets for the lack of severity in Spikes’ suspension, Meyer said he discussed his decision with defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and SEC commissioner Mike Slive and each agreed that the suspension was appropriate.
“I think (incidents on the field are) hard to gauge during (pileups),” Meyer said Tuesday.
“Football’s a violent and tough sport and we don’t condone any of that.”
Florida’s players are defending their defensive leader.
“He’s not a dirty player at all. He’s a good person on the field,” redshirt senior receiver David Nelson said of Spikes.
“He’s going through a hard time and he doesn’t want the perception of him being the way it is, right now. He’s an emotional player and he’s a very hard-nosed player. He just got caught in the moment and made a mistake. We all make mistakes sometimes.”
Nelson went on to say Spike’s suspension wasn’t his only punishment and that his situation is being handled in other ways, as well.
“Right now, we’re dealing with what we have and coach Meyer did what he thought was right,” he said. “He’s also doing some other stuff in house that no one knows about.”
Injury update
Meyer said redshirt sophomore running back Chris Rainey (shoulder) practiced in a yellow, non-contact jersey Tuesday and could play Saturday.
“He was good today,” Meyer said.
“I think he’s going to play. I was very impressed that he came out and practiced today.”
Redshirt sophomore receiver Deonte Thompson has a “chip on the rib,” and was also in a non-contact jersey, but Meyer said he’ll play Saturday.
“It might be a strain on his rib,” he said.
Freshman running back Mike Gillislee (hamstring) looked good Tuesday, Meyer said, but will be limited until Thursday.
Senior cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis (hamstring) practiced a little Tuesday and could also play Saturday. Cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford said Pierre-Louis had also been nursing a minor knee injury before his hamstring issue.
New quarterback, same defense
Commodores quarterback Mackenzi Adams will start in place of injured starter Larry Smith on Saturday, but Meyer said his defense won’t change.
Meyer said because Adam’s running nature is similar to Smith’s, he anticipates seeing the same offense.
“(Running backs) coach (Kenny) Carter was there (Vanderbilt) and coached (Adams), who’s now playing,” Meyer said. “Very good athlete and we’ve played against him before. We’re not changing our game plan. I don’ think their changing their offense.”
Quotable
Nelson on his team getting complacent after clinching the SEC East: “For one, I don’t even know if half our team knows that. We haven’t talked about it.
“Right now, the talk is about Vanderbilt.”
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November 4, 2009 6:41:58 am
RE: Link
Most Gator fans have Spikes back as well. After nearly four years of commitment to the UF and our team we know that Brandon Spikes is a person of great character and leadership. It's sad to see so many people trying to paint him as some kind of monster for a brief moment in a game.Once Ealey came out and said there's nothing to this incident that should have been the end of the story - no matter what it looked like. Countless other incidents or video clips in that game or any game could be edited out, slo-moed and then used to disparage a player. We're #1 and a target for the sanctimonious media types who want to bring us down. They got the chance to pile on Brandon and gouge his reputation in national sports press and they're taking it.
November 4, 2009 6:47:03 am
I think the first point you make is why Spikes was only suspended for the half. Urban took in to account his full body of work and how 'invested' he has been and only suspended him for a half.
November 4, 2009 7:56:45 am
No, he only got half a game because Meyer and the SEC knows that this happens all the time. It just happened to be filmed, which normally doesn't happen.
It really isn't as big of a deal that some media people (ones that never played a down of football) think it is.
Dan Wetzel thinks it is as bad as the Blount incident.
November 4, 2009 8:12:08 am
I'm not sure how often it happens but I can tell you that when the circumstances are right and the game gets nasty, as it did and always does with UGA, the frustration levels get really high and the "I'm going to f#@k somebody up" thing gets going. Then the you start doing stuff that you wouldnt normally do. I am sure that Spikes was the victim of several "dirty" plays before this incident.
November 4, 2009 8:27:07 am
All Ealey had to do was put his hand vertically on the bridge of his nose to block the taunt.
Any Stooge knows that...yunk yunk yunk yunk
November 4, 2009 8:38:52 am
I'm glad to see some rational looks being given to this situation. What seems to be lost, unfortunately, is Spikes true character as mtn2top has pointed out from the linked article. Heretofore, he seems to be a young man that has pulled himself up from some tough family circumstances and, though firey and competitive on the field, has carried himself in a manner that does not draw undue attention to him off of it (save the pink suit!). Personally, I applaude Meyer, Foley, Slive and whoever else were a part of the punitive end, as yielding to the extremists who will only be satitiated by blood would likely make sure that Spikes would never again as a Gator commit such an act. But it would also estrange him from all the good that he and his fellow players do and the usual fine representation of UF with which they take the field and walk the campus.
I have a real problem with the people that Triath describes when they want to dictate protocol from afar. Some of these are the same ones that make a living from the game as 'journalists' or enjoy the pageantry in similar fashion to the mobs of Rome at the Coliseum, rich, poor, and in between. Most of them only know football as a vicarious activity and are far-removed from the intense emotion that is a part of the game and often extremely difficult to harness.
Certainly, Brandon's actions are not to be condoned and he has acknowledged as much and along with the suspension, whether viewed as sufficient or window dressing, is enough IMO. It has also been pointed-out that he will also be tasked with the re-establishment of his good name, which is far more difficult than anything Meyer, et al could require. The proof, of course, will be in the proverbial pudding. My money is on him, and that's easy to say for a Gator fan. But I also think that if Brandon's character is what his coach and teammates think it is, he will be all the better for this issue and the chance to live up to high expectations usually yields better results than if no hope is expected or given.
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