On the eve of the opening of spring practice, Notre Dame received some potentially devastating news when it was reported that star wide receiver Michael Floyd was arrested for driving under the influence over the weekend by Notre Dame campus police.
Monday night both Floyd and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly released statements about Floyd’s run in with the law.
Predictably, Kelly suspended his star wide receiver indefinitely saying:
“I’ve spoken to Michael Floyd and his mother and, in light of what took place this past weekend, I let him know he has been suspended indefinitely from football team-related activities. Football needs to take a backseat at the moment while Michael gets his life in order, and while I don’t know when Michael will be reinstated, it will not happen until Michael demonstrates he has successfully modified his behavior and the legal and university disciplinary matters have run their respective courses. What’s most important right now is Michael focusing on maturing and developing more as a person while working to improve his decision-making processes.”
Floyd meanwhile expressed regret for the situation stating:
“First of all, I want to apologize to my family, friends, teammates, coaches, the University and the extended Notre Dame family for my behavior this weekend. I understand the gravity of the decision I made and how it could have had catastrophic effects on myself and others. I’ve talked to Coach Kelly and I accept the decision he made. I absolutely recognize that I have many things to work on to become a better person and will need to regain the trust of all whom I have hurt within my immediate family and the Notre Dame family. I fully intend to spend the immediate future improving myself to become a better member of our community.”
On Tuesday, Kelly also announced that Floyd was striped of his status as a team captain, but could at a later date be given his captaincy back if he is reinstated.
That, however, is in doubt right now. Floyd had a previous alcohol incident last year when he was cited for under age drinking in Minnesota. How severe Floyd’s punishment from the University will likely depend on how that previous incident is viewed by the University.
Just two months ago Floyd had Notre Dame fans rejoicing by announcing he planned to return to Notre Dame for his senior season, but now that senior season is in jeopardy. We’ll leave the speculating for how severe of a punishment Floyd receives for another day and focus instead on how this relates to the Irish this spring though.
Regardless of his punishment, it’s almost certain Floyd won’t return to the playing field for the Irish until after spring practice concludes, at the earliest, which puts the Irish in a bind at wide receiver.
Floyd was the best wide receiver on the team heading into spring. He is also the only establish physical receiver on the Irish roster. Returning starters TJ Jones and Theo Riddick are talented in their own right, but neither poses the physical mismatch Floyd held against almost every cornerback he faced.
Notre Dame has some other big receivers on the roster – Deion Walker, John Goodman, and Daniel Smith – but none has done much to show they are ready for steady playing time to this point. Kelly was very complimentary of Walker on Tuesday, but to this point Walker has done not much at all on the field. The staff was also very high on Smith last season, but the rising sophomore did not crack the wide receiver rotation a season ago.
Developing one of these physical receivers that can be a red zone threat now becomes one of the biggest priorities of the spring with Floyd’s status for the upcoming season so uncertain.
Steven Garcia, QB for South Carolina, has just been suspended for the fifth time. The fifth time!
In that conference it’s all about doing whatever it takes to win football games.
Michael Floyd, by comparision, is an alter boy.
It’s nice to know that there are still some schools that hold to the original values for which college football was built upon.
Not very realistic in todays world, but admirable.
I don’t think Kelly is keeping him off for show, I think he is going to keep him off until he is tried in court. When he spoke of the situation, he kept mentioning academics and Floyd might have fallen behind due to the stress of this. He probably will not be reinstated until the fall because Kelly said it has only been 3 weeks. Anyone can change for 3 weeks, I’m sure Kelly wants to see Floyd respond to this for the long haul.
The Scout.com site says no RES Life punishment for Floyd that it will be up to BK.
Not true. Res Life is enforcing public service (and perhaps other penalties). However, he’s not suspended.
The point is there are no football ramifications, who cares if he has to wash the latrine with a toothbrush. The big deal will be what the law may do with him. BK will feel some heat to hit him with 4 – 6 games I am sure.
Do you think that Coach Kelly keeping him off the team for this moment is just for show?
Just caught some video of Nix in one-on-one drills (Und.com). This kid is going to be the monster in the middle! Not one offensive linemen could man handle him. He was a brick wall.
One issue here that no one has touched is that this is not the first offense here – I believe it is his third such offense. If ND means anything then the school policy has to come into play or let’s stop downing the SEC – Miami and all the rest – not sure of the details of the Stonebreaker case – but again gets back to this is strike three
JDH,
I agree. No special rules for football players. But also don’t make them examples either just because they’re football players. That’s equally wrong. MF definitely needs help. Throwing him out of school or the team won’t do that for him.
cousinnap,
I believe that this is technically Floyd’s first DUI. The other 2 incidents also involved some kind of alcohol but MF wasn’t driving. No excuses, however. He should know better!
Having said that, let’s not call for this young man’s head as if that were the solution. MF would be better served staying on the team and doing some maturing under BK and his staff. That’s my opinion, at least.
I agree completely SFR.
And it is his FIRST DUI. He’s had two prior tickets for underage drinking. So it’s his 3rd alcohol-related offense. The first two were off campus and out of state, in Minnesota.
jack,
Has anyone yet answered your questions? It seems people have been talking right past your challenges. The fact of the matter is, as jack has pointed out, there is a university precedent here (i.e., the case of Michael Stonebreaker in the late 1980s). I’m no barrister, but even I know that precedents carry some weight to them. I’d like for someone who has called for MF’s expulsion or suspension from the football team to allegedly preserve the university’s integrity to explain to jack and me (and no doubt others) how ND ceased to be ND when it allowed Stonebreaker to continue to play for the Irish back in the day. Please enlighten us on the facts of that case and how MF’s case is different and thus should be handled more severely.
Thank you.
Delta,
I guess the fears of some here is that if ND shows MF some or any kind of leniency here, then the school would be well on its way to becoming UF, Tenn., or Auburn. Their way of thinking seems to be that one is either totally unforgiving or totally libertine.
Well, that’s the classic fallacy of the so-called “excluded middle.” For instance, I, for one, don’t have to accept either strong-man authoritarianism or unfettered libertarianism. There are plenty of socio-political choices in between (e.g., democracy [not to be confused with the Democratic Party], republicanism [not to be confused with the Republican Party], etc.). Thus, I don’t have to turn a blind eye to MF’s offenses (a la SEC schools) or call for his head (as some here have done). No! Instead, I can ask for ND to take into consideration all the facts and then render a fair judgment that hopefully does right by all parties involved, including (but not limited to) MF himself.
People, can’t we find some common or middle ground on this for the sake of everyone involved in this sad turn of events?
Great post SFR. I don’t want any “special rules” for ND athletes. They should be the same for all students. But clearly MF needs some help- maybe he’s not an alcoholic, but alcohol sure ain’t doing him any favors.
At ND, we don’t make excuses for bad behavior but hopefully we don’t throw away talented young people either, unless absolutely warranted.
Don’t get me wrong….DUI is a terrible offense and those that do it should be punished. Whether that means MF sits, gets expelled or some degree of either, I don’t know.
I will say this though, being an Irish fan in SEC country is a unique situation. While we debate about whether a star player should be kicked out over an alchol offense, SEC fans wouldn’t even be discussing such an offense. Hell, they are too busy rationalizing away a star player’s prior rape arrest, gang affiliation or agent payment plan. A little perspective goes a long way.
if he was an english major in the glee club would anybody here care if the school expelled him for a year? hell no! its only because he is a football player that anyone thinks he should be disciplined differently. there was a time when that wouldn’t have mattered at notre dame, that was when it was a catholic school.
Be quiet. You don’t speak for everyone.
Give me a break. If you think, for one second, a Notre Dame football player is just another student, you’re completely wrong. People may ATTEMPT to portray it that way, both within and outside the institution – but the facts dictate otherwise.
The truth is, without a Notre Dame football player, there is no “Gug” no roaming campus with immaculate architecture, no TV deal, no national following and more than likely – we’d be Ohio State, Michigan or Alabama fans.
But that is not the case. The reality is, millions of dollars are riding on whether he plays or not. And I’m not talking about his NFL salary. I’m talking about the difference between the Sun Bowl and Orange Bowl.
Tell me Notre Dame doesn’t care about that. Tell me we as fans, don’t care whether we go to a December bowl vs the BCS.
If you do, I’ll tell you Harvard, Yale and Princeton would welcome you with open arms to their fan base.
Was reading some interesting comments about D. Walker and the coaches are giving the impression that he didn’t give 100% everyday and that is why he has been sitting. Said he has the talent, but did not deserve to play based on his effort.
They said he is a new man this year and is doing the things necessary to be a contributor. Do we have another Maurice Stovall on our hands? I think it would be great to see this kid shine, especially if Floyd is not around.
All major football programs go through loosing players.
Some for achedemic reasons, some to injuries, some transfer and others to off field issues or rule violations.
MF’s loss is a opertunity for someone else.
Tommy Rees stepped in for Dane Crist, Eifert for Rudolph.
Getting some of these other guys in the line up is not necessarily a bad thing.
They always say that you can’t replace a player like Micheal Floyd. Until someone steps up and does it.
And if Floyd should return to the starting line up, ND will be all that much better.
i would love to see walker step up and have a good year. this is the first time i have heard kelly talk about him…i guess we will get a glimpse at the blue gold game
teo,
Bravo! Bravo!
Nobody cared about Michael Floyd until he was catching touchdown passes. Then everyone wanted to be his friend, to give him a “free” education, to be around him and to tell their friends they know Mike Floyd. They even wanted him to go get one of his friends, another superstar, to join the university where Mike is getting his “free” education.
There’s plenty of pressure with this. During the offseason, when he’s not catching TDs, Mike drinks, gets caught — one time — and pays the fine and stays clean for awhile. He has the junior season of his life and those who know him now tell him to stay in school and finish his degree. Said people, of course, have a lot at stake with the all star receiver’s career path.
He stays, showing his loyalty to the university, to his coach, to his friends. One night, again, he screws up, has too many drinks and leaves the party behind the wheel. He gets caught.
Everyone — his friends, his fans, his Mom — wants to hang him now because he’s from the university that they love. They look at him like he betrayed the university, its alumni and fans.
Did he make a mistake? Of course he did. Was it dangerous to get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of alcohol? Absolutely. But Mike is a human being. And he screws up like human beings screw up. I feel badly for him and the university should, too. It should give him the resources he needs to cope with the pressure he experiences and the problems that can flow from the pressure.
Kicking him out of school would make no sense. He’d be deprived of the opportunity to graduate, which is huge given that he’s sacrificed half of his Saturday afternoons and, well, all of his summer and fall weekdays fighting for the school by wearing a football uniform on the weekends. At the very minimum, the kid deserves a shot to graduate. As I mention above, he also deserves to play in his senior season. He’s a talented kid who is coming back to school to play football. Absolutely, wearing the Notre Dame uniform is a privilege. And, he made a mistake. Clear up the mistake – give him the resources needed to address his problem — and help make sure that he graduates and can move on with his life after 2012.
Don’t abandon him.
won’t matter anyways,,,he is still on probation from the last incident, staying in school is the least of his worries. Can you say parole violation. just saying.
Lets just hope that FLoyd quits drinking before he makes a mistake that he really regrets.. If he quits drinking , i wil be satified because that is the best thing for him….As a Guiness lover, I understand the difficulty of not drinking…. I also understand that when you drink you make bad decisions. FLoyd is young, dumb and full of fun right now and can’t handle it…. Who cares about penalty and public opinion…. Lets care about Floyd and hope he gets himself fixed.
Great analysis on Floyd and Guiness. I hope the kid realizes he has a problem with alcohol and just doesn’t drink anymore.
1-4 game suspension is completely reasonable.
what purpose would kicking him out of school serve? rehabilitation? do we think preventing someone from getting a college degree will actually prevent them from recidivism? no. kicking him out of school would be unnecessarily punitive. only mike can change mike and the criminal justice system is in place to ensure he doesn’t do it again, not nd.
Tommy Z is now 3-0 as a pro! Scored a 4rd UD last night
Hmmm…..reminds me of when we were 4-5 last year. Typical analysis of perfection. Did not realize there were so many perfect fans.
You’re totally right JC. I love Notre Dame more than some of my own family members (literally), but how I detest some of its self-righteous fans.
To me there is something to say about LOYALTY. Loyalty is a character trait too. One should not be loyal only when things are great and, in the case of Mike, when he’s breaking school records and helping us win football games. Loyalty should also come when he is down and needs us the most.
Floyd made a mistake and broke the law not because he is an inherently bad person, but because used poor judgement. I don’t care if this is his second offense (there is actually some dispute as to whether this is his third offense; there’s also dispute whether the “known” drinking underage charge from MN even counts as it didn’t happen at school, nor at a time when classes were in session and was never even reviewed by Res Life at all).
I don’t think a kid like Mike deserves the “death penalty” for what he did here. And I am not so perfect that I think it was so terrible that we should literally ruin the rest of his life for it, rules or no rules.
What I do think is that he needs to prove himself to those he has let down and own up to what he did and make it right.
If you don’t allow him to play next year he’s basically gone as there is no incentive for him to stay and do any of that. The University, thus, will have failed him. If you suspend him only for the summer and keep him off the football team while suspended, but ultimately allow him to come back, it gives him five to six months to try and straighten things out as best as he can.
Some people just have this bloodlust for punishment when someone falls that they fail to understand the purpose of discipline. Michael Floyd is not a menace to the University of Notre Dame or its students, he’s a kid who made a mistake. Thus, he should be given another chance.
That is what I am talking about. BK will keep him on the team and the University will allow,BK to handle the situation, b/c Swarbrick believes,BK can develop young men and that is what Michael Floyd needs to develop as a person.
Considering this isn’t his first (or second) run-in over this…I’d say it’s pretty stupid to sit back and act like he hasn’t been given multiple chances.
Steelfan no one has answered either question. My other one was a person on academic scholarship gets a DUI, does the University run criminal checks and suspend that person and pul scholarship? Question has not been answered by anyone on this board. Do you people believe the academic scholarship is of a higher standard than a football, just because they got higher grades? Each student is different and each situation is different and the University needs to understand that.
Plus, I have yet to hear anyone answer jack’s citing ND precedent when it allowed Michael Stonebreaker to continue to study and play at the school despite facing the same charges as MF. So was ND wrong then? Does this not establish a precedent for some leniency? I don’t pretend to know the answers but think that the questions raised by jack and others are vaild nonetheless.
Rules are amended all the time. At one time, ND didn’t allow early admits and 5th year seniors. They also didn’t play in bowl games. All these rules were changed. (At one time ND didn’t allow women in either!)
I understand that what we’re talking about here is of a graver nature. Precisely because it is such a serious matter the ND administration should carefully gauge all the facts. Whatever the powers that be at the school decide to do with young Mr. Floyd, including suspension or even expulsion (God forbid!), I’ll side by ND. Ping and others here are correct — MF brought this upon himself in the final analysis.
However, I just wonder how many of the “throw-the-book-at-MF” party here haven’t been granted third and fourth (or even more!) chances from screw-ups at school, work, or in there family lives. I guess none of us here have a besetting sin issue or even character issues in our lives that that could’ve cost us jobs or relationships or whatever if it weren’t for someone having mercy on us. I guess that some people here are truly holy enough to cast the first stone at anybody (themselves excluded, of course!).
I pray ND does the right thing by MF, whatever that may be. If after weighing all the facts (e.g., his multiple offenses) MF is suspended or expelled, then so be it. We wish the young man full recovery from his habit and a good life and then we all move on.
I agree rules are amended, but don’t amend a rule because Floyd is a senior and might not play football again. The university has to stay consistent in their decisions whether it’s a football scholarship, achademic scholarship, or just a normal student. If the rule states suspension after a second offense, then ANY student with a second offense needs to face the consequence.
I too will agree with whatever decision the school makes. I’m just glad I’m not the one that has to make the decision. Like you said, hopefully they take a look at ALL of the facts and make the right decision for the university.
No matter how stupid the rules are…rules are rules (ie: Brandon Davies). For those of you that think Floyd deserves a second chance, guess what, he had it. I guarantee you Michael Floyd knew the consequences of a second (or third) offense. I guarantee you someone told him he would be suspended if he had another drinking related incident.
Do I want to see Michael Floyd play football again at Notre Dame…ABSOLUTELY, but I won’t fault the university if they kick him out of school for a semester. The only way he is going to learn from this is to discipline him. If the rule says he must sit out for a semester, then he has to deal with the consequences. If it is going to ruin his chances of playing in the NFL, it’s nobody’s fault but his own. If he wants to graduate and play football again at Notre Dame, take your punishment, enroll in the spring, and play football in the fall. This shouldn’t be that complicated.
In the movie “Casino” The boss.. Remo, tells tough guy Nicky: “See that guy over there? He’s making us a lot of money! I want you to keep an eye on him. Don’t let anything happen to him.”
Nicky makes a profound statement a bit later in the movie: ” It’s the dollars, It’s always about the dollars”
The Schools, the networks, the media, the sponsors, they all are making money hand over fist off these kids. Thousands, Millions, maybe even billions. Off of 17 – 21 year olds. How ethical is that?
You would think that these big shots pulling the strings could cut loose with a few of those dollars and set up a few programs so Student Athletes who had problems like drinking, gambling, depression, or even career ending injuries, could get some much needed help. These are OUR kids for Christ sakes. Not comodities that are to be bought and sold on the open market.
There is no doubt in my mind that MF help put fans in the seats. Helped sell newspapers, pushed up ratings, sold jerseys.
But he is a young man of just 21, and got himself into trouble. Do they kick him to the curb and move on to the next kid like they have done all to offten in the past?
What happened to MF has, and is, happing all accross OUR college campuses and accross our entire country.
What’s the message that we are sending to our youth?
“It’s the dollars, always the dollars”
The difference is he broke the law, the people “making money” did not. He should sit the season. Sorry.
Don’t be sorry. I fully agree.
But It’s not just about the law. It’s not just about MF and the mistakes he made.
It’s about a disturbing trend seen at all university’s accross the nation.
It’s about helping kids who need help.
It’s about those who get rich off these kids and give nothing back.
Couldn’t “the people making money” set up a health and welfare fund, retirement fund, or a fund to further education?
Student Athletes could earn credits based on classroom acheavement, attendance, graduation, community service, sportsmenship, and good behavior.
Isn’t investing in the future of our youth better than prosicuting it?
What are you talking about? They are investing in the kids future. They get a free education at ND, one of the best university’s in the country. Health and welfare fund? What the hell are you talking about? I gues we should give them SNAP also.
The kid broke the law, and had previous drinking related incidents. He should be gone. He had had plenty or chances.
“They get a free education”
That reasoning was wore out twenty years ago.
Now there is the BigTen network, The SEC network, the Pac-Ten network. ND as a deal with NBC, and it goes on and on.
The NFL has a sweet deal as well, They use the NCAA as a totally free talent pool to build their league and make their millions.
I guess you have no clue as to the obsene amounts of money being made off these kids.
ND lost a couple of good players over the last couple of years due to concussions.
I’m sure they could use a little more than a free education right now.
I bet Dave Duerson’s family wishes there was more than a free education.(Hell of a lot of good that does him or his family now.)
Yes, there are penilties for breaking the law, or school, or team rules, as well there should be. But there should also be incentives and rewards for good behavior.
Something more should be done for kids with problems or career ending injuries.
What if MF’s behavioral issues where contributed by a head injury he had when he was a freshman?
Too bad, broke the law,not our problem any more.
These kids, these players, the NCAA.. None of it will ever improve as long as those in charge are driven by greed and narrow minded thinking like your own.
Those in charge are like greedy pimps who exploit the efforts of others, our youth, for their own finanical gain.
Don’t tell me that they can’t do, or shouldn’t do more!
They invest as little as possiable. It’s easier and cheaper to just kick a kid to the curb and move on to the next one.
That’s what the hell I’m talking about.
Why do you think he should “sit out a season?” Who are you and what do you have invested in this?
You’re a fan and probably not even an alumni. I’m glad you like watching Notre Dame games on NBC, but that doesn’t give you a vote on the matter. Sorry. You have nothing to do with this.
And you do? You don’t know me
I don’t think he should sit out the season at all! He’s going to learn what it means to be in “the system” and it isn’t fun. It’s humiliating.
He’s going to have to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of our societies most degenerate people. Addicts, thieves and so on.
Judges, probation officers, cops, piss tests and alcohol classes will be on his upcoming schedule. It’s absolutely horrible and plenty of punishment by itself.
While I believe he should be punished by the team… I’m against Kelly or the University driving the nail through the coffin on this kid. I can’t begin to tell you how effective the state of Indiana is in making their point that drinking and driving is a SERIOUS offense.
What his teammate, Ian williams, said:
“One of the great things about being back up here is seeing all of my old teammates. I talk to a lot of them, including Michael Floyd.
What happened to him (arrested for drunk driving early Sunday morning and subsequently indefinitely suspended from the team) was a tough incident. I wish that upon nobody.
I actually was in town the night that it happened. I actually called him a couple of hours before everything happened, and I’ve talked to him since.
He says he’s learned his lesson. He’s looking to get back into the spotlight and show people that’s not really him, because that’s not Michael Floyd.
We’re all in college, we all make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. He’s learned his lesson. He’s looking to move forward and get past this moment.
I hope Res Life (Notre Dame’s disciplinary arm) lets him do that. Res Life is tough. I remember when I was getting recruited, people were telling me don’t be scared of the laws. Res Life is what you should be scared of.
I just hope they give him a break. It’s a one-time offense. He’s truly sorry. It’s not like he was doing it on purpose. I don’t know why he was doing it, but I know it wasn’t like, “Oh. I’m Michael Floyd. Nothing will happen to me.” I just hope they give him a second chance.
As an athlete, you know what you’re getting into with the spotlight. And you can take it two ways.
We do what we do, knowing our lives are going to be public, everything we do is going to be public. That’s kind of a side effect of being an athlete, playing basketball or football or whatever.
You can take it and run and do something good with it or you can take it and run and do something bad with it. It comes down to how you perceive it and how you want to take it on.
I just want to let everyone know that Floyd is a great kid. He will get past this and will be great this season. Don’t worry about it.”
FXM = Voice of reason!
MF needs disciplining, no doubt. What he doesn’t need is for the ND community (which includes loyal “subway alumni” like some or most of us here) to demonize and abandon him. That’s too harsh a penalty.
Strip him of his captaincy. Put him in counseling. Suspend him for a few games (2-4). Then welcome him back to the fold. Not only as a gifted player who will help ND win games, but more importantly as a member of our community (not to mention a human being).
I am glad to see some reason on here. he does deserve to suffer some consequences, but not to lose his scholarship or be thrown out of school. He is part of the ND family and should never be discarded but helped at every turn.
Throw in working in a holeless shelter for the rest of the spring and I think SFB has a plan there. Luckily, it is Friday and Residence Life hasn’t announced he is out of school for the fall semester so they are looking at this and not shooting from the hip.
Sorry – “Homeless” shelter. Ideally, one that has AA meetings as well so he can witness what some people go through to get back in control of things.
I think we need a measured response, something between and SEC response (nothing) and a BYU response (gone for the year). Sit him for four games.
You guys are real class acts. When Mike Floyd is winning you football games, you love him to death. Now he finds himself in some trouble and the holier-than-thou fans want to give him the death penalty for it and throw him out of school. I come from a place where you don’t abandon your friends when they need your help. I’m not starting now.
Maybe Floyd’s character isn’t the one you all should be criticizing.
Michael Floyd is an American treasure.*
*=party rock star
Chi-town –
Indeed….also from my perspective, a guy by the name of Matt James comes to mind as I consider the Floyd episode here.
Matt James has nothing to do with what Floyd did. Also, Chi-town I understand that DUI is seriousand what ND’s code of conduct is, but by the same standards Stonebraker was convicted of an alcohol offense and still played. I really don’t care if he plays I just want him to be afforded the opportunity to graduate. If the University was going to can him over this incident make the decision, like with Yeatman and move on, they have all the facts concerning the incident.
Matt James had a drinking problem. Apparently after three episodes Floyd does too. What to you mean this issue w/ Flyod has nothing to do with James. In essence they are identical.
Drinking problem?? He was partying at spring break and an accident occurred. By your measure the entire population has a drinking problem.
You’re an idiot..
Go on..
Also let me just add i dont put Floyd in the same category as Maurice Clarrett (OSU) or Legarette Blount (Oregon) who all got a second chance after comitting a violent crime off and on the field. In this instance no one got “hurt” per se but nevertheless its a serious offense. He is commendable for coming back to school in the face of earning millions and that coupled with his admirable work to go to his private HS seem to be good character traits and i understand everyone makes mistakes, including myself, many times over. In this instance though, my opinion is that ND should follow whatever internal laws they have regarding student or student athlete conduct.
From a guy in law enforcement’s perspective in a big city, making a “drinking on the public way” or “minor in posession” pinch is about as pimpy as it gets. Nevertheless some coppers do it. Hell some coppers write other coppers tickets while they are on their way to work no less. Is it against the law? Yes. But there is discretion. DUI, now thats another story. In Illinois its a felony, ie punishable by over 1 year in prison (and trust me you dont want to be in the bull penn at Cook County). If he is convicted of felony DUI he should be launched. 99% of the population never gets locked up. If you manage to do this 3 times i hate to say it, you are a career criminal. DUI is a serious offense because it is a public safety issue and other people can be and have been killed. Then again IL Gov Quinn just released a bunch of such offenders out of prison early in the name of the “budget” so i suppose its relative. If the guidelines of student conduct call for him to be expelled for being simply accused of this crime they should apply the law at ND. Then again this is the Catholic University that conferred an honorary degree for a pro-abortion president. ND needs to do the right thing here considering that incident, the recent death of Declan Sullivan (even though in my opinion it was an accident and negligent at best), and then the Chicag Scum Times obsession with a “cover up” regarding the female student who “allegedly” was fondled (or raped if the papers have a say) and then killed herself. ND has some serious PR work to do
hummm….2 prior underage drinking issues and now a DUI. Rationalize it all you want – this kid has issues that need to be addressed for HIS sake. I cant set that aside just in order to get production out of him on the gridiron. You guys feel free to argue that all you want.
It’s actually one prior underage drinking issue and then this DUI.
Chris,
This is a quick question for everyone on this board. Does ND run criminal checks on all students, while they are enrolled at the University? If I am a unknow ND student and get a DUI which the universitym would I be booted from school? If not than Michael Floyd shouldn’t be booted from school. The only punishment ND would have would be to revoke his scholarship. Second, DUI is a serious offense I agree, but to ruin a kids future over an 2 underage drinking offenses and a DUI is stupid. I knew a lot of people in college that drank 5 days a week, got in trouble the same way and are pillars of their communities now and don’t get DUI’s anymore. If I am a prospective recruit this sends a bad message. The DUI is a serious offense, the underage drinking is a summary offense with a license suspension of 3 months. Are we going to throw kids out of school for noise violations because that is the same thing. I think the DUI should be handled the way I have stated above. He isn’t a bad kid and should be given a chance to make this right.
Teo – guess kids will be kids huh? That makes it all better. This is the 2nd DUI for him plus involvement – non involvment in an assault investigation last year….kids will be kids. I would love to see him play but not for this university after these incidents that definitely now show a pattern. Sorry – its only football.
Second DUI? He’s had two underaged drinking incidents, but this was the first DUI I was aware of.
It’s not the second DUI, Chris. It’s the second drinking involvement (the other was underage drinking).
And, regardless, he is a 21-year-old kid who made a bad mistake. Some community service a fine and, likely, some alcohol counseling, should work.
Kicking him out of school, though, won’t work. For one thing, it would create two standards: one for scholarship athletes and one for everyone else at Notre Dame. This is fine, I suppose — he’s there on scholarship after all — but it tells Floyd and the kids that are coming after him that if they screw up they’re gone. And many 21-year-olds screw up.
DUI is serious, for sure, but it happens. He should be given a fair chance to redeem himself via community service, academics, perhaps a suspension from games. But I definitely don’t think he should be removed from the school — or from the team. It’s a bad mistake.
I hear a lot of excuses being made of his actions. Bottom line is that this is still Notre Dame and our community should carry itself as so. We do things differently here, strive everyday to do things the right way. Floyd should be punished by the University and fulfill his obligations with county. It’s in the hands of the decision makers now to deem what is necessary in terms of punishment. Either way, we should support their decision. As you all know, the spot light is high on this incident and we can’t afford to cut corners and become inconsistent like the NCAA has proven to be in its rulings with USC, Ohio State and Auburn to name a few. And above all else, Notre Dame has an obligation and a responsability to help educate and teach Michael that what he has done is wrong and will always have consequences in life.
I know everyone is angry at Floyd. When I first read about it, I was upset at him as well.
But, look, this is what 21 year old kids do. I mean, they don’t all drink and drive. Some do meth. Some carry weapons. Others cut class. Still others steal from clothing retailers. The mind of an adolescent is like the mind of a two-year-old.
I wish Michael Floyd the best. I hope that he gets this DUI charge past him — that he pays the fine and does the community service — and that he will be able to focus on academics and football soon.
But, the rest of us — especially those who aren’t 21 anymore — should resist making disparaging remarks about him. He’s a decent guy who made a mistake. Most of us have been there in some form or another. . . .
Scav and Irishspartan,
The two other incidents happened at home, but if he would have been convicted of a felony at home he would have been booted out of any university, so I don’t think that arguement will fly. I understand your position that the kid has been busted twice for underage drinking and once for DUI. The press seems to think that this situation mirrors Will Yeatman, but I disagree. Yeatman was driving down a sidewalk at the University when he was pulled over. He was not allowed to participate in his spring sport Lacrosse. He was able to play the following fall until him and little Golic got busted at a party underage drinking. Now lets look at Floyd. Did the University discipline him for the first underage drinking incident, NO. Did they discipline him for the 2nd incident, NO. Kelly had a discussion with him but the University did not address either situation, so I don’t think the University has the right to address these issue right now since they didn’t address them when they occurred. They need to look at the incident of the DUI. They need to send him to counciling and the State of Indiana probably has an ARD program which he will have to attend. He needs to keep his nose clean from now until the beginning of the season. They need to evaluate his progress with that councelor and make a decision of whether or not he has matured and is ready to be on the team. After he has satisfied all of these conditions and only then will they allow him to come back to the team. He should also be subjected to random testing for alcohol and if caught at a bar, party or any other drinking situation be breaking the conditions and not allowed back on the team. This will show the kid that alcohol abuse is not joke and that it only gets him into trouble. He may not have an addiction problem, but a problem with making sound judgements when he drinks and in any case should stop now.
This story just sickens me because everything seemed to be moving in the right direction with the program. I know a lot has been made of the multiple arrests, so the first thing that needs to be done is figure out if this kid has a drinking problem or if it is a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t think that the University should take his other offenses into consideration because they happen back at home. He needs to suffer the consequences for breaking the law, but is it really necessary to kick the kid out of school? Let the law do it’s job and then let him play next fall. I’m sure Longo can run this kid until he pukes and use this as a wake-up call to the rest of the team.
This could be a blessing because other receivers are going to get a chance this spring, so it could ultimately make the team stronger. I think Mike was reading his own press clippings and this definatley will bring him back to earth. I’m pretty sure the Resident Life Office will drop the bomb on him, but I don’t think it’s fair. Whatever happens, I wish Mike the best and I hope he realizes that drinking is just not worth it.
The kid makes mistakes with alcohol and you people want to crusify him. I guess you had no problem with Michael Stonebraker and his DUI and run ins with the law. Yes, he was stupid but he is a 21 year old kid and made a stupid mistake. Thank God no one was injured. The SEC comment, is uncalled for, do you realize that kid cleaned the rooms at his private school because his mother didn’t have enough money to send him there. He also came back to get an education. I didn’t hear anyone say anthing about Golden Tate who left school early and got busted breaking into a coffee shop loaded or Jimmy Clausen pictures while drinking underage at an off campus apartment, in a beer olympics. The kid doesn’t handle alcohol well and needs to straighten himself out. The last time I checked this is a Catholic Univesity and you should not judge someone, I believe God does that. I am sick of seeing people act like you need to be perfect to play football at this University, the kid has made mistakes and will pay some consequences, like a drop in his draft status next year, but don’t deny him the chance to graduate or possibly play next year because your nose is in the air.
I understand the concept of mercy when it comes to dealing with kids, but where then do you draw the line, Jack? Fourth, fifth offense?
Recidivism shows immaturity and irresponsibility. These are concepts that a person four years into college should be getting a good grip on by now. Certainly this doesn’t make him a bad person, but a dangerously irresponsible person? Perhaps.
Everyone makes mistakes, but mistakes deserve consequences. I would LOVE to have Michael Floyd run onto the field against South Florida…I’m just not convinced that that’s the best thing for Michael Floyd, the University of Notre Dame, or Notre Dame Football.
if you have a problem with kids at notre dame drinking and are concerned about it maybe we should suspend half the student population because that’s how may very very conservatively are drinking under 21. it’s not like he had 3 dui’s. 2 incidences were underaged drinking; 1 time in a party with a ton of nd students. get off your high horse about nd football. i do not condone drinking under influence but this nonsense is absolutely ridiculous.
from what i’ve seen of notre dame of late i believe you can chuck that catholic university stuff.when it was a catholic university it had a strict disciplinary policy.
Saw the news break on Monday and then watched Kelly’s interview yesterday…. surprised that they didn’t list Walker as a person to fill the void. On paper (and based on high school careers) Walker is probably the most talented WR on the roster. Not sure if he is ever going to break the starting lineup but now would be a great time for him to kick it in gear. To date, he has been nothing but hype.
stupid, stupid, stupid… we all know that.
lets hope “he changes” in time for the 2nd game of the season
I rather just him him be gone and never play again. As much as that would blow but we can’t turn into a Ohio State having corrupt players playing for Notre Dame.
oh ok Brian, I know you don’t drink and have never in your life gotten behind the wheel afterwards. Do you even know what corrupt means?
He should enroll at an SEC school, he would fit right in. would also be eligible for the upcoming season, most likely.
Heck, he’d be crowned captain for his good behavior!
Needs to grow up
Idiot!
He’s gonna be back in the fall. Wont miss a beat. GO IRISH
Bob,
I just heard on ESPN a writer from the South Bend Tribune believes he has played his last game at ND.
An opinion from someone at the South Bend Tribune is still an opinion.
He’ll be back.
Dumb A@#!