Aaron Douglas Arrested, Charged With DUI
by outsidethesidelines on Dec 24, 2010 7:39 PM CST
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PrintDespite his obvious athletic ability, I was a bit wary of us taking Aaron Douglas to begin with, and obviously this latest development isn't the least bit comforting in that regard. Per the Daily Times:
Blount County authorities have charged a former Maryville High School and University of Tennessee football player with driving under the influence, according to intake reports and a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
Deputies pulled him over after he allegedly ran a stop sign and was seen driving erratically.
When Douglas ran the light, he was nearly hit by another vehicle, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Marian O’Briant said.
Deputies performed standard field sobriety tests, on which Douglas performed "extremely poorly," according to O’Briant, who was reading information from the report. He was unsteady on his feet and uncooperative during the investigation, according to the report.
So, um, yeah, not good.
It's one thing to say that a kid has a questionable past and that there are some legitimate reasons for concern moving forward. Having said that, though, it's foolish to pass on a talented kid at a need position as long as he has gotten things together off the field. But what claim can you reasonably make in that regard when, days after signing your letter of intent, you drink and drive, ignore traffic signs, and nearly cause an accident before being arrested and charged with DUI?
If this had happened ten days ago, I think we would have probably just passed on Douglas altogether. Now, though, it's a very different story. Not only has he committed, he has signed his letter of intent, and is slated to arrive in Tuscaloosa in a matter of days. Saban could still dismiss him, mind you, but that may have implications for the APR, and he would still count again the limit of signing 25 scholarship players per season.
Where this goes next is anyone's guess. Saban may welcome him in regardless, or he may send him packing before he ever arrives. One way or the other, though, there was cause for concern with Douglas to begin with, and in the wake of this incident I think it can be prudently said that we should take any and all talk on his part of getting things together off the field with a massive grain of salt.
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Moron
damn lucky he didn’t kill anybody or making a football team would the last of his worries
Auburn fans made me pro-choice
I'd kick him off right now.
You don’t miss what you never had, just dump him and tell Cyrus the position is his to lose..
If Auburn was in New Mexico and we never played them I would still hate them and their dumb coach and their cheating players.
I agree
He’s not that good anyway. All publications had him listed as a 3 star recruit coming out of junior college. Cut him loose…he’s a problem.
Roll Tide!
by mobilematt12 on Dec 24, 2010 8:17 PM CST up reply actions
No.
No, he’s a good football player. He can play in this league at a high level, and we’ve seen him do it before as a freshman. I don’t give a damn what some self-proclaimed expert “evaluates” him as. He’s shown he can do it on the field, and if some “expert” is too damn dumb to figure it that’s his own problem. Remember, those were the same clowns who had Terrence Cody as a three-star JUCO too. Their “mission” is an impossible task to begin with and in any event they are in no way qualified to do it. Never forget that.
Nevertheless, that’s not the issue. Star rating notwithstanding if he couldn’t play we wouldn’t have signed him. He can play, the question is will Saban tolerate this? This is not the kind of thing he allows in his program, regardless of how good you are, and especially when it involves kids with checkered pasts.
We’ll see what happens. If it were me I’d tell him to go have his fun elsewhere, but obviously the decision isn’t mine. We’ll see what Saban thinks.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Dec 24, 2010 8:25 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I didn't say he couldn't play
I said, or at least implied, he’s not worth the trouble. You can poo poo star ratings all you want and sure you can point to 3 stars that make it big and 5 stars that bust, but point is that those publications don’t view him as an out of this world prospect. The obvious reason to take a juco prospect is because they are physically ready to play right away. That is likely why they took a chance on him. If he played at such a high level in the past, went to juco and played, why the 3 star rating? Look, I’m not saying he might not come in a play well, but I am saying that we don’t need someone that is not an out of this world prospect with baggage who apparently hasn’t solved his problems off the field. That’s my position and I’m respectfully disagreeing…that said…OTS you are the man and prove me wrong frequently.
Roll Tide!
by mobilematt12 on Dec 24, 2010 9:06 PM CST up reply actions
Well, if you are saying that Douglas is a good player but not quite good enough to justify these transgressions then I agree wholeheartedly. I read your original post as arguing that he wasn’t a very good player in general, but apparently that is not the case. My apologies for misinterpreting your original remarks.
As for why he was rated a three-star prospect, who knows? I’m sure the self-proclaimed experts had there reasons, but I’m not so naive to judge a player based on what a handful of unqualified people trying to do an impossible task think of him. Sure on the whole recruiting rankings generally hold because they are, in most instances, individual evaluations based on offer lists more than anything else — i.e. the “experts” effectively outsource evaluations to coaches, i.e. people who are actually qualified to evaluate football players — but hubris and arrogance does allow subjective opinion to override more telling measures of player quality from time to time, and frankly when you are legitimately attempting to “evaluate” 5,000+ prospects per year, you’re going to have a lot of kids like that.
I’m not going to sit here and proclaim Douglas to be the next John Hannah, mind you, I’m merely saying that he was a freshman All-American in the SEC, both Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino thought he could step in and start immediately at tackle in the SEC West — not to mention Lane Kiffin thought the same thing at USC — and with that history and those ringing endorsements, I’m not going to sit here and take anything away from the kid just because some unqualified ass clown like Bob Lichtenfels, who got his job only because he used to post on “The Insiders” message boards back in the day when he wasn’t working the graveyard shift at the local steel mill, thinks he’s only a three-star prospect.
In any event, I largely agree with you, I don’t think Douglas is worth the hassle and if it were me I’d pass. Again, though, it’s not my decision, and Saban may view it in a very different light than I do. My bigger concern is that we have obviously have a pretty big depth problem at tackle, and the kid we took a chance on to alleviate that short-term shortage just had yet another major off-field mishap.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Dec 25, 2010 2:09 AM CST up reply actions
Douglas is the next John Hannah!
proclaim Douglas to be the next John Hannah
OTS said it! You heard it here first! Douglas is, in fact, the next John Hannah, and will win the Heisman trophy as a lineman! If OTS didn’t actually come out and say that Heisman part at the end, it’s pretty clearly what he meant to say, so I think it’s fair to attribute that to him, as well.
So, in conclusion, Douglas will, without question, be better than John Hannah.
Thirteen.
*pretty clear what he meant to say...
((Not really sure why I actually bothered to correct that mistake, now that I think about it…))
Thirteen.
Nevermind, it wasn't wrong to start with.
And I’m not certain that it’s wrong as corrected, either.
Now my head hurts.
Thirteen.
It's cool...
Just have a beer and head on to bed. Merry Christmas.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Dec 25, 2010 3:00 AM CST up reply actions
You didn't misread my post
I did a poor job articulating my point.
Roll Tide!
by mobilematt12 on Dec 25, 2010 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
What a disappointment
I know there are plenty of negatives attached to cutting him loose but that is what needs to happen. Of course that is just a fans prospective. After hearing Coach Saban often mention players taking ownership of their actions I don’t see how this can be tolerated. I know he will be punished in some way if he is allowed to stay but this could set a bad precedence.
Taking his past into account with a severe lack of maturity, direction or commitment...
Could you really blame Coach Saban for cutting him loose? DAYS after signing with the Tide and he does something this reckless? Coach knows what he is doing, so if Douglas isn’t “86’ed” then his ass is on thin ice. If there is one thing I do know for sure about Coach Saban, it is that a locker room cancer/distraction will not be tolerated.
Charles Martel, Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Raymond IV the Count of Toulouse, Godfrey of Bouillon, Baldwin of Boulogne, Henry II, Richard the Lionheart, St. Joan of Arc and Napoleon Bonaparte -- all of good stock.
by TiderUpNorth on Dec 24, 2010 8:39 PM CST via mobile reply actions
By the way,
I hear Auburn is losing their entire line, maybe we could just ship him off to Lee County and let them welcome him to the family. He should fit right in.
If Auburn was in New Mexico and we never played them I would still hate them and their dumb coach and their cheating players.
Yep, at AU the inmates are running the asylum.
That can work for a while, we will see if it works for say 5 years.
If Auburn was in New Mexico and we never played them I would still hate them and their dumb coach and their cheating players.
I dont know what...
kind of criminal history this kid has, but if his history is not that bad then this “kicking him off the team business” seems like a bit of an overreaction…
Let’s be honest, a certain former QB of ours who got a DUI at bama (not long after coming in) was still given the starting job by Saban as soon as we needed him. Thus, why would a DUI prevent Saban from keeping this kid, assuming he’s going to fill a legitimate need (as most of these JUCO guys do). I understand our that our team is much better and more cohesive now, but this team has a legitimate shot at a national title, and thus I doubt Saban would kick him off the team before he’s even had the chance to be around him on campus and see what kind of kid he actually is. I do agree with the above posts though that he will certainly be on thin ice.
Different scenario
JP got that DUI way before Saban got here and also we HAD to keep JP as the starter. We don’t really need this kid
JP got arrested for a DUI, ever convicted, though? I don’t recall hearing about that.
I'm wrong all the time.
As best I remember he reached some sort of settlement and ended up with youth offender status.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Dec 25, 2010 12:05 PM CST up reply actions
I'm about 95% sure CNS will get rid of him.
It’d be different if he’d been here for a year or two and they had a put lot of time and energy into him. Who knows though?
"I do whatever they want me to do," he said. "I’ll punt it if that’s what they want." Julio Jones after rushing for a 56 yd TD vs Miss. St.
I still would not be surprised
that if CNS did cut hm loose, we would be seeing him on the plains next year.
Have a Crimson Tide Day!
Roll Tide, Saban Tsunami Roll!
I'm completely impressed by all the complete angels on here.
Is it really that surprising that a college age guy would get bombed and drive? I know nothing about this guys previous history, but i reckon Coach Saban will straighten him out, or he’ll be gone. I cannot, however, bring myself to get all up in arms over a DUI, it would be too hypocritical. Thank god I was never caught when i was that age. Was it smart of him, no, But no-one got hurt, maybe he’ll have learned a lesson from this.
I'm in no condition to drive...wait! I shouldn't listen to myself, I'm drunk.
by That Other Dave on Dec 25, 2010 12:47 PM CST reply actions
No one ever claimed to be an angel.
Just because you consider it normal or not surprising that a college age guy “got bombed” and drove, does not make it a)okay b)acceptable in society or c)acceptable of an Alabama football player. Saban expects a lot from the guys and so therefore we do too.
Also, it is a blessing no one got hurt. Maybe you feel defensive that we all reacted the way we did because you’ve chosen to drink and drive in the past. I will not condone or support or change my view on this type of thing just because you and other people made a stupid decision. Yes, it was stupid. I’m fine with others doing what they want with their life, but when it infringes upon the safety, health, and/or rights of others is when that individual’s actions are put in the wrong (so to speak).
For what it’s worth, my friend best friend Logan was nearly killed by “a college guy who just got bombed and drove”. He couldn’t walk for almost 2 months and had to miss a semester of school. Think about victims like that next time you try and justify stupid actions such as DUI.
"Bleacher Report is the Fox News of the sports world."- Charlotte (AccioAlabama)
by HoundstoothHeart on Dec 25, 2010 2:23 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
PS:
Sorry for getting heated.
Stuff like this (people’s stupidity potentially costing lives of others) pisses me off in an unhealthy manner.
"Bleacher Report is the Fox News of the sports world."- Charlotte (AccioAlabama)
by HoundstoothHeart on Dec 25, 2010 2:32 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I've had too many friends
innocently killed by drunk drivers to ever give them a pass…ever. They should be prosecuted like the criminals they are. If they were prosecuted we would see less drunk driving, and fewer innocent people killed. Truth is Douglass should be in jail when we kick it off in Sept. The fact that JPW did it and got away with it does nothing to change my mind. I’d rather go 0-12 then take this as no big deal.
When you lose a spouse, a parent, a child, or a friend to this you will feel differently.
If Auburn was in New Mexico and we never played them I would still hate them and their dumb coach and their cheating players.
i think
you misread, or i didn’t make myself clear.
When you lose a spouse, a parent, a child, or a friend to this you will feel differently.
I feel the exact same way you do.
"Bleacher Report is the Fox News of the sports world."- Charlotte (AccioAlabama)
by HoundstoothHeart on Dec 26, 2010 10:26 AM CST up reply actions
I cannot, however, bring myself to get all up in arms over a DUI,
Fuck you.
No, really.
It’s this kind of attitude that makes drunk driving (and the deaths and injuries it causes) so prevalent. Just because you’ve done something in the past doesn’t mean it’s not something to get upset over.
Every day in this country there are folks who lose a friend or family member to a drunk driver. One who probably thought nobody was going to get hurt. Yeah, people make stupid decisions. Nobody’s suggesting the guy be put to death, but I don’t really want someone representing the university who is going to engage in this sort of stuff, and do so to the degree that he did. This isn’t a big guy having two drinks and not paying attention, this is a guy who damn near had an accident, could hardly walk in a straight line, and knew better than to take a breathalizer.
So what’s it going to take? Does someone (else) have to die before you take DUIs seriously? Someone you’ve met? Someone you actually know? A family member? At what point does drinking and getting behind the wheel of a car stop being “no big deal” and start being something you’re not going to condone?
Look, there probably aren’t many folks here who haven’t driven after a drink or two. There probably are quite a few who have driven over the legal limit. There are probably some who have driven while dangerously intoxicated. That doesn’t make it okay, and just because someone did one or more of those three things doesn’t mean they can’t come in here and say “No, I don’t want this kid on my University’s football team” or say that driving drunk is bad and dangerous.
You don’t have to join in with the mob if you don’t want to, but you should at least be thoughtful enough not criticize the folks who have the good sense to recognize a serious situation when they see one.
(Pathetically coincidental sig you have there, too, btw.)
I'm wrong all the time.
by PeteHoliday on Dec 25, 2010 6:17 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
The problem with driving drunk
is there are no organized courses on how to drive drunk properly. It is a dream of mine to open the first Drunk Driving School. We will sit around watch a game. Play Quarters, Acey Duecey or what other drinking game we can make up. Then we will head out and learn how to drive drunk. On a close course of course. The School will last 13 weeks. Anyone want to enroll for next fall?
Sure hope you don't one
day regret you ever joked about drunk driving.
If Auburn was in New Mexico and we never played them I would still hate them and their dumb coach and their cheating players.
If you weren't joking, hell even if you were joking about drinking and driving, I'd like to quote a very wise man that once said:
Fuck you.
No, really.
I just lost a very dear friend about 3 months ago to a drunk driver. Here mom just got out of the hospital and it took about 2 months before she was able to be transported from Hawaii to her home in California. This guy had several (6 IIRC) prior DUI convictions and god knows how many times he got away with it. Presumably, he had much practice and would make a good instructor at your “school” if he ever gets out of prison. I hope he, and you, rot in hell.
by Bumpjon on Dec 26, 2010 1:18 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
My wife had a next door neighbor and friend
that was killed by a drunk driver. He was 17. Think about that and ask yourself, is it ok to driven hammered? He was an honor student and about to enter college in the fall.
Roll Tide!
by mobilematt12 on Dec 26, 2010 9:52 AM CST up reply actions
I certainly didn't mean to stir up the hornets nest,
but i did feel like someone needed to present this side of the argument. I apologize for coming off like a heartless ass. Saban will straighten this guy out, or he’ll be gone. I just think when you are that age, you don’t consider the consequences of your actions. That does not make it right, or even okay, but it also does not make it surprising.
I will end with this little bit of personal history, when i was in college my best friend was killed by a drunk driver in Milledgeville, GA, so i do know how that feels.
I'm in no condition to drive...wait! I shouldn't listen to myself, I'm drunk.
by That Other Dave on Dec 26, 2010 5:05 PM CST up reply actions
I would take him based on some factors of remorse, etc, BUT
I would make it clear, in my mind and his, that the first infraction would be his last at BAMA.
reply fail
agree with Pete’s sentiments up there ^^
In the words of my (and perhaps Mr. Douglas') homie, Snoop Dogg...
drop it like it’s hot. Don’t let this punk into school.
by Bama philosophe on Dec 25, 2010 11:02 PM CST reply actions
Joe Namath , Kenny Stabler, David Palmer
I don’t believe the kid has got his shit together by no means , drinking and driving is stupid as hell , and deserves an ass beating for sure, but let him hang out in an E.R. for a year , run stadium steps for 6 months , If he survives CNS boot camp and gets motivated about life and is capable of learning he should be given a chance.
Our Society allows the drug alcohol to be flashed on the TV screen of every football game at every break in the action .seen by every kid in every house its a damn miracle this isn’t more prevalent.
What a hypocritical horde to crucify him for a mistake, not knowing his life, who raised him, where he lived ,and it is easy to see how wrong he was and criticize him , but remember everyone didn’t have Ozzie and Harriet for parents and never judge how someone walks until you walked a mile in his shoes, you would be better served if you got down on your knees and thanked God for your parents that taught you better and gave you more than a chance to succeed, before you go judging someone you do not know.
A Major mistake in his life ,YES a death sentence NO he deserves a chance to redeem himself and develop . Time will tell if he has enough upstairs to change and by God in 6 months we would know.
Just ask Joe, Kenny, and David what would have happened to their lives if their coach would have listened to a bunch of " silver spooned " critiques instead of teaching them something they could never get out of a book.
Well, we don't KNOW his parents
but we do know something about them, and Maryville is as close to Mayberry as a big town gets. His folks were both athletes at TN and are apparently still together. Not saying that means everything, but it sounds like he could have had it a hell of a lot worse. If one of the kids on the team got a DUI that had otherwise been a model citizen it would be one thing. This guy has baggage and is going on his third school in three years. Smells a little too close to a certain QB at the Barn.
'There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment,'- Nick Saban
If I had to guess ,CNS will give him one last chance
He already committed to bringing the kid in knowing he had problems and will probably sit down, talk to him ,and if he says the right things, give him a final shot to be a model kid. Otherwise ,he will wish him luck and let him go try to catch on somewhere else. Problem with a kid like this is that at some point he may let the program down big time, when it counts the most. Think about what Carlos Dunlap did to UF. It always seems to come when you don’t have another option of time to adjust. We always talk about how the team laid an egg in the Sugar Bowl 2 years ago, but I blame that loss on Andre Smith and his selfish actions prior to that game. Not trying to draw an equivalence to the 2 actions, but it was a selfish action before a big game. I still believe if Smith would have played we would have won that football game.
Roll Tide!
by mobilematt12 on Dec 26, 2010 10:33 AM CST up reply actions
How many of you talk on your phone or text while driving?
Or drive while sleepy.
(holding up my hand for past indiscretions)
I had a near miss once and it was my epiphany. Now if I feel even a little sleepy, I don’t drive. If it is life shatteringly important that I do anyway, I find a place to nap for a bit right after downing at least 400mg of caffeine.
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