Coach Mark Richt dismisses Georgia safety Josh Harvey-Clemons from team

photo Georgia Bulldogs safety Josh Harvey-Clemons (25) has been suspended along with a teammate for the Gator Bowl.

Georgia safety Josh Harvey-Clemons, who was suspended twice during the 2013 season for violating the school's marijuana policy, was dismissed from the football program Tuesday by coach Mark Richt.

Harvey-Clemons finished third on the team with 66 tackles as a sophomore despite being suspended for the opener at Clemson and for the Gator Bowl against Nebraska. The bowl was the first of a four-game suspension that was to include the first three games of the upcoming season.

Richt was not quoted in the announcement, which stated that the dismissal was for a violation of team rules. Former Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch, however, expressed frustration with the former five-star prospect out of Valdosta.

"Those who decide not to do it the right way do not deserve to don the Red & Black," Lynch posted on Twitter. "It is a privilege, not a right."

Harvey-Clemons had 15 tackles in Georgia's thrilling win over LSU, but the 6-foot-5, 212-pounder will be remembered for slamming into fellow safety Tray Matthews on Auburn's fourth-and-18 desperation play. The collision enabled the ball to ricochet into the hands of Auburn receiver Ricardo Louis for a miraculous 73-yard touchdown that propelled the Tigers to a 43-38 win.

Matthews and Corey Moore are expected to be Georgia's starting safeties for new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.

A week after the debacle in Auburn, Harvey-Clemons bounced back with six tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in a 59-17 rout of Kentucky. He also had a fourth-quarter interception that helped key Georgia's rally in an eventual 41-34 double-overtime win at Georgia Tech, which wound up being his last game.

"The arrow is up on him as a player," former Bulldogs defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said in late November. "He is going to continue to excel."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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