UGA Notebook: Chauncey Rivers arrested for second time

Georgia freshman defensive end Chauncey Rivers (90) was arrested Saturday for the second time on a marijuana-related charge.
Georgia freshman defensive end Chauncey Rivers (90) was arrested Saturday for the second time on a marijuana-related charge.

Georgia freshman defensive end Chauncey Rivers has the dubious distinction of being involved in the last player arrest of the Mark Richt era and the first of the Kirby Smart era.

Rivers was arrested Saturday morning in Athens on the misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. The 6-foot-3, 272-pound Rivers and freshman linebacker Natrez Patrick were arrested for marijuana possession Nov. 4 at a parking deck on campus.

The two players were suspended for Georgia's 27-3 win over Kentucky on Nov. 7, but Rivers now faces a four-game suspension per university policy for a second alcohol and drug violation. Georgia's next four games are against Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl on Jan. 2 and next season's opening trio of North Carolina, Nicholls State and Missouri.

Rivers is among Georgia's 22 true freshmen who have played this season. He got in four games and made four tackles, including a tackle for loss. Three of his tackles were in the regular-season finale at Georgia Tech.

Rivers is from the Atlanta suburb of Stone Mountain and played at Stephenson High. He was a four-star prospect according to Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com, with Rivals.com ranking him as the No. 5 strongside defensive end nationally in the 2015 class.

Heisman history

Georgia had the first Heisman Trophy winner from the Southeastern Conference when Frank Sinkwich won the honor in 1942. He was in his Marine uniform when he accepted the trophy and was the favorite throughout that year after compiling 382 yards of total offense in the Orange Bowl after the 1941 season, a record that still stands.

The Bulldogs also became the first SEC team with two Heisman winners when Herschel Walker won the 1982 award, but they haven't factored into many races since.

Safety Terry Hoage finished fifth in 1983, when Nebraska tailback Mike Rozier won and Cornhuskers quarterback Turner Gill finished fourth, and tailback Garrison Hearst finished third in 1992, when Miami quarterback Gino Torretta won and San Diego State tailback Marshall Faulk was the runner-up. Those have been Georgia's only top-five Heisman finishes since Walker won it.

Walker finished third in the 1980 Heisman balloting as a freshman and was runner-up to Southern California tailback Marcus Allen in 1981.

Sherrer spotted

Kevin Sherrer, the outside linebackers coach of the past two seasons, accompanied Smart this weekend to the Georgia Dome for the high school lstate championship games.

Sherrer is the second member of Georgia's existing staff to be spotted with Smart, running backs coach Thomas Brown having been pictured with Smart and Bulldogs commitments earlier in the week. Sherrer came to Athens after spending the 2013 season as South Alabama's defensive coordinator, so it's possible he could handle that role in the TaxSlayer Bowl now that Jeremy Pruitt has returned to Alabama.

Brown and Sherrer have backgrounds with Smart. Brown was a running back when Smart coached that position for the Bulldogs in 2005, and Sherrer was Alabama's director of player development from 2010 to 2012, when Smart was in the middle of his run as Crimson Tide defensive coordinator.

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

Upcoming Events