BB gun incident will be inconsequential for Florida’s Tyrie Cleveland, Rick
Wells
ZACH ABOLVERDI
8
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The hype surrounding star Florida signee Tyrie Cleveland
was halted Monday with his arrest.
He and his roommate, fellow freshman wide receiver and childhood friend Rick
Wells, both face two felony charges involving a BB gun. Gators coach Jim
McElwain said there will be consequencesfor Cleveland and Wells, but don’t
expect their discipline to center around missing game time.
Cleveland and Wells may be suspended for the season opener, but that’s probably
the extent of their on-field punishment. Both players should still practice and
scrimmage throughout preseason camp, as did a pair of Georgia freshmen in the
spring following their April arrests for a similar incident.
The lawyer(s) for Cleveland and Wells will likely push for a pre-trial
diversionary program, where they do community service and pay fines to expunge
the charges from their record. Discipline from McElwain will mostly be handled
internally.
While BB guns can be harmless fun, shooting them at a building with occupants
(even if to prank other teammates) is dangerous and dumb. Perhaps a firearms
safety course would also benefit Cleveland and Wells.
They weren’t going to start to the season opener, so their absence wouldn’t
hurt Florida’s receiving corps. Wells was already a redshirt candidate because
of depth at the position, but Cleveland is the Gators’ best incoming wideout in
years and figures to be a contributor in 2016.
Cleveland had a difficult upbringing and grew up around deadly violence, most
notably his brother’s murder, so this incident could serve as a valuable
learning experience before he reaches potential stardom at UF.
Zach Abolverdi is the Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution.
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