The number #1 ranking comes with casualties. 
Two Bulldogs hospitalized after brawl
Third player arrested in unrelated incident
By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/02/08
Athens — Two Georgia football players were suspended indefinitely by coach Mark Richt after a wild weekend in downtown Athens resulted in one player's arrest and two others being sent to the hospital.
Long snapper Jeff Henson, a junior from Gainesville, was arrested for public intoxication and urinating in public. He was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at 3:46 a.m. and was released on $750 bond at 10 a.m. Because Henson also was charged with DUI last November — he missed the Sugar Bowl as punishment — he was suspended indefinitely.
Junior safety Donavon Baldwin also was suspended indefinitely for his involvement in an unrelated altercation at a bar. Baldwin, who was already serving a one-game suspension because of a DUI arrest in January, was sent to St. Mary's Hospital after getting hit in the head with a beer bottle.
Freshman linebacker Marcus Dowtin also was treated at the hospital for injuries suffered in the same altercation. A release from the UGA sports communication office did not mention any penalties for Dowtin.
"This is the second incident for both of these young men in the last year," Richt said of Henson and Baldwin in the release. "In my judgment their standing with the program is in question, and they don't deserve to report with the rest of our team on Sunday."
There are reports that other Georgia football players may have been involved in the fight or possibly committed other offenses. UGA spokesman Claude Felton said Richt "is looking into everything."
Henson was arrested after an Athens Clarke-County police officer saw a "very intoxicated" Henson urinating on the wall of a bank building. Reached by telephone Saturday evening, Henson was contrite: "There's no excuse for being out the weekend before camp."
Henson was the eighth Georgia football player arrested and jailed in 2008. Two other players will be suspended for games as a result: offensive guard Clint Boling, one game for reckless driving; and fullback Fred Munzenmaier, two games for underage consumption.
Also, sophomore defensive end Michael Lemon, who was dismissed from the team last month after his arrest on an aggravated battery charge, was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol at the hospital. He was booked at 5:31 a.m. Saturday and released on a $500 bond at 10:11 a.m, according to the Athens-Clarke County jail report.
Just 10 days ago Richt had said he hoped Lemon could "find a path" back to Georgia, perhaps after attending junior college.
Thursday was the last day of final exams for the mid-summer semester, and Georgia was picked No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' preseason poll released Friday. Players report for preseason practices Sunday, and the Bulldogs will hold their first of 27 preseason workouts Monday afternoon.
— Staff writer Rhonda Cook contributed to this report.
Third player arrested in unrelated incident
By CHIP TOWERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/02/08
Athens — Two Georgia football players were suspended indefinitely by coach Mark Richt after a wild weekend in downtown Athens resulted in one player's arrest and two others being sent to the hospital.
Long snapper Jeff Henson, a junior from Gainesville, was arrested for public intoxication and urinating in public. He was booked into the Athens-Clarke County jail at 3:46 a.m. and was released on $750 bond at 10 a.m. Because Henson also was charged with DUI last November — he missed the Sugar Bowl as punishment — he was suspended indefinitely.
Junior safety Donavon Baldwin also was suspended indefinitely for his involvement in an unrelated altercation at a bar. Baldwin, who was already serving a one-game suspension because of a DUI arrest in January, was sent to St. Mary's Hospital after getting hit in the head with a beer bottle.
Freshman linebacker Marcus Dowtin also was treated at the hospital for injuries suffered in the same altercation. A release from the UGA sports communication office did not mention any penalties for Dowtin.
"This is the second incident for both of these young men in the last year," Richt said of Henson and Baldwin in the release. "In my judgment their standing with the program is in question, and they don't deserve to report with the rest of our team on Sunday."
There are reports that other Georgia football players may have been involved in the fight or possibly committed other offenses. UGA spokesman Claude Felton said Richt "is looking into everything."
Henson was arrested after an Athens Clarke-County police officer saw a "very intoxicated" Henson urinating on the wall of a bank building. Reached by telephone Saturday evening, Henson was contrite: "There's no excuse for being out the weekend before camp."
Henson was the eighth Georgia football player arrested and jailed in 2008. Two other players will be suspended for games as a result: offensive guard Clint Boling, one game for reckless driving; and fullback Fred Munzenmaier, two games for underage consumption.
Also, sophomore defensive end Michael Lemon, who was dismissed from the team last month after his arrest on an aggravated battery charge, was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol at the hospital. He was booked at 5:31 a.m. Saturday and released on a $500 bond at 10:11 a.m, according to the Athens-Clarke County jail report.
Just 10 days ago Richt had said he hoped Lemon could "find a path" back to Georgia, perhaps after attending junior college.
Thursday was the last day of final exams for the mid-summer semester, and Georgia was picked No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' preseason poll released Friday. Players report for preseason practices Sunday, and the Bulldogs will hold their first of 27 preseason workouts Monday afternoon.
— Staff writer Rhonda Cook contributed to this report.
