 Marc MorehouseHi, I'm Marc Morehouse. I've covered sports for more than 15 years, mostly in Eastern Iowa. I've had Hayden Fry [...] |
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Iowa freshman RB arrested in Erie
Incoming freshman RB Greg Garmon was arrested in Pennsylvania on Thursday. (Erie Times-News staff photographer Jack Hanrahan)
Iowa freshman running back Greg Garmon faces misdemeanor charges of simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to multiple reports out of Erie, Pa.
WJET-TV first reported that Garmon, 19, and Delton Williams, 18, were charged on a summons when police pulled them over 6:35 p.m. last Friday. Garmon starred at McDowell High School in Erie before signing a national letter of intent to play football at Iowa. Williams is a star player at Cathedral Prep with at least 16 football scholarship offers, including Penn State, Michigan State and Nebraska.
The Erie Times-News reported that police found a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle.
[Here's a link to WJET's news report. The Erie Times-News also posted a report on its website Thursday evening.]
Iowa sports information director Steve Roe said Iowa wouldn’t have a statement tonight.
Garmon was scheduled to report for summer conditioning drills in Iowa City this weekend. Now, his scholarship could be up in the air.
Wrestler Cayle Byers committed to Iowa after transferring from George Mason following an incident with police. He never enrolled at Iowa and ended up as an all-American at Oklahoma State. What happened between commitment and enrollment is unclear.
Last summer, Sioux City Heelan running back/wide receiver Michael Malloy was arrested in Nebraska and charged with with four offenses, including possession or use of drug paraphernalia. He eventually pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing a peace officer. In the process, he lost his scholarship to Iowa. He will walk on this fall.
Garmon, a 6-1, 200-pounder, is one of two incoming freshman running backs, a definite position of need for the Hawkeyes. Former Cedar Falls prep Barkley Hill reported for summer workouts last weekend.
Iowa also has sophomores Damon Bullock and De’Andre Johnson and junior walk-on Andre Dawson on the roster.
Garmon rushed for 2,859 yards and 27 TDs as a three-year starter at McDowell. He played in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in January, when he committed to the Hawkeyes on the CBS Sports Network.
Garmon’s backstory is enthralling. When he was in sixth grade, his family’s home burned down. He lived with a friend’s family for a year. In eighth grade, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After six months of treatment, doctors told him he was cancer-free.
Running back continues to be the “Land of the Lost” for the Hawkeyes. Marcus Coker left the UI in January in the wake of a sexual assault investigation in which charges were never filed. Also in January, freshman Mika’il McCall announced he was leaving Iowa after being suspended for undisclosed reasons.
In March, sophomore Jordan Canzeri, the potential No. 1 this fall, suffered a torn ACL and is likely out for the season.
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AIRBHG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think he keeps his schollie, but we’ll see how it goes through the courts.
He’s GONE…..you wanna smoke? Big deal…but my god, let’s smoke, bring it with us in our car and drive around with expired tags….I don’t give a damn how old you are…..what an embarrassment
Red flags, no question. But can you give up on a kid?
This is a particularly tough case, in light of recent evidence of no tolerance.
Let’s see how this adjudicates.
I don’t disagree that you shouldn’t completely give up on him. But, he’s in the unfortunate place of a long string of poor decisions( and he was well aware of the track record.). I just don’t see any leniency. It’s just my opinion that he’s gone.
Last comment and I’ll zip it. But, supposedly, he tweeted this 2 weeks ago…..Greg Garmon retweeted something back on May 18th from a twitter account called ‘Weed Tweets’. The tweet said ‘Let’s just get ****** high and cuddle!’
I saw that tweet, Bob. His entire Twitter account is a red flag. Still, you cut an 18-year-old a break for irresponsible social media. For this arrest? That’s another schematic.
If Ferentz/Barta pull his scholarship for this, I’ll be pretty upset. Is there a more minor offense for which you can be arrested? I think missing court on a traffic ticket is more serious. He likes to smoke weed. He got caught. He can’t smoke weed anymore. End of story.
I’m not sure they have the final say, but I hear you and believe you are essentially correct.
This decision would be made in the same office that decided to freeze out Marcus Coker.
what a dumb a – -, so its a new year of football and we have the same crap. makes me sick. when are these kids going to grow up, full ride and you piss it away.
I would tell him to stay out east and don’t bother coming to Iowa City
Harsh, but it’s a fair sentiment. Let’s see how it goes in the courts.
And so begins the Barkley Hill era… Crimony sakes, but when will it all end? Misdemeanor charges did not save Adam Robinson. I have to wonder if he will even report in the fall.
I believe ARob’s ultimate undo would’ve been academics, but the pot arrest the night before the Insight Bowl might’ve been too much to overcome.
I asked Hill about this when he signed. He talked about decisions. I like where his head is at.
Greg Garmon had a real opportunity to start and star as a freshman. That opportunity was there because of the misteps of those who came before him. He was well aware of this. I’d be shocked if his scholarship was not pulled. He’s too good to walk on and will end up elsewhere.
Looks like the satanic curse of the Iowa Running Back is starting early this year!
Some harsh comments on the board! A 19 year old kid is going to make mistakes. If he recognizes the education & NFL potential at Iowa, he is the only one that can steer this in the right direction.
Its very simple, if he wants to smoke the Mary Jane…then go to the SEC. It’s a simple slap on the wrist!
I truly don’t know where to begin here. I have had some thoughts about this @ Hawkeyenation, but there are some real hard line thoughts here….
One guy wants him booted to the curb and another guys gonna be real mad if he gets booted?! When did it become our decision? And as for this “it ain’t the SEC crap”…honestly I’ll wager 30% to 40% of the kids on the football team are smoking dope and/or drinking underage and that may be a very low number. When I went to school at ISU I did indeed smoke with a couple of their better football players. It’s happening guys and I mean a lot…..
Now I don’t condone it nor do I want my kids to do it and in fact I don’t even drink anymore. I’m not however ready to condemn the kid, nor am I willing just to say ho hum…it is a poor decision, but he is still 19. Sadly he’ll make more poor decisions just like we all will. But it’s clearly not the end of the world.
Chad
no disrespect Chad but you must not be into Iowa football like some of us. This is close to the end of the world when the Hawks have lost so many running backs in the last few years. Garmon had a real shot to shine here, now I’m not sure. Its just a shame that he did not respect Iowa and the coaches. So good luck to him where ever he ends up going to college at. I bet its not the U of Iowa
None taken, but I’m pretty sure you and I have dialogued before about the crappy way our fans have lambasted our coaches, and again with no disrespect intended there is little chance you are a bigger Iowa fan than me.
I imagine there are others, including Marc who would verify my passion for Iowa. And you and others thought Garmon would star because he was a 4-star recruit. We may still just as likley have that guy on the team and quite frankly he’ll still likley enroll.
Chad, since you went to ISU it automatically drops your Iowa fan status one notch…..sorry.
Sincerely,
Class 2002
The University of Iowa
Ha!
Fair enuff, but since I am 42 tom, and started going to Iowa games when I was 11, that leaves me many, many notches above you….
Anything else….
Chad
Too funny…all jokes Chad. Go Hawks! Glad you didn’t fall into the Cyclown trap.
Yours Truly,
Alumni Donor
Tippie School of Business
Ha!
Eh, we should just legalize it. It’d solve a lot of other, much larger problems than this but it would solve this too (other than the Operating issue, come on guys…). News flash: teenagers and college students smoke marijuana at a pretty high rate and have for the last 40? 50 years?
Still, it’s the nature of the system we live in currently. And given the issues the Hawkeyes have had (that, I agree, he has to be completely aware of) this is a very stupid decision. But, like others have said, 19 year olds are going to make stupid decisions. Even Ferentz has pointed out in the past that he expects these kinds of things are going to happen. I think it would be wrong to strip the kid of his scholarship for something like this, though it would be a good time to make it clear to him that our program is in a period where there is NO margin for error whatsoever and that if he wants to make the kind of decisions that are going to jeopardize his and the team’s success, he won’t be with the program much longer.
Lmao i read all of your comments and laugh. I went to gradeschool at st. Georges with greg, and you guys have the nerve to sit here and say take away his scholarship over marijuana possession?!?!? Grow up and stop being so conservative im 19 years old and know more about the kid than any of you could imagine. Hes a good kid at least hes not out there stealing, selling drugs, etc. he lives in one of the most strict states and i know this first hand because i live in erie pa where the cops have nothing better to do an on top of it he didnt know his dads car wasnt registered so stop talkin like you know what happened. You people make me sick making accusations like YOU have never done anything bad in your life.
I think that if this is his first contact with law enforcement, regarding this or any other illegal behavior, he should be allowed to keep his scholarship. If he meets all the requirements of the court. I think a kid of his age needs a second chance once and a while, considering that it was a small amount. I would give him a three game suspension and a curfew. I would have him on probation and monitor him closely, in all area’s including academics. I would make it clear to him that if any incident happen his enrollment at Iowa would be reviewed. After all he is no Allen Iverson!
did Garmon ever show up in Iowa City??