UGA linebacker remains eligible as school investigates him

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By Chip Towers

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS -- Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones remains eligible and continues to work out with the team while the school investigates allegations that he and prospective Bulldogs basketball player Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received improper benefits from a Columbus parks and recreation official.

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UGA is investigating allegations that Jarvis Jones (above) received improper benefits from a Columbus parks and recreation official.

Jason Getz, jgetz@ajc.com UGA is investigating allegations that Jarvis Jones (above) received improper benefits from a Columbus parks and recreation official.

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Jones, a sophomore from Columbus and USC transfer, has been pegged to start at strongside outside linebacker. However, he still could be ruled ineligible, requiring Georgia to apply for his reinstatement prior to the start of the season.

"That has not happened and we're really not even sure yet if that has to happen," Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said Monday. "We're still looking into it."

The athletes have been linked to Tony Adams, who lost his Columbus parks and recreation job following a police investigation into an alleged misuse of finds. Adams had ties to a local AAU basketball team that involved Jones and Caldwell-Pope.

Adams allegedly paid for four airline flights for Jones to and from Los Angeles in 2009 when the latter attended USC. Jones later transferred to Georgia and sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules.

Adams reportedly provided cell phone service for Caldwell-Pope's mother.

McGarity said he couldn't comment on any specifics of Georgia's investigation.

"I would say that we're doing our due diligence internally to sort through everything," McGarity said. "At some point in time we'll have some sort of communication with the SEC and the NCAA on the entire situation. So much of this right now is verbal. We're obviously having conversations, but there's nothing to report right now."

To rule an athlete ineligible and apply for that person's reinstatement has become standard operating procedure for schools facing NCAA eligibility questions. Georgia did this last summer soon after it was made aware that All-America wide receiver A.J. Green sold a bowl jersey to an individual with alleged ties to an agent. Georgia declared Green ineligible for the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette. It was determined later that he'd also have to miss the next three games.

Demaryius Thomas or Morgan Burnett continued to play for Georgia Tech's football team when facing eligibility questions in 2009 and that seems to have contributed to harsh penalties handed down by the NCAA last week. The Yellow Jackets were placed on four years probation and vacated their ACC title because they had played ineligible players in the final three games of the season.

For now, Georgia will prepare for a nationally TV game against Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Sept. 3 in the Georgia Dome in anticipation that Jones will be able to participate.

“It’s no different than a guy being injured in the sense that you don’t know when a guy is going to be injured,” Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “We’re obviously going to prepare at every position as if the guy that’s the first-team guy is the player. And then if he goes down, who’s the next guy?"