ATHENS – Georgia coach Kirby Smart was succinct and to the point when asked Monday about a player’s early-morning arrest on DUI charges over the weekend.
Freshman defensive end Bill Norton was jailed for that offense and two other misdemeanor charges on Sunday.
“Bill unfortunately made a very poor decision, a very poor choice in judgment, and he’s going to suffer the consequences for that,” Smart said during a press conference at the Bulldogs’ football complex. “I’m very disappointed in him. He’s knows that we don’t accept that behavior here at the University of Georgia and he’ll be punished accordingly.”
Typically, football players charged with DUI are suspended for two games. The athletic department’s student-athlete handbook categorizes DUIs as Level II violations of the UGA’s substance-abuse policy. Therefore, violators are subjected to future tests for alcolhol use, are required to attend alcohol and drug awareness classes and placed on probation for at least six months.
Norton, a 6-foot-6, 285-pounder from Memphis, was booked into Athens-Clarke County Jail at 4:25 a.m. Sunday on charges of DUI, underage possession of alcohol and failure to maintain lane/improper driving. He was released at 5:44 a.m. after posting bonds totaling $3,000, or $1,000 for each of the misdemeanor charges.
The arrest was executed by University of Georgia Police. An incident report was not immediately available but has been requested.
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