Georgia Tech purged three players from its roster Tuesday, dismissing Anthony Autry, Darius Commissiong and Travin Henry for violations of the athletic association’s student-athlete code of conduct.
Autry, a wide receiver, and Commissiong, a defensive lineman, already were suspended for the first two games of the season. Henry, a defensive end who previously played wide receiver, was suspended for the first game of last season.
Cornerback Lynn Griffin, who finished spring practice as a projected starter, also was suspended for the first two games of the season.
From his Twitter account, Griffin wrote, “Everyone makes mistakes. It’s what we do to recover that defines our character.”
Coach Paul Johnson did not respond to a message seeking comment. The dismissals came a day after Johnson spoke at the ACC Kickoff event in Greensboro, N.C. On the whole, he sounded hopeful about the team and the overall character of his players.
“I think anytime that there’s that consistency there (with the coaching staff) and the consistency with the way you do things, they understand what’s acceptable and what’s not,” he said. “The guys that are going to adhere to it, adhere to it, and the guys that don’t, won’t. That’s just the nature of it.”
On his Twitter account, defensive coordinator Ted Roof wrote, “As a leader you must make the decision regarding what you will tolerate versus what you will confront.” He ended the tweet with the hashtag “#standforwhatisright.”
From a playing standpoint, the three dismissals are not particularly damaging. None was on the two-deep depth chart coming out of spring practice. Autry probably was the most promising of the three. He started three games as a freshman in 2012 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Johnson gave an update on Autry’s health Monday, suggesting that he was not made aware of his violation until after his return from Greensboro.
Autry’s dismissal does create the possibility of a side effect with his younger brother Myles, who signed with Tech in February, but has yet to receive his eligibility from the NCAA clearinghouse. Reached via text message, Myles Autry said that he was re-considering attending Tech but wasn’t sure. He added that if he is meant to be at Tech, “God will place me there.”
The younger Autry was perhaps the prize signee in Tech’s 2014 class, turning down offers from Florida State and Georgia, among many suitors, to become a Yellow Jacket. The former Norcross High star said the chance to play with his brother was a significant reason for his choice.
The three dismissals may complete a considerable turnover of players who had eligibility remaining following last season. Quarterbacks Vad Lee (transfer) and Ty Griffin (transfer), B-back Travis Custis (transfer following academic issues), defensive linemen Anthony Williams (transfer after non-renewal of scholarship and graduation), Kevin Robbins (transfer), Justin Akins (left team) and Jimmie Kitchen (expected to transfer after suspension) and offensive lineman Morgan Bailey (transfer after graduation), a total of eight scholarship players, will be elsewhere this fall. That doesn’t include defensive end Jabari Hunt-Days, who is academically ineligible and had his scholarship rescinded, or offensive tackle Chase Roberts, whose career has ended after being medically disqualified due to prolonged concussion symptoms.
