ATHENS — Javon Bullard likely won’t play Saturday against Missouri after his Sunday arrest on DUI charges.
That’s according to UGA’s existing conduct policy for student-athletes, which calls for an automatic suspension pending review of the athletic department’s “Comprehensive Action Plan” committee. However, Georgia coach Kirby Smart was noncommittal Monday when asked about Bullard’s status during his weekly news conference to discuss the upcoming opponent. Top-ranked Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC) plays Missouri (2-2, 0-2) on Saturday in Columbia.
“I issued a statement yesterday,” Smart said. “Disappointed in Javon. Hate it for him. He comes from a wonderful family but made poor decisions, and it will be dealt with internally.”
Asked to expound, Smart said: “We have a process here we go through here internally. There’s a committee he goes in front of with the athletic director and (other administrators), and that’s what I mean it will be handled internally with us. There’s still a lot in the air there.”
According to the arrest report, provided Monday morning by UGA Police in response to a records request from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bullard was pulled over on River Road in Athens at 2:54 a.m. Sunday. UGA Officer John Morris reported that he had observed Bullard’s 2000 Lexus driving on Thomas Street without headlights on and that he could see the glowing light of Bullard’s cellphone on the side of his head.
Police reported that Bullard was unsteady on his feet, that he admitted to consuming “two shots” of alcohol earlier in the evening and that he failed a field sobriety test conducted on the side of River Road. He was handcuffed and transported to the UGA Police Department, where he was administered a Breathalyzer test. He blew a 0.148 and 0.143, police said. That’s nearly twice the legal limit.
Bullard was booked at 4:57 a.m. for DUI, underage consumption and five misdemeanor driving offenses. He posted a $4,250 bond and was released at 8:30 a.m.
The comprehensive action committee consists of UGA’s senior athletic administrators and faculty athletics representative. They are charged with reviewing the circumstances of an athlete’s arrest and forwarding a recommendation to athletic director Josh Brooks. According to Georgia’s student-athlete handbook, DUI charges can result in dismissal, suspension, a reduction of aid or cancellation of aid. In the past, UGA athletes have been suspended at least one game.
Bullard, 20, is a sophomore from Milledgeville. He started three of the first four games this season in the defensive backfield. He plays the star, a fifth defensive back position in the secondary. Bullard had three tackles in the Bulldogs’ 39-22 win over Kent State at Sanford Stadium on Saturday afternoon. For the season, he has seven tackles and one pass breakup.
Georgia already lost another frontline player at that position earlier this season in sixth-year senior William Poole. That leaves junior Tykee Smith and freshmen Marcus Washington and Darris Smith to step up if Bullard is sidelined in the coming weeks.
