Georgia Football Players Charged with Felonies for Shooting BB Gun in Their Dorm Room
By Kyle Koster
Georgia freshman football players Julian Rochester and Chad Clay are each accused of two felonies relating to having a BB gun on campus. Both players are charged with possessing a weapon in a school zone and criminal damage in the second degree.
Rochester and Clay are early enrollees and share an address. In a statement, Coach Kirby Smart said he was disappointed in their judgement.
The severity of the charges may not accurately reflect the public danger.
"According to Athens attorney Kim Stephens, the players apparently were shooting solo cups in their dorm room with a BB gun, which left marks on the door and in other areas of the room. The way the statute reads, anything that shoots a projectile — “including a straw and spitball” — fits the definition of a weapon on campus. “Every kid eating with a steak knife in the campus dining hall commits a felony under the statute,” Stephens said."
Spitballs! A true public scourge.
Rochester, a lineman, was expected to contribute immediately. Cornerback Clay was seen as a contender to crack the secondary rotation.