Another criminal leaving USC

[Master Capper]

Wright Leaves USC Program
The cornerback was facing possible suspension or expulsion for his role in an alleged incident. Carroll agrees with the decision.

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer


USC cornerback Eric Wright, who faced possible suspension or expulsion from school for his role in an alleged incident that occurred in late March, has withdrawn from classes and will seek to continue his career elsewhere, Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday.

"He came to the conclusion it's the right thing to do, and I agree," Carroll said.

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Wright, 19, was scheduled to meet with school disciplinary officials June 15. He had been suspended from the team since he was arrested on suspicion of rape March 26.

In April, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined to file sex or drug-related charges against Wright because of insufficient evidence. According to documents released by the district attorney, 136 pills of the drug Ecstasy were found in Wright's room at an apartment he shared with another USC player near campus.

Wright, a redshirt sophomore from San Francisco, started the final four games last season. He intercepted a pass in USC's victory over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

According to USC's website, "use, possession or dissemination of illegal drugs or drug-related paraphernalia in the university community or at university-sponsored activities" is a violation of the school's policy on alcohol and other drugs. Suspension and expulsion are among the possible punishments.

Wright's attorney, Carmen Trutanich, said Wednesday that a statement by Michael L. Jackson, USC's vice president of student affairs, influenced Wright's decision to leave USC.

On the day that the district attorney declined to file charges, Jackson said in a statement that USC's "standard of proof is different from the criminal courts. If what is alleged to have taken place occurred and is proven according to USC's standard, Mr. Wright faces serious consequences for his actions."

Trutanich said, "In light of the statement issued early on in this matter it became clear it might be best for him to pursue other opportunities."

Wright said last week that he was not considering leaving USC. "There's no doubt in anybody's mind ? this is where I want to be," he said.

But Carroll said he spoke with Wright several times in the last few days before Wright decided to move on.

Wright could not be reached for comment.

Trutanich said Wright has been in contact with other schools and hopes to continue his career at a Division I program. If he transferred to another NCAA school, Wright would have to sit out a season before he would be eligible.


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Carroll is expected to meet today with quarterback Rocky Hinds, who is considering transferring. Hinds, a redshirt sophomore, finished spring practice listed third on the depth chart behind senior Matt Leinart and redshirt sophomore John David Booty?. USC's home opener against Arkansas on Sept. 17 and the Trojans' Nov. 19 nonconference game against Fresno State will start at 7:15 p.m. and will be televised by FSN West.

 

[THE KOD]

USC = thugs and criminals

 

[Scott4USC]

Eric Wright is not a criminal as wrongly stated in this thread.

USC kicks him off the team and you put down USC? I wonder how many colleges would have kept Wright on there team? Thanks for the laugh! :mj07:

He is looking to transfer to Miami, Florida St. or Kansas St. Says a lot about those schools!

 

[SALTY DOG]

The criminals are leaving because they are scared
shitless...have YOU ever lived in south central
LA.... :scared

 

[THE KOD]

He is looking to transfer to Miami, Florida St. or Kansas St. Says a lot about those schools!

.......................................................

Scott4

says alot about who had his thug ass first.

USC = thugs, rapists, thieves

Your supposed to get character when you recruit.
Instead Carrol says...... yeh he is a thug but lets take a chance.

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

He wasn't kicked off the team, Scott, he "decided to move on."

This team makes Miami of the 90's look like Yale.

Good Luck getting the JC recruits to make grades. Something tells me they'll be able to pull C's.

What price glory?

 

[Coug LJ]

Most, if not all the big schools, take in questionable athletes. Look at all the trouble Ohio State has had and what about the thug Oklahoma had to kick off the team and now is reinstating? Think about Tom Osborne and Nebraska. Miami and Florida State go without saying.

USC has a very good academic reputation, but they take athletes who wouldn't have a prayer of getting into the school. They took a couple of local basketball players from around where I live who would have trouble at ANY college.

The problem that a school like USC or Ohio State have is "rouge" football players are beginning to be the story. Greater scrutiny is now on the program and the school is getting a reputation. More difficult to keep things under the rug.

USC has had to let go of some very good football players and have a number more who are having academic problems. Most of these great programs rot from within. Pete Carroll is great with the public relations, but bad news is getting out. More than any other college football program USC can sustain hits, but sooner or later it starts taking a toll.

 

[Master Capper]

Good comparison of USC to Miami by BBC, both teams utilized players of questionable backgrounds to rise to the top and both were able to navigate through conference's that were very middle to bottom heavy. If you look at how USC in general only has one conference game that is a 50/50 game with Cal, as this is very similiar Miami only having to beat VT in the old Big East.

Only Scott4usc would state that a rapist is not a criminal simply because the DA would not prosecute Wright. After what the police found in Wright's apartment does this sound like a guy that you would want around your sister or mother?


The district attorney?s office said 136 pills of the drug Ecstasy were found in Wright?s room at an apartment he shared with another player near campus.

 

[Master Capper]

Coug Lj,

You are correct that OSU is another program of thugs and hoodlums, both Tressel and Carroll need to be held more accountable for the kid's they bring into their programs. Living in Ohio it's getting old hearing Tressel constantly trying to act as though he has no idea of what these kid's are doing, as this is the same guy that when he was head coach at YSU was put on probation for the same stuff that has Troy Smith suspended. It's pretty tough to get put on probation in Div 1-AA but Tressel managed to do it while at YSU!

 

[Coug LJ]

MasterCapper:

You know that could be taken as treason in Ohio! I've discussed this issue with Ohio State fans and their heads are completely in the sand. The NCAA investigation was a joke. Maurice Clarrett gave them a map and dead bodies and they still could not come up with anything. The NCAA said he declined to be interviewed, but he gave names and dates to ESPN.

Tressel walks on water for most Ohio State fans. As you correctly point out, he had a dirty program at Youngstown State. Ohio State Football makes too much money and is too powerful to go on probation. The NCAA nabbed girl basketball players for getting free dental care, but football players getting paid is a non-issue.

USC has had a great run and has stayed pretty much out of trouble. Pete Carroll is bigger than the Pope at SC. To their credit, the are jettisoning some damn good players. If LenDale White goes down, then the ship will really have sprung a leak.

 

[The Judge]

Eric Wright is not a criminal as wrongly stated in this thread.

Wright was arrested March 26 at a campus apartment by officers investigating reports of an assault. He was booked for investigation of rape and posted $100,000 bail.

The district attorney's office said 136 pills of the drug Ecstasy were found in Wright's room at an apartment he shared with another player near campus.

While Scott is technically correct in saying that "Eric Wright is not a criminal" since the DA declined to press charges, it would seem that he is certainly a person of questionable character. Suspision of rape and posession of a controlled substance are serious offenses. I would also be interested in learning where he came up with the $100,000.00 bail money.

 

[Master Capper]

What has to happen is that the program as a whole has to be made accountable for the actions of their student athletes. If a head coach makes a decision to pursue a high risk athlete in order to better his team then the program should be accountable for when this high risk athlete commits a criminal act, as they should lose scholarships each time a athlete is arrested for a serious crime. The Presidents of these schools stress that a playoff system would hurt academics and so they should be in agreement that criminal acts also hurt academics. As far as Clarrett, don't be mistaken that Tressel was under any grand illusion that Clarett was not a bad seed, Mo's track record dating back to junior high was littered with problems. The problem with the investigation was that Clarett refused to cooperate when the NCAA actually got down to looking at the program, as to if he was telling the truth or lying we will never know, but this article on Tressel is a interesting read http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1920867!

 

[Scott4USC]

Good comparison of USC to Miami by BBC, both teams utilized players of questionable backgrounds to rise to the top

:nono:

If you are going to accuse USC of recruiting questionable players, please share with us WHO THOSE PLAYERS WERE? Eric Wright had clean history prior to entering USC. You are making yourself look foolish and biased accusing USC of recruiting questionable players. They didn't. Miami has and still does. USC has not. Name one USC recruit with a bad background prior to coming to USC? You accused USC of it, so you must have at least one example. I can name multiple examples where USC passed on recruits with questionable history or STOPPED recruiting player who got in trouble with law during recruitment. You are making false accusations! :nono:

Only Scott4usc would state that a rapist is not a criminal simply because the DA would not prosecute Wright. After what the police found in Wright's apartment does this sound like a guy that you would want around your sister or mother?

Wright is not a criminal. That is a fact! USC has there own law and doesn't care if player is innocent in court of law. Wright was going to be expelled and Carroll told him his best decision is to leave NOW so he only has to sit one year and get his life together. USC was not going to make a decision until late summer and that decision was going to be expulsion. Instead of praising USC and Pete Carroll, you wrongly slam them. :mj07: What a joke!

He wasn't kicked off the team, Scott, he "decided to move on."

This team makes Miami of the 90's look like Yale.

Good Luck getting the JC recruits to make grades. Something tells me they'll be able to pull C's.

What price glory?

Wright was going to meet with USC but Carroll has private meeting with him and told him to leave USC and he would not have being expelled on his record. There was NO WAY USC was going to let him back and Carroll did not want him on his team after incident. Making him an example to everyone. Wright was the #1 DB on team and he was kicked off and Carroll wanted him out. Your comments along with MC's are complete joke and show your bias against USC. Neither of you make sense. Neither of you provide any substance to back up your opinion.

You say USC would get those recruits in with grades? Thats funny. USC sat out there #1 WR last year all year because of grades. USC just kicked out there #3 RB for year because of grades. They sat out there #1 TE and #1 RB because of grades from spring practice. Unfortunately, there are a lot of examples where players cannot cut it academically at USC and can't get in academically to USC from high school. USC uses higher NCAA min. requirement. Yet you think USC is Miami of the 90's. :mj07: Instead of slamming USC, you should praise them for being tough academically and not allowing players who get in trouble stay on team.

This thread has become very comical. I guess when a team is on top, people start "reaching" to try and take them down. :violin:

While Scott is technically correct in saying that "Eric Wright is not a criminal" since the DA declined to press charges, it would seem that he is certainly a person of questionable character. Suspision of rape and posession of a controlled substance are serious offenses. I would also be interested in learning where he came up with the $100,000.00 bail money.

Eric Wright would be still playing for most Div. 1 schools. USC kicked him out. Carroll told him to leave NOW vs appealing. Carroll said there was no chance in him coming back (Wright still had not met with his attorney and USC board). It was best for both parties for Wright to leave now and he did. His decision to leave came the same day he met with Carroll in his office.

 

[THE KOD]

: Instead of slamming USC, you should praise them for being tough academically and not allowing players who get in trouble stay on team.
..............................................................

USC is not tough on players academically. If we could list the courses they were taking and the profs passing the star athletes it would be a joke.
Nothing changes.

Thugs and criminals I say.




Eric Wright would be still playing for most Div. 1 schools. USC kicked him out. Carroll told him to leave NOW vs appealing.
.......................................................

your just stupid

 

[BobbyBlueChip]

What is comical about the thread is the "but we suspend all of our rapists and drug dealers" defense.

What is it about the program that turns these kids into felony suspects if they have no history of these problems in the past? Either Carroll's recruiting questionable players or the program that he runs turns good kids into felons. Take your pick.

Nobody's "reaching"; we're just "reading" news stories

 

[THE KOD]

If you are going to accuse USC of recruiting questionable players, please share with us WHO THOSE PLAYERS WERE?.

...........................................................

OJ Simpson

 

[Master Capper]

Todd Marinivich

 

[Master Capper]

Charlie White

 

[Master Capper]

Rodney Peete

 

[Master Capper]

Mike Patterson