Here is the story By CHRIS LOW Staff Writer KNOXVILLE — His face still numb from a punch he never saw coming, Edward Goodrich wanted to trust in the system. The Lewisburg native wanted to believe that Tennessee defensive tackle Tony McDaniel would be punished appropriately for caving in the right side of Goodrich’s face on Jan. 12 during a pickup basketball game on campus. When Goodrich learned Thursday that McDaniel would be back on the field this fall with a two-game suspension, he felt betrayed. “He got off easy,” said Goodrich, who goes by Deshaun. “I at least thought he would be suspended for the whole fall semester. Anybody other than a football player who did what he did to me would have been, maybe even longer. It’s hard to understand.” Goodrich’s mother, Carolyn, said she understands unequivocally and that the message is loud and clear. “It’s almost like they’re breeding these guys,” she said, adding that nobody from UT’s football program had called to apologize. “They can do whatever they want to do and not be seriously disciplined because they play football. “Despite all he went through, Deshaun graduated in May. But frankly, I’m sorry he ever went to the University of Tennessee. I’ve lost respect for the school, and in my opinion, the whole thing wasn’t handled like it should have been handled.” McDaniel, charged with felony aggravated assault, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault Thursday in Knox County Criminal Court. Goodrich, 26, said he could see how the criminal charge was reduced, especially since McDaniel had no prior record. But what was most disturbing to the entire Goodrich family was seeing McDaniel suspended retroactively by UT for the summer session of school. “How do you suspend somebody retroactively?” Carolyn said. “That’s a joke.” As part of McDaniel’s plea, he will have to make restitution to Goodrich, who’s still compiling his medical bills. McDaniel was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail, but was placed on immediate probation and isn’t expected to serve any jail time. Goodrich, who worked his way through school and used student loans, plans to file a civil suit against the 6-foot-7, 300-pound McDaniel, who told the judge he wanted to apologize to Goodrich had he been in court Thursday. However, Goodrich said he was never officially notified of the court date change. It was originally scheduled for Aug. 16, but moved up to Thursday after McDaniel’s attorney, Don Bosch, and the Knox County attorney general reached a resolution in the case. Goodrich called several times to see if he needed to be in court last week, but said he never got an answer. He said nobody ever discussed a deal with him and that he learned of McDaniel’s fate through the media. “I didn’t want to see his career ruined or see him kicked off the team for good,” Goodrich said. “But I missed a lot of class and suffered that whole semester. I felt like he should serve the same punishment.” The 6-4, 200-pound Goodrich isn’t sure the right side of his face will ever be the same. The punch fractured four bones, and he had to have a metal plate permanently inserted to repair his cheekbone. Two eye socket bones and a sinus cavity were also fractured. According to Goodrich, doctors told him he could have been killed had the punch landed a few inches higher because it was so close to his temple. The incident was caught on a video surveillance tape at UT’s recreation center, and Goodrich has seen the tape. He said several other football players were also playing in the game and that some of them were milling around laughing following the punch and while he lay unconscious on the court. “I didn’t know what had happened until I woke up,” Goodrich said. “I thought I’d caught an elbow. I wasn’t even guarding (McDaniel). I came over to help out when he drove, and there was a little bit of contact. The next thing I know, I’m out.” Goodrich said McDaniel was growing increasingly agitated during the game over being fouled and proclaimed that he was going to “lay out” the next person who fouled him. Goodrich said it was primarily other football players fouling him. “I’m not sure that I touched him the whole game,” Goodrich said. “Even on the play where he punched me, there were a bunch of guys around him.” Goodrich said the tape showed McDaniel falling to the floor and then getting up in one motion and striking Goodrich on the right side of his face. “(McDaniel) is lucky he wasn’t charged with something worse,” Carolyn said. “He told everyone he was going to lay out the next person who touched him. To me, that’s premeditated. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. He knew what he wanted to do. He just didn’t know who he was going to do it to. “I’m just thankful there was a video of it. If not, I truly feel he wouldn’t have got what he did and they would have swept it completely under the rug and sent him right back out to the football field.”
I can't understand that. I guess just trying to be "cool". Moderators, I see FT posted this story earlier. Any way to merge the threads together?
Certainly have to side with the kid's mother when she said it was a "joke" (the 2-game suspension) and I agree with them when they said it would have been worse (the punishment) if it had been anyone else... :dis:
Fulmer knows that the Vols D line is very thin in the first place. Self preservation before ethics. Fulmer's priorities are very clear.
That's why when it is a matter that the police gets involved in, the NCAA should take off their skirt and punish the player themselves... It is like that in the pros, and it works:
Why the hell didn't anyone at least check on him, it was a full 3 minutes before anyone bent down near him... the rest just sat there all thug like... ****ing guy should be kicked out of UT and go to jail. They could have gone after him for assault with a deadly weapon... i hope LSU never has any characters like this... even if it was Perrilous and JeMarcus and Flynn were injured and it was the Rose Bowl, i would say kick him off the team.