The Red and Black

Issue date: 6/4/09 Section: News

BRUCE FIGGINS [Click to enlarge]

Two University football players were suspended for a type of celebration outside the end zone.

Junior tight end Bruce Figgins and sophomore defensive end Justin Houston incurred suspensions for violating team rules related to the University's substance abuse policy, according to an ESPN.com report. Figgins will be suspended for six games, and Houston will be suspended for two games.

Associate Athletic Director Claude Felton said he was unsure of the exact reasons for the players' suspensions, citing only a violation of team rules.

Both Figgins', who was suspended in the past for violation of substance abuse policy, and Houston's suspensions are consistent with regulations for substance abuse policy violations.

Both players refused to comment on the suspensions.

"Some policies are an automatic suspension for a certain period of time," Felton said. "The coach has the discretion to increase the punishment."

"I'm very disappointed in the poor judgment of these players," head coach Mark Richt said. "They'll have to pay an appropriate price and I'm confident they will learn an important lesson from their mistake."

Felton said he sees a silver lining to the suspensions.

"Any time you have players that you're not going to have for one game or two games or more games, it provides an opportunity for somebody else to see what they can do," he said in a phone interview. "You'd rather not ever lose a player. Those things just do happen."

Junior wide receiver Tony Wilson also received a two-game suspension, but has already been medically disqualified due to slow recovery from a severe ankle injury last spring, the latest of many injuries Wilson has sustained.

Felton said University athletes are subject to drug tests for a wide range of substances and must attend drug and alcohol awareness classes.

One such program, CHOICES, aims to help student-athletes make informed decisions about alcohol.

The program, which began in 2006, is mandatory for all first-year student-athletes.

According to Erin English, coordinator of the University's Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention program, 787 student-athletes have participated in the program.

English told The Red & Black the program was having a measurable effect. According to program evaluations, over 75 percent of participants planned to change their alcohol-related behavior.

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