[ad_1]
Hurricanes receiver Jeff Thomas is no longer part of the Hurricanes football program, school announced Wednesday afternoon.
The Miami announcement came a few hours after the receiver missed his second consecutive training session as rumors circulated about his status on the team.
"We have high standards of excellence, leadership and team commitment for all the young men who wear our uniform and we will not stray from those standards," said the Hurricanes coach Mark Richt in a statement. "We wish Jeff the best of success as he moves forward on his journey."
Thomas, a sophomore, was not seen in the field during the Wednesday morning media training session. A spokesman for UM said at the time that the sophomore was still a member of the football team, was still in Miami at the time and was not in training for personal reasons.
A few hours later, all of this changed as a result of some frictions reported with Hurricane coaching staff.
Thomas, who led the Hurricanes with 35 catches for 563 yards and three touchdowns, did not start Saturday at Virginia Tech, while WQAM-560 reported the receiver had a "hard love" lesson from coach Mark Richt.
Thomas scored in Miami's 38-14 final victory and delivered one of the most dynamic games in the game, a 51-yard punt return that was touched. He finished the day with 110 total yards at his maximum.
On Wednesday, hurricane quarterback N'Kosi Perry said he had recently spoken with Thomas, but declined to comment on their discussions. The coordinator of the Miami offensive, Thomas Brown, also declined to share information about conversations that he might have had or contemplated having with Thomas.
"We'll take care of it internally," Brown said. "I will not make a public comment about it. I will say everything I tell him off camera. "
What Perry and Brown wanted to discuss was the importance of Thomas for the Miami offense, even though he had a difficult season that included limited touches and a fright against the state of Florida.
In this match, Thomas was pulled by the face mask and injured his knee. Since then, the fast electric receiver has seen its numbers decline. Thomas scored one goal for five yards against Virginia, four for 31 yards against Boston College and four for 15 yards against Duke. He had six catches for a top-scoring 84-yard match against Georgia Tech, but groped when returning from a punt deep in Miami territory. The Yellow Jackets scored four times later in a 27-21 win over Georgia Tech.
"Very important," Brown replied Wednesday when asked what role Thomas played in the offense. "All our guys are important. So we love the guys who are here and we will go ahead and get ready to win this football game. "
Perry added, "He's part of the team. He is an excellent player and I can not wait until he is here. "
However, when asked if he was expecting Thomas to return in a short time, Perry replied, "You have to ask the coaches."
Richt did not speak to reporters on Wednesday and is not expected to speak publicly again until Saturday's game against new Coastal Division champion Pittsburgh.
His statement was published late in the afternoon.
If Thomas was not happy with the end of his season or a discipline imposed by Richt or any other Miami staff member, his dissatisfaction would be the latest in a series of off-road problems which the Hurricanes have faced during their career. tumultuous season 6-5.
Three of the four quarters of Miami have been suspended this year, the latest being the first rookie, Jarren Williams, who did not travel for the game at Virginia Tech. Linebacker Mike Pinckney was also suspended last week. He posted a social media post to apologize to teammates and fans after taking an unauthorized pain medication.
On the field, the Hurricanes also suffered the loss of former outstanding receiver Ahmmon Richards, who suffered a neck injury late in his career and has not played since losing to LSU in Miami.
There is also the possibility that many other young gaming leaders are not happy, Perry acknowledged Wednesday. But the quarterback, who has himself suffered a suspension this year and alternated his departures with veteran Malik Rosier, said he had tried to provide encouragement.
"For freshmen, I really tell them how I was last year. I did not play one, "said Perry. "Some freshmen are playing, maybe not happy, but you're playing as freshmen. You should be very proud.
Do you like canes? Like our UM Facebook page to keep you up-to-date with the latest news »
[email protected]; On Twitter @ChristyChirinos.
[ad_2]
Source link
