When Urban Meyer returns to the United States, he is not going to be happy.
See, Meyer is one of those guys who likes to give players second chances. He likes to give them a chance to redeem themselves. The opportunity is filled with punishment, including extra sprints and lifts, but if the player makes it through, all sides feel happy and redeemed. On the whole, it's not a bad policy - everyone is human, after all.
But as my parents always said, there are some mistakes you just can't make.
And if the allegations against offensive lineman Carl Johnson are true, then the rising junior has committed one of those unacceptable lapses in judgment.
Meyer will have no choice. Johnson must be kicked off the team.
To be clear, I firmly believe in the mantra of "innocent until proven guilty". But if Johnson's ex-girlfriend's claims are true, he deserves all the punishment coming to him.
And this will prove to be Meyer's latest test of keeping his team full of "high-character" guys.
The claims made by Johnson's ex-girlfriend are fall-out-of-your-chair shocking.
The 6-foot-6, 345-pound Johnson is accused of date raping an ex-girlfriend three times. According to a restraining order filed by the ex-girlfriend, his No. 1 goal in life is to kill someone, and later in the report the girlfriend writes that he said he wouldn't care about going to jail for such behavior.
This is serious stuff.
It is also the Gators' fourth arrest in the past 10 months. The other three are no longer with the team.
Former safety Jamar Hornsby was charged with felony credit card fraud, kicked off the team, made a plea deal for probation and fines and will play for Mississippi in the fall.
Former cornerback Jacques Rickerson was arrested on charges of felony battery and booted from the Gators.
Former quarterback Cam Newton was accused of stealing a student's laptop and has since transferred to a Texas junior college, Blinn College.
While Meyer did what was necessary, it needs to be recognized that the departure of those three players hardly made an impact on the team. Each was easily replaceable.
Johnson would not be a similar case. UF lost two starting offensive linemen due to graduation (Phil Trautwein, Jason Watkins). Johnson filled in for injured senior Jim Tartt at left guard and started eight games last season.
But that is no excuse for Meyer to go any easier on him if the allegations prove true. Meyer's credibility will take a severe blow if he were to let Johnson slide after such terrible actions.
The right choices aren't always obvious. This one is.
