Three incoming UCLA freshmen football players facing felony theft charges for stealing another student's purse, of all things, have been summarily booted from the team by Rick Neuheisel. Their coach will not, however, necessarily be depriving them of a college education:
Paul Richardson, Shaquille Richardson and Josh Shirley will not be allowed to continue summer school and will not be permitted to enroll at UCLA for Fall Quarter. If they meet certain requirements set by Neuheisel, they may be allowed to enroll in January.
SB Nation's UCLA community reacts:
[This] is a pitch-perfect, appropriate and measured response. It is appropriate because it takes away from these three young adults (they are just not kids any more) one of the things they probably cherish most at this point of their lives: the privilege to play football on a scholarship at the greatest university (at least in our minds) in the country. It sends a message to these guys and rest of the team that representing those four letters is not something they are entitled to because of their God given talents. It's a privilege.
The response is also measured because it gives them an opportunity to come back to UCLA, provided they show in tangible ways they have learned from their mistakes and are worthy of being Bruins.
[...]
We hope these guys learn from their terrible mistakes even if they don't end up making their way back to Westwood.
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