Groh removes Williams from program

Al Groh sent what could be construed as a strong message on Wednesday.
Virginia’s football coach dismissed linebacker J’Courtney Williams, a promising inside linebacker and redshirt freshman, from the program.
The move comes just two days after Williams was arrested and charged with credit card theft and credit card fraud by UVa police in relation to the March 10 theft of a fellow student’s wallet at the school’s Aquatics & Fitness Center.
Williams, 19, and another student allegedly used the victim’s credit card 19 times in a vending area of the Tuttle dormitory. The Danville product had been placed on probation earlier in the semester after a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession, according to court records in Albemarle County, and is due back in court in 2009 on that charge.
“J’Courtney’s time here has unfortunately been marked by issues which fall below the line of what is acceptable to us,” Groh said in a released statement. “Therefore, he will no longer be a member of our program.”
After the statement was issued, Groh was asked about the situation and his punishment during a mid-day teleconference.
“Any miscue that we have as to what’s expected, whether it is community issues or internal issues, we always address and reinforce immediately how we would hope the players have a pretty clear understanding of what the value system is and what we expect here,” Groh said. “But everybody in the organization is disturbed by one misstep. It just causes everybody to be that much more watchful.
“We have had two unfortunate incidents; you can’t go 100 percent on every pass that we throw or every kick that we make, but we are trying for 100 percent on those other issues.”
Groh was citing a pending legal matter with cornerback Mike Brown. The junior was arrested and charged with three felony counts, including grand larceny stemming from an incident on Feb. 6. A Virginia student reported that items worth more than $3,400 were taken from a parked car on campus.
Brown is slated to appear in Charlottesville General District Court on April 24, and although he has not practiced thus far this spring, he remains on the roster pending the outcome of his trial.
“We take allegations of this nature very seriously,” Groh said in a released statement after Brown’s arrest. “At this time we are currently gathering the facts. In view of the nature of the allegation, Mike Brown is not participating with the program at this time.”
Williams, a four-star recruit and one of the top in-state talents in the Class of 2008, was viewed as a potential safety until he arrived at training camp at 235 pounds.
The decision was quickly made to move Williams to inside linebacker, but his development was hindered by a shoulder injury that required surgery on Nov. 3, the day before Virginia hosted Wake Forest. Williams has since had surgery on his other shoulder.
In November, Williams told The Daily Progress that he envisioned himself on the field in some fashion as a true freshman had he been near 100 percent.
“If I am healthy, I am on the field and making plays,” Williams said. “In practice, everybody knows that I should be playing. They just told me to be patient.”
Williams admitted then that he was frustrated with his situation, but tried to monitor inside linebacker Jon Copper and desired to become a game-changing player on defense for the Cavaliers.
“You look at Chris Long … he is making a big difference,” Williams said. “And I am looking forward to doing the same thing.
“I want to carry the team on my back and help us win games.”
Without Williams in the fold, Groh indicated that sophomore John-Kevin Dolce, previously a reserve outside linebacker, had joined John Bivens, Darren Childs and Terrence Fells-Danzer in taking reps behind expected starters Antonio Appleby on the depth chart.
Dolce, a three-star recruit, was an inside linebacker in high school and could flourish from the move.
“I’d say if it was a great fit to this point [at outside linebacker] then obviously [Dolce] would have seen more playing time,” Groh said.
Attempts to reach Williams were unsuccessful. It remains unclear where Williams will land, but Kentucky, Louisville and Mississippi State were among the leading teams outside the ACC during his original recruitment from Christchurch High.