Why was former Alabama Offensive Lineman Damieon George Jr. suspended?
Damieon George Jr., an offensive lineman for the Florida Gators, has been suspended.
George Jr. was part of the fight with Tennessee Volunteers players at the end of Florida's blowout win. George Jr., fellow offensive lineman Micah Mazzccua, and tight end Dante Zanders were all part of the altercation for the Gators.
Now, following the incident, it was announced that George Jr., Mazzccua, and Zanders will all be suspended for the first half of Florida's Week 4 game against the Charlotte 49ers.
Gators head coach Billy Napier said after the game that he was disappointed in his players' inability to control their tempers.
“It's not just Micah. We got staff members that probably need to be disciplined as well. I think ultimately that's a teachable moment. It's an opportunity for us to talk about composure and poise, ego, temper.”
The Gators ended up beating the Volunteers 29-16 at home in an upset win.
What did Florida offensive lineman Damieon George Jr. do?
Damieon George Jr. got to the defense of his quarterback, Graham Mertz. With seven seconds left in the fourth quarterback, Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel called a timeout even though Tennessee couldn't come back in the game.
On the very next play, Volunteers lineman Omari Thomas hit Mertz attempting a delayed quarterback kneel. The hit led to a scrum on the Gators sideline which George Jr., Mazzccua, and Zanders were in the middle of.
Damieon George Jr.'s college career
Damieon George Jr. was ranked as a four-star offensive tackle coming out of high school. He was rated 30th among offensive lineman on 24/7 and 41st-rated tackle by Rivals.com.
The lineman from Houston, Texas had offers from Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas, but decided to commit to the Crimson Tide.
In his rookie season, George Jr. appeared in three games and followed that up by playing in 12 games with three starts at right tackle in his sophomore year. After returning to a reserve tackle role in 2022, George Jr. transferred to Florida for the 2023 season.
Damieon George Jr. is currently the Florida Gators' starting right tackle as he has started all three games.