Cornerback Adonis Alexander and defensive end Houshun Gaines have been suspended indefinitely by head coach Justin Fuente. The two players were issued a summons on Sunday, April 24.
Alexander was charged with possession of marijuana. Gaines was charged with possession of marijuana and underage purchase/possession of alcohol. They are set to appear in court on June 27 at 8:30am.
Both players have been removed from the HokieSports.com roster.
Alexander, a true sophomore, was slated to start at boundary corner for the Hokies this fall. He started eight games at safety and cornerback last year and intercepted four passes. Gaines is a r-freshman who backs up Vinny Mihota at left end. He started Saturday’s Spring Game with Mihota out and finished with two sacks.
Per Virginia Tech’s drug policy…
Students found responsible for possessing, using, manufacturing, possessing with intent to manufacture, selling, dispensing, or distributing any illegal drug or substance controlled under state or federal law will face serious disciplinary action that will likely result in suspension or dismissal from the university for a first offense
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I will pray for those young men and their families for I am sure they are going through a rough time. I hope another door opens for them and that they can bounce back.
MAROON AVENGER, BECAUSE OTHERS DO STUPID THINGS, DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT.
NET,NET ITS A POLICY RULE, A CULTURE COMPONENT, CAN NOT BUILD ANY ORGANIZATION, WHETHER TEAM, COMPANY, UNIVERSITY, UNLESS THERE IS TOTAL COMPLIANCE. VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE, MUST HOWEVER, FIGHT LIKE CRAZY TO SUSTAIN THE ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE REQUIRED PARAMETERS. A MAJOR PROBLEM IN AMERICA TODAY IS WE HAVE LOST OUR WAY. SMOKING WEED, DRINKING ALCOHOL IS NOT THE ANSWER.
I PLAYED ATHLETICS AT VT IN THE DAY DID NOT DO SUBSTANCES TO ENHANCE MY PERFORMANCE, OR IN ANY WAY SEEK TO DESTROY OUR GOAL OF BUILDING A WINNING TEAM. THE PYLONS OF COMMITMENT AND “UT PROSIM” ARE UNIVERSITY WIDE VALUES. SUGGEST YOU GET FAMILIAR WITH THOSE CONCEPTS. THE KIDS RECEIVED THE SANCTIONS FOR EXACTLY WHAT THEY DESERVED AND CONSISTENT WITH UNIVERSITY POLICY. THIS IS NOT COLORADO; THANK GOD!!
Learn where CAPS LOCK is please.
Whether or not marijuana should be legal is not appropriate for a football post. At VT it’s use IS illegal. End of discussion. However since it is now become part of the discussion I offer the following:
Anyone who thinks it is fine for people to be free to use another drug that effects one’s thoughts, etc is dead wrong. You are kidding yourself if you believe that the use of marijuana is good for you in any way. Just because alcohol is legal is no excuse. It is disasterous for many users and families. We simply do not need another legal mind alterating drug. Pure and simple.
I’ve been gone, so just reading about all of this now. My two cents- 97% of the pro-marijuana comments have nothing to do with this specific situation, re these players. To increase that to 97.0001%, I can shed light on why drugs are no bueno- I just spent the last two weeks at different stations through south TX, from east to west, RGV, San Antonio, El Paso, etc. Go get tacos in San Antonio taco shops, out by Military Rd, etc. – that city has fantastic food! Check out the tats on the majority of the guys in all – there are so many cartel members already established in those cities, we are fighting an uphill battle- and that is just against marijuana! The tech used by these guys, such as unmanned delivery systems / UAS now puts our counter efforts to shame. This isn’t cocaine or harder drugs driving serious crime- this is marijuana. No different than the Ohio growers massacred several days ago. Horrible. Again, this has nothing to do with football, but marijuana doesn’t just grow in the backyard anymore. This is seriously harmful business.
All the more reason to legalize it, if you want to take the org crime element away.
CBP, DHS, fed and state narcotics agencies, etc. hear that all the time. There is so much overlap between territories and responsibilities that this goes so far beyond a college kid getting high in his dorm room. Legalization will not stop the crime aspect, and will cause EXTREME increases in health problems and costs. This is not about a wild crop growing in the backyard, it’s about serious crime enterprises involving national security. If you are not exposed to it, or if you’re not on the front lines in PHX or ELP or RGV, you likely would see this as a silly comment, but it is definitely serious. Again, I admit my comments have nothing to do with VT football outside of the two consumers having been on the team.
Coach Fu and his staff have repeatedly emphasized leadership, accountability, discipline, making right choices of putting legal and right fuel substances in their bodies. It’s been in all of the snapchat videos, interviews, and Coach Fu’s and even AD Babcock’s overall leadership philosophy of producing not just football players, but productive citizens, student athletes, MEN, who will be husbands, fathers, workers. The DAY after the Spring Game these two want to get high and purchase alcohol underage after WEEKS of practices, meetings with position coaches, team meetings emphasizing accountability and keeping focus on improving VT by winning championships. Dumb and dumber. They obviously didn’t listen, don’t care, and me is more important than TEAM. The Pylons of Duty, Loyalty, Brotherhood, Service, and Ut Prosim are all in play with their decision to break rules and the final decision of what happens to them. Coach Fu really has no choice but to cut ties and move on to instill the culture he wants for the sake of the entire program. Otherwise, the entire leadership philosophy emphasizing accountability rings hollow.
Not disappointed they smoked pot. Just disappointed they allowed themselves to get caught.
I have relatives and friends who play or have played football at the division I level. Overwhelmingly more kids than not on football teams smoke weed. It’s only going to become more and more pervasive in our culture. And we’re talking about kids 19 years old or younger. This type of thing, is always going to happen, here and at other schools, as long as it remains against team rules.
Not throwing stones here. Some laws are just plain stupid. Most of the drinkers on this board would go to speakeasies if Prohibition came back. Also don’t want to hear lectures from people about rules if you’ve smuggled a flask into Lane Stadium before, either.
Getting busted is sometimes part of growing up. I’m sure some of you on this board are perfect, law abiding citizens 100% of the time but the reality is these two are going through a rite of passage many before them went through before them. I would be supremely embarrassed for the world to know of all my poor decisions in my youth. And I turned out just fine.
Here’s to hoping they can learn from this and come back positively for themselves and the team.
Anybody saying these kids are morons, well…that must be a great view you have up there on your high horse!
Sigh and move on, folks. These are kids. Nobody got hurt. Teachable moment for them and the team.
Agreed.
our son had VT dorm hall neighbors who smoked weed freshman year (don’t know how often).
got caught 2 days before end of 1st semester. from what he said the discovery and apprehension wasn’t fun for anyone on the wing; they checked all rooms and occupants for at least three rooms on both sides of the culprits room – both sides of the hall with dogs. poof – gone in 48 hours. room empty. both students’ entire semesters of class work voided. what a waste. … and wouldn’t want to have been picked up by their parents to go home either.
we and our son attended VT freshman orientation 6 months before their neighbors smoke-in and substance prohibitions and punishments were repeatedly rolled out for each person/student individually and with family together.
we are thankful our son listened; understood what rules and consequences of breaking rules were; and he and his dorm-mates and apartment-mates did not “sample or use.” one decided before graduation to become a USN rescue swimmer, and will graduate from Tech later via GI Bill; our son and all 4 others graduated VT with honors and/or good-paying jobs; and they all appear to be quite the better for their decisions.
i (VT class of ’75) love VT and our Hokie student athletes. i hate hearing when our young men or women get involved in these situations. but it may be better to learn (a lesson they should have learned at a younger age) about rules, behavior, consequences, and responsible living now – at the expense of a football scholarship – than later in a more expensive/harmful way.
i hope they have learned from this and can make it back (into VT if dismissed and) onto the team through reparation and stepping up to the responsibilities of being a true Hokie.
“Get it together; do it right!”
Also Agree! I live in Florida and it has always been a really tough state for drug violations of any kind. However Orlando/Orange County have reduced possession of weed to a finable misdemeanor. Many counties including Alachua and City of Gainesville–Home of the Florida Gators–are rushing to do the same. Probably be a few years before the politics in Virginia enable the same there. Way past time in my opinion.
Well said – thank you
They are college kids that made a simple mistake. Their future should not be ruined or jeapordized for a first time minor mistake I would bet 75% or more of the people on this board have done. Suspend them a game, community service and let it be a lesson learned.
dare i say: those “75% or more of the people on this board” probably weren’t on the football, basketball, baseball or any other VT team. i’m sure if you were on the VT Football Team you wouldn’t have risked it – losing scholarship, being suspended, facing your parents, etc. – would you?
there may be higher standards for some who have more privileges
What. The. Fudge. what an idiot. kick him off the team. how stupid can u be. go hang out with marcus.
My guess is that if this policy were enforced campus-wide, VT would have thousands fewer students.
Agree. Young kids….tough lesson. Hoping they work at making up for this and are only out one game but Fu doesn’t seem to type to mess around.
Is there any chance either one survives this? The policy makes it sound unlikely, but not impossible. Any recent examples to go off of, not necessarily football, even just a regular student?
So I should have looked at the boards before posting. Lots of discussion on this topic there. This article makes me feel better that neither will be permanent dismissed. Here is the most pertinent quote:
Previously, the policy stated students who were found possessing illegal drugs would “almost certainly” be suspended. Now, that policy says those students “will likely” be suspended.
The changes applied to students involved in first-time minor drug offenses, such as simple possession of marijuana.
“There are some minor cases that suspension may not be the best case,” said Ed Spencer, the vice president of student affairs.
Spencer added that Tech would still remain vigilant in cases of distributing marijuana or for students found possessing harder drugs such as cocaine or heroin.
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/virginia_tech/tech-alters-rules-about-drugs-alcohol/article_99125f60-6a71-5c20-95bc-e3f72ea39874.html
Ahhhh the ole dead season between spring ball and fall practice strikes again. And we are only 2 days into that period. No headlines are good headlines at this time. Dumb dumb dumb
Rules are Rules. If they want smoke weed while playing have them go the Colorado to Washington. They know the deal going in. Obviously they don’t care about the U
Even though those two states have legalized it, I don’t think their athletes are allowed to smoke weed. Probably against the NCAA rules. The Broncos & Seahawks aren’t allowed to, either. I have no idea how many adhere to the rules.
It seems like pot more than alcohol, is the drug most regularly used among my black friends. Whereas most of my white friends stick to alcohol with only a few occasionally smoking pot.
Stop trying to argue a losing argument. Bad behavior has consequences. The team has to be “one” on rules. Next man up.
This is so dumb. Everyone is going to lambaste them for poor decisions, but we are talking about a substance that is being used medically across the nation for pain treatment. Can we make this “drug” legal and stop destroying young peoples lives for something that most people agree is not harmful, just a controlled substance.
I get what you are saying. But until the rules change, the kids have to abide by them or face the consequences.
Agreed. It doesn’t matter….they broke the law/rules.
Agree that it should be legal and actually think we’re just starting to tap the clinical applications of THC and non-THC marijuana. Two points though:
1) Recreation and treatment are two different things. Unless there’s medical necessity for which Gaines and Alexander are being treated (highly unlikely), they aren’t allowed to use it.
2) Since the clinical trials are still scarce (due to DEA scheduling), we don’t have conclusive information on the interplay between athletic performance and THC use. Pure speculation: but what if THC is a performance enhancing drug? We bust athletes for HGH all the time. We certainly wouldn’t advocate for 18-21 year olds to use steroids. What if it’s a performance decreasing drug? If you’re Coach Fuente, do you want kids on your team actively tampering with their strength and conditioning regimen? Legality aside, there might be legitimate reasons to not want to have college athletes using marijuana.
I am in the Medical Field and the reports coming out of CO are NOT good….
ER drug related visits WAY UP….
medical use…
Hydrocodone is legal for medical use too….but you don’t want it on the street….
I have no dog in this fight BUT statistics are not favorable
Which reports are those? That’s a very broad statement. My suspicion is that if there is an increase in marijuana product related trips to the ER, it has to do with people taking the “concentrates” and “edibles” and not being properly cautioned about their potency, which, in the concentrates, is much higher than what is found in a typical flower.
For edibles, most people who have negative effects (increased HR, BP and anxiety, hallucinations in rare cases() they just ate way more than they should have. When you eat products that contain THC it is metabolized in a different manner than smoking it and stays in the system 3-4x longer.
Smoking it puts the THC straight into the bloodstream,and quickly crosses the blood brani barrier, accounting for very rapid effects, whereas in eating food infused with THC the drug must go through enterohepatic circulation, or run through the liver once, before it can reach those areas in the brain which produces its effects. Thus it is much harder to control the dose via eating than smoking, and people who eat half a THC chocolate bar when they should have just eaten a square (or less), can be in for an intense 6-8 hours.
Not sure I have ever read or heard about a trip to the ER for smoking weed, unless it was laced with something.
At some point the Feds need to take a look at these laws and decriminalize or legalize marijuana for 21+ use, it’s ridiculous that is still a schedule I drug, and for states in which it is legal, for rec or med use, often times there is little to no counseling (akin to what a pharmacist would give you when you pick up a prescription).
Thanks Ronald and Nancy, for the Just say No, years, ya twits. It set this country back decades for a responsible and sane drug policy , and filled our prisons with tens of thousands of non violent offenders who now have felony convictions
+1
Well stated coherent post!
I have prescription for cannabis tincture (oral marijuana concentrate using glycerin) for chronic joint pain due to repeated shoulder dislocations. Many football players have similar issue and could benefit from pain relieving effects
See my post below…
Most medically-trained people disagree that “it is not harmful”; pot smokers enjoy it too much to worry very much about possible harmful effects. 🙂
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Chance of a lifetime, and these kids screw it up.
Let the character kids step up.
I’d like to give credit to Coach Fuente, but suspect he had no choice anyway.
I think you are correct, and I’m glad he doesn’t. I don’t want coaches being concerned about enforcing university policy. I like that the university has rules and enforces them equally regardless of who the student is.