UVA Football coach Tony Elliott just let slip an uncomfortable truth about the “suspension” of backup tailback Solomon Beebe – revealing on Tuesday that Beebe, after being charged with three counts of animal cruelty during training camp, hadn’t really been suspended at all.
This came up as a reporter asked Elliott at his weekly press conference about reintegrating Beebe back into team activities now that the suspension announced in August has been lifted, in the wake of Beebe’s lawyer negotiating a plea deal that saw two of the charges dropped, and the third given deferred disposition into the fall of 2027.
ICYMI
- Coverage of the Solomon Beebe animal cruelty case: click here.
The answer from Elliott:
He’s been here working. He’s had a great attitude. He’s done everything that he’s been asked to do from that standpoint. He’s been on scout team, giving a great look to the defense, week in and week out for the last five weeks. So, not a ton of conversation about his integration back with the team, but in terms of off the field with the administration, that’s where those conversations lie.
What kind of “suspension” involves the player still being a part of practice each day?
We already knew, from a revelation that came during last week’s hearing in the animal cruelty case, that Beebe had been granted a modification to the court order setting out terms of his bail that allowed him to travel to Charlotte on Sept. 18, ahead of the Sept. 19 game between the ‘Hoos and West Virginia at Bank of America Stadium.
So, a “suspension,” within UVA Athletics, just means the kid can’t play in games; he or she, depending on the sport, gets to participate in practice, continue to get coaching, has access to team facilities and the strength and conditioning staff for workouts.
Seems like what police departments do when they put an officer under investigation for one wrongdoing thing or another on paid administrative leave.
The punishment: we’re not going to ask much of you, but don’t worry, we’re going to keep paying you.
And in Beebe’s case: want to tag along with us to Charlotte?
If I weren’t the boss here at AFP, I’d volunteer to get one of these Solomon Beebe “suspensions,” just so I could get a damn day off.
Ahem.
Alas.
It only took one year of UVA trying to play big-boy football for the people in charge to find their inner Lane Kiffin.
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Chris Graham
