Thirteen football players from the University of North Carolina will be facing suspensions this season for selling team-issued shoes.
The players’ rule violations of selling shoes, which are considered secondary offenses, were self-reported to the NCAA by UNC in July, the All-American reported on Monday. Due in part to the school’s cooperation, some of the players’ suspensions will be staggered so the team will not be missing more than one player from each position.
According to a statement from UNC, nine players will miss four games each; offensive linemen Brian Anderson, Quiron Johnson and Jordan Tucker; wide receiver Beau Corrales; quarterback Chazz Surratt; linebacker Malik Robinson; and defensive ends Malik Carney, Tomon Fox and Tyrone Hopper. Defensive backs Tre Shaw and Gregg Ross will each receive two-game suspensions and quarterback Jack Davidson and offensive lineman Jonah Melton each will miss one game.
Carney and Fox, because they play the same position, will sit out different games while all out players will serve their suspensions starting on UNC’s first game on September 1. All players will be permitted to practice and attend team meetings during their suspensions.
“I am certainly upset by our players’ actions and how their choices reflect on them, our program and the university,” UNC Football Head Coach Larry Fedora said in the statement. “These young men knew the rules and are being held responsible for the poor choices they have made. Accountability is an important core principle in this program. We will learn from this and aim to do better in the future.”
The suspensions will likely make for a rough start to UNC’s 2018 season, which is bad news for a fan base that saw the team stumble through a tough season last year. UNC finished last in their ACC Coastal conference last season, with a record of 3-9.
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