Hokies down to one kicker after Tyler Weiss misses curfew, sent home
Virginia Tech senior place-kicker Tyler Weiss was sent home by the Hokies coaching staff because he missed the team's 1 a.m. curfew today in New Orleans.
The university first released the news Thursday on @VT_Football, the official Virginia Tech Twitter feed.
That leaves Justin Myer, a kickoff specialist, as the only kicker on the Virginia Tech roster for the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday against Michigan (8:30 p.m., ESPN). Season-long starter Cody Journell was suspended on Dec. 22 after he was arrested a day earlier and charged with breaking and entering.
Weiss was 0-for-2 on field goals this season and 2-for-2 on extra points. Myer is 0-for-2 on field goals, with his attempts coming from 57 and 53 yards.
A Virginia Tech spokesman said punter Michael Branthover and redshirt freshman Conor Goulding will be pooled for depth at the position.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune contributed to this report.
Comments
knotch
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 8:07 p.m.
this could be significant. If your not kicking field goals from distance you steps aren't going to be right. Little inside or forward could cost you a game
jojojo
Sun, Jan 1, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
It takes a lot of guts to send home a significant player before an important game. Frankly, I don't recall a Michigan coach ever doing so. When we see Hoke do so, then let's give him the same credit as is being given Beamer.
Tru2Blu76
Sat, Dec 31, 2011 : 2:30 a.m.
I agree: Coach Beamer did the right thing. I also agree: what's with these players for VT? Two of them on the Hokies team don't seem to care WHY they are where they are. Nor do they seem to fear losing out on a chance to play in a post season bowl game. Amateur scholarship football players know they're given something with something in return expected from them. Just like grown ups: perform up to standards or lose your job.
windycitywolv
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 8:48 p.m.
They were 0-4 field goals all year? Man, we thought we had it bad last year....yikes
iamcris
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 9:51 a.m.
This is not a flame. This a suggestion for those of you commenting about Gibbons and tipping to go read Three and Out first before you make comments that are false. Gibbons was nothing short of outstanding this year if you ask me and i'm very excited for his future at the University of Michigan. Then after you read Three and Out and gain a full understanding of the situation described by prior posters imagine if your boss publicly humiliated you like RR did to Michigan kickers. Imagine if your boss was at a press conference asking if there was anyone they knew who could do your job and continually held open tryouts to the general public (students) to find your replacement. I am so happy for Gibbons success this year and wish him nothing but the best, i'm sure he'll go down as one of the best kickers we've been lucky to cheer for at Michigan. Remember who put us up late in the game against Ohio by more than 3.
D21
Thu, Dec 29, 2011 : 11:49 p.m.
I respect Frank Beamer far more than Bobby Bowden who failed to do it with current Raiders PK Janikowski more than a decade ago. SPORTS Bowden Won't Give Janikowski the Boot January 4, 2000 | CHRIS DUFRESNE After all those years in which missed field goals cost Florida State national championships--"Wide Right I, Wide Right II"--you didn't really expect Coach Bobby Bowden to suspend Sebastian Janikowski for a curfew violation, did you? "Unless he has a heart attack, or unless I have one, Janikowski will kick the ball off," Bowden said Monday. Janikowski is no ordinary kicker, and maybe he knew that when he bolted from the sheets to Bourbon Street over the weekend. Maybe the buckeyes can learn something from it, eh? GEAUX BLUE!
D21
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 4:53 p.m.
Yep, I rem about Marcus Vick, Michael's wayward brother and wonder how's he doing?
D21
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 4:50 p.m.
Shankar, Thanks for joining this forum. In your opinion, who will win and by what score in the Sugar Bowl?
Shankar
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 12:15 a.m.
Thanks for those sentiments. It hurts to no have these kickers committing a felony and now violating curfew & team rules. I am glad Mr. Beamer sent him home, thus sending a message that team rules & character are more important than a bowl game. This is a welcome relief to see opposing fans like Beamer, after all the flak we took for giving that stupid Marcus Vick chance after chance.
Mick
Thu, Dec 29, 2011 : 11:32 p.m.
Beamer deserves a lot of credit for holding his players to standards he sets for them, I like that Hoke is of the same ilk. I wish MSU and ohio would be like that as well. You can beat people up that week and still get to play, good morals they got over there, but then again that's Dantonio for ya. I wonder if Hagerup is paying attention and watching what he does, he needs to get his act together. As for Gibbons, if it's true he stiffed the waitress, unless she was horrible to him, to me that says a lot about you as a person if you stiff a server like that, not cool, this is how these people earn their money, have some class young man. What's up with kickers these days, sheesh!
Jaysham
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 12:08 a.m.
What's up Mick and D21? I think the reason Scott brought up the reason Gibbons likes to stiff on tips is a prior article back in November about going out to eat in A2 with Taylor Lewan in 2010 and asking the waiter/waitress what they thought about the kicker on the football team and when they would tell Gibbons and Lewan something negative about the kicker then Gibbons said that they would leave them a less than stellar tip. In regards to that situation I say that hopefully Gibbons has grown up some and maybe having a coach that now shows 100% focus on special teams can boost morale in more ways then one. GO BLUE & Happy New Year's to all!
D21
Thu, Dec 29, 2011 : 11:50 p.m.
Man, saw your post just after I had posted mine below. Agree with you about the little brothers, too. :)
TcFlint
Thu, Dec 29, 2011 : 10:08 p.m.
It's been awhile since I have said the following: Kicking: Advantage Michigan
knotch
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 8:11 p.m.
yes sir.
knotch
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 8:08 p.m.
NO kidding
Scott
Thu, Dec 29, 2011 : 9:44 p.m.
I wish the Wolverines were down two kickers. 1) Branden Gibbons (our 2010 freshman bomb) who spent his time partying rather than sleeping. Also, likes to stiff waitresses on tips. 2) Will Hagerup- suspended for some unknown reason who is wasting his talent. There should be an NCAA rule were spoiled kids with a sense of entitlement must get thrown off the team, give back their scholarships and repay the taxpayers for the scholarship money they have squandered. Will and Branden-Go drive to downtown Detroit or Flint or Saginaw and see how the other half live. Think how much food and clothing could be purchased with the $40 grand a year spent to keep you having guys having fun.
knotch
Tue, Jan 3, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.
Not sure where your going with this. Hagerup was outside looking in. Freshman punter was out kicking him anyway
5c0++ H4d13y
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.
I'm not sure the tax payers paid for the scholarships. I sure hope we aren't.
heartbreakM
Fri, Dec 30, 2011 : 3:23 a.m.
@Scott: What is your deal?
heartbreakM
Thu, Dec 29, 2011 : 8:19 p.m.
Uh oh. Now, I haven't been a player on a big time program, but if you are being taken to a venue as a guest and representative of your university, is it really that hard to get back on time and behave appropriately? Now, he paid the ultimate price by being sent home and missing the bowl.