Troubled former Marshall RB gets second chance
Posted: Saturday, August 16, 2014 8:57 pm
Chris Lang
Marshall had seen enough.
On July 26, Kevin Grooms, a Thundering Herd running back and the 2012 Conference USA freshman of the year, was arrested on three charges, including felony burglary, his third arrest in 16 months. Marshall responded swiftly, dismissing him from the program later that day for a violation of team rules and policies.
A former ESPN.com top 150 recruit, Grooms was left searching for change, and he sought out Liberty, citing a desire to turn his life around.
During Saturday’s fan fest at Williams Stadium, Grooms walked with a team official up and down the sidelines as his future teammates scrimmaged for an hour on the field. Grooms had joined Liberty’s program earlier in the day, and he’ll need to get used to the viewpoint. He won’t be eligible to play until 2015, per NCAA regulations.
And that’s only if he keeps his nose clean.
“Zero tolerance,” Gill said. “It’s a second chance. If there are some things that come up that are inappropriate, then he will no longer be here. Again, zero tolerance.”
Though Grooms was on campus, he was not made available for interviews. But Gill said it was Grooms who sought out Liberty, not the other way around. After meeting with Grooms on several occasions, he warmed to the idea of giving the speedy, 5-foot-10, 168-pound running back a chance.
“He went through the admissions process, and our school admitted him like they have many other students,” Gill said. “Our school believes in giving second chances. We just want to help him do the things we want to do. He’s a good young man who wants to come here and change his life.”
According to NCAA Bylaw 14.5.1.2 student-athletes who transfer to any NCAA school from a collegiate institution while disqualified or suspended from the previous institution for disciplinary reasons must complete one calendar year in residence at the new institution before being able to compete. Grooms was not only suspended from the football program, but from the university as well.
Grooms was charged with felony burglary, domestic assault by threat, petit larceny and fleeing by foot in his latest incident in July, according to the Charleston Daily Mail. He was arrested in April 2013 on misdemeanor charges of underage consumption and obstruction, and again in November 2013 on misdemeanor domestic battery and obstruction charges.
That arrest led to an indefinite suspension, one that forced Grooms to miss Marshall’s Conference USA championship game loss to Rice and the Herd’s Military Bowl win over Maryland.
Grooms ran for 737 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman in 2012, but a high ankle sprain hampered the running back in 2013 before the legal troubles took root. Grooms ran for 503 yards last season.
Coming out of South Broward High in Hollywood, Florida, Grooms held offers from several power-conference programs, including Florida, Miami, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
“He’s a good football player,” Gill said. “He has some skills, there’s no doubt about that. He had some good opportunities at Marshall and had some good success. There’s no doubt he has football skills.”
But he’ll have to stay out of trouble if Liberty wants to see those skills on the field next season.
