Hammond arrested for DUI, alcohol possession

By Adam Silverstein
June 13, 2010

Florida Gators redshirt sophomore wide receiver Frankie Hammond, Jr. was arrested early Sunday morning on charges of driving under the influence and possessing alcohol as a minor, according to an Alachua County police report.

Both appear to be his first offenses.

Hammond, who impressed during spring practice and was set to get major playing time in 2010 as a top receiver, was booked at 4:47 a.m. by the University Police Department.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, which obtained the police report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Hammond was allegedly “speeding, swerving and driving” with two open 750-ml bottles of Crown Royal whiskey in his car (one in the back seat, one in the trunk). He was traveling faster than 45 miles per hour on Gale Lemerand Drive at 2:09 a.m.; University of Florida campus is a 20-mph zone.

The police report described Hammond as “uncoordinated” with “glassy” eyes and slurred speech. He failed his on-site sobriety tests and registered breath samples of more than double the legal limit (.08) at .188 and .191.

Hammond has been released from jail after meeting with an Alachua County judge and has already been suspended from all team activities, according to Gators associate athletics director for communications Steve McClain.

OGGOA will update this story when more information is available.

33 Comments

  1. Gotta Be kidding me says:

    You gotta be joking…We already have a bad rep, this crap needs to be dealt with.

  2. O-town Gator says:

    Stupidity, thy name is Frankie Hammond…….

  3. liveoak87 says:

    A strong lesson needs to be taught here. He should loose his spot on the depth chart and go to the bottom and sit out at least a game or two. And we wonder why urban was having problems. This crap has to be nipped in the bud this year. I like the kid, but how stupid can you be?

  4. erng 'n blu says:

    This is starting to become nauseating. Does the term “Lack of Institutional control” apply here? In other words, is this disturbing trend of arrests capable for NCAA sanctions? Also, when does Myer get the point across that this behavior is no longer acceptable? I understand mentoring kids and giving second chances but it is quite evident that the players either don’t respect the program or they feel Myer is a push over.

  5. I have a sneaking suspicion that – due to the severity and stupidity of these charges – the Gators coaching staff will make an example of Hammond.

  6. O-town Gator says:

    Erng, Meyer (that’s the correct spelling of his name, BTW) can’t baby-sit these kids 24-7. Yes he’s responsible for them as long as they’re part of the football program, but on the other hand they’re considered adults under the law and should have some concept of what’s acceptable behavior and what isn’t at their age. What Frankie did was STUPID – no more, no less.

    As far as the “lack of institutional control” you’re preaching about, you’re going a bit overboard on that one. If there was any LIC at UF, the coaching staff would look the other way when guys get in trouble, but they don’t – and after Coach Meyer’s speech this past spring, I agree with Adam in that this episode won’t be treated lightly this time around.

  7. Mr2Bits says:

    This sucks but everyone needs to lay off Urbes. These players are just kids and are going to do all the stupid things that most of us did in college, only difference is all our dirty laundry wasn’t tracked and aired in papers and ESPN.

    I detest driving under the influence and do not drink and drive but sure as hell know a ton of people who do and have been busted for it. Urbes cannot babysit these morons 24 hours a day. Sure he is going to make an example of him but nothing will change for other players who party and go out. Sure these kids might think twice before shooting guns in public or robbing someone but crimes like assault and DUI are crimes of the moment. People who drink/fight/drive don’t think before they do them and assume they will not get caught. Im sure anyone who has had a DUI or been in a fight did not get arrested the first time so until they get caught, they will continue to think they walk on water. These types of crimes are not going to be thwarted by Urbes sanctions and we can continue to see these year after year.

  8. BosGator says:

    @Adam, what are you thinking as far as length if they make an example of him?
    I was thinking 3-6 games.

  9. Gatormiami says:

    This is sad…. but I must admit that others have done worse & never gotten a DUI. The consequences will likely NOT be pretty for this young man!

  10. erng 'n blu says:

    Forgive the typo on Meyer’s name ball buster and i am not preaching LIC, just don’t know if NCAA can come down on the program for a rampant problem. That’s all. And yes everyone has their fair share of problems but one game suspensions are not getting the point across.

  11. BosGator – Not sure. Has to be big though.

    erng ‘n blu – There is no parallel between this and USC. That was an institutional problem because people inside the program knew what was going on an ignored it. Also, there were findings in three sports – football, basketball, women’s tennis – with three different players. Specifically, Bush and Mayo. In this instance, you are dealing with things that are beyond the control of the coaches and administration. They are not happening due to the administration or coaches…who are doing everything in their power to make it known that stuff like this is not acceptable and will be punished.

  12. Daniel M. says:

    This has nothing to do with institutional control. Spare me the ignorance. (u can’t change a leopards spots)

    Respect to Adam for not publishing multiple paragraphs about the offense and then a final paragraph with his stats. Why on earth do journalists do that?

    • Because that is generally how you write stories like this. If he was a starter last year, I probably would have done the same thing. It is to put the player’s importance in perspective: see Dunlap.

  13. alex says:

    This is getting ridiculous. He obviously doesn’t understand that Pinch or Johnny Walker is the way to go.

  14. ReptilesRule says:

    Here’s the way I look at it…with all the focus there has been on the number of Florida arrests over the past year, you KNOW the coaches have been POUNDING this message…don’t get in trouble. I mean, how freakin’ stupid do you have to be! If Hammond was willing to do something moronic enpugh to get him kicked off the team, then grant him his wish. It’s so frustrating because now, that’s the only thing Urban can do…is kick these numbskull dummies off the team until everyone gets the message. I know I’m DONE with it, don’t care if it’s John Brantley…gotta go…SEE YA!!!!!

  15. alex says:

    Reptile:

    At this point it may be Meyer’s only choice. I believe there has been about 30 arrests since 2005. The only other school with more arrests in that time frame is Georgia (at least the beat us at something)

  16. On Campus says:

    I agree, I was looking forward to seeing him break out this year, but I don’t believe Urban has much of a choice in the matter. Hammond forced his hand, he’s off the team.

  17. Mr2Bits says:

    Hes not going to get kicked off the team, he will be suspended until the Tenn game and be back to start against rocky top. If this were a felony…different story but not the case here.

  18. Probably correct. Then again, Meyer may be on a mission. This is not the year to get in trouble, IMO.

  19. Mr2Bits says:

    Definitely agree

  20. ReptilesRule says:

    Dunlap’s arrest the week of the SECCG was probably a major contributor to the stress situation that almost did in Coach Meyer las year. It was also a major downer going into that game and it seemed to have a very negative affect on the way the team played that week. Bottom line…Meyer doesn’t need the headache and we don’t need to put up with it anymore. There are plenty of WRs out there who would love to play for Florida and play by the rules. Boot him!!

    • You cannot boot him.

      1) Urban Meyer gives second chances.

      2) Kicking him off or giving him a huge suspension would contradict how the team punished previous players including the last two years.

      3) This is Hammond’s first incident – legal or behavorial – with the team. One mistake and you’re gone? That’s not Urban…at least it hasn’t been.

  21. Escambia94 says:

    This will not be the last college DUI, no matter how hard the coaches, schools, or NCAA tries. Other organizations, including the military, have learned to deal with DUI. This is not necessarily a reflection of the football program as much as it is a reflection of our society. Punish the kid and move on. He is still a kid. If he screws up again, kick him off the team. I several from the team screw up, maybe it is loss of control. I would not say we are there yet.

  22. O-town Gator says:

    The only way Hammond would warrant automatic dismissal from the team is for a violation of one of the core values or a serious infraction of the law. Although DUI is a crime and he was underage, alcohol is legal – had be been caught with a hard street drug he would have been history.

    He’ll likely be suspended for a couple of games, but he’ll need to earn his way back into Meyer’s good graces and keep his nose clean the rest of the way.

  23. Mitch says:

    Incidents like this take me back to my UF days. I consumed alcohol by the gallons. Fortunately I never got a DUI. However that was just dumb luck. I certainly dont condone the behavior, but such is life as a kid in college. Hammond deserves to be smacked around a little, and hopefully he learns his lesson. He hasn’t been a problem child previously, so I hope this the last we hear on problems with him/

  24. ReptilesRule says:

    I’ll bet you guys wouldn’t be holding the same opinion if your son or daughter or niece or nephew had been walking across Gale Lemerand Blvd at about 2:09 AM last Saturday night. DUI is one of the major killers of people in this country, particularly young people, and there’s nothing “insignificant” about it. Hammond was putting anyone at UF who was in that vacinity at that time at risk, including his dumb self. And I don’t care what Meyer has done in the past, the bottom line is it hasn’t worked. Time for a change in policy. Just like running a play over and over and over again that doesn’t get results, time to call a new play.

  25. Reading over the comments before reading yours, RR, I can see why you got tweaked on this…DUI is serious and doing so as recklessly as Hammond did (two open bottles, speeding and doing all of this on campus) puts an even worse spin on it. That being said, as a coach or administrator, you have to stay consistent with your punishments. How can you tell your kids that you suspended Dunlap for one game but then kicked Hammond off the team, for example. You can’t.

  26. ReptilesRule says:

    Adam, not to go on indefinitely on this but there is a line in one of my old time favorite movies called “Coming to America” where the Queen asks the King why he just doesn’t just change an old custom from their country in order to make their son happy with the girl he is about to marry. Replies the King, “Who am I to change it??” to which the Queen replies back, “Well, you are the King, aren’t you?”

  27. O-town Gator says:

    What Hammond did was idiotic and was a bad judgment call on his part. Drunk driving is dangerous, but then again, as I’ve said before, he didn’t break one of the team’s core values which would have meant automatic dismissal from the team.

    I did my share of drinking while I was in college as did everybody else, and that will never change on our campuses. College life is, in a way, a rite of passage from being a kid in high school to becoming an adult – and yes, from time to time we’ve all done something stupid during those years. We were growing up, and that’s exactly what these kids are doing right now. Our football players are more visible (and more pampered) than your average Joe Gator on campus, but one of the pitfalls of that notoriety is that when they do something wrong, it’ll be all over the media.

    Hopefully this will be a learning experience for Hammond. He deserves to be suspended a couple of games for what he did for the DUI and open bottle IMO, and that should be sufficient – there will be other little things Meyer will have him do as penance for his sins, but he doesn’t deserve to be booted from the team as a first-time offender over all this.

  28. Great movie reference. However, when you are dealing with young men and women and are asking them and their families to trust you, coming down with the hammer of justice on a kid and (potentially) having him serve a punishment EXPONENTIALLY more severe than many others in his similar path is not fair. You lose trust and faith.

    As a coach, it is not always about what is on the field – it is about teaching and grooming young men. Meyer takes that part of the job very seriously, and he’s not going to kick a kid out on his ass because of one mistake – even as stupid as a DUI. It would take a felony or something he could not come back from.

    Example.

    If you were discussing Meyer suspending Hammond for three games or five games – that would be exponentially greater yet still understandable. He needs to teach these kids what is and what is not acceptable.

    However, you and others are insinuating kicking the kid off of the team. That goes far and beyond any similar punishment. You cannot go from one extreme to another like that just to make a point. You can be more harsh and severe…but you can’t go from a slap on the wrist to an expulsion – especially for a kid that has otherwise not caused any problems and is a good student and person.

  29. Drew 4 Orange & Blue says:

    Meyer has to do something because the current status quo is not acceptable. I would like to see him suspend him for 2-3 games at least and also lay down even harsher suspensions for any future incedents. You lay down very specific guidelines some even including being kicked off the team so maybe these kids will think twice before they do something stupid. And I don’t care if they even get arrested…if he finds out about somebody scrapping in a night club, smoking weed, or getting in a car with alcohol he needs to bring down much more serious punishments because if there have been 25 arrests or whatever the number is up to how many things have gone on under the radar.

  30. O-town Gator says:

    Drew, the onus can’t be solely laid on Coach Meyer – these kids also need to take responsibility for what they do, and even start looking out for each other. We’re not dealing with kindergarten kids here – we’re dealing with young adults who should know right from wrong at their age. Meyer can only do so much; he’s told them time and time again what’s expected as far as their personal conduct goes if they want to go on wearing that uniform. With a few exceptions, the vast majority of these arrests have been for irrational behavior on the parties involved – alcohol, fighting, etc. If these kids think that football uniform will provide them any immunity from the law they’re sadly mistaken; the problem is that some of them can’t seem to comprehend just that, and that’s what the coaches are trying to get across to them. A few of these guys aren’t taking what the coaches are saying seriously enough, and they’re the ones who are casting a bad light on the rest of the football program when they get in trouble and it gets media attention.

    I don’t think Meyer’s going to give Frankie what would amount to be a “slap on the wrist”, but then again he’s not going to be as severe as others wish he would be.

  31. Drew 4 Orange & Blue says:

    And my point is they are not listening so I think the talking needs to be backed by serious consequences

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