Randy Shannon is laying the smack down

July 25th, 2007 | Posted by PostmanR

Apparently there are those out there that believe the University of Miami football squad is comprised of a bunch of “thugs” (ugh, I hate that word) hellbent on toting guns around and starting fights on the field. Given the team’s recent transgressions, I guess that’s as fair an assessment as any.

But with Larry Coker out and Randy Shannon in as the head coach, things have changed, homie.

To wit (bold mine):

Shannon outlawed guns for Miami’s players — any player caught having a weapon will not only be kicked off the team but also dismissed from school.

“If you’re living in Iowa (insert PostmanE is from Iowa joke here) and you’re going hunting, it’s fine to have a rifle or shotgun,” Hurricanes guard Derrick Morse said. “But if you’re living in Miami, you don’t need to be walking around with a handgun. I wish it was a year earlier when that rule went into effect.”

Shannon also requires any player with a grade point average lower than 2.5 to live on campus. If a player is living off campus and falls below the 2.5 mark during fall semester, he’ll be required to move back into dorms for spring semester.

“You better not sign a year lease if you’re not going to take care of your classes,” Morse said. “They’ve got to deal with that. They’re grown men. They’re 21 or 22 years old. They’ve got to act like grown men.”

Players caught having cell phones in class will lose their phones for two weeks. Any teammates attending the same class also lose their cell phones for two weeks.

“Guys are looking out for each other now,” Morse said.

If players skip class, Morse said, Shannon not only requires them to complete extra conditioning but also demotes them on the depth chart.

“His discipline is at a level where it’s almost crazy,” defensive end Calais Campbell said. “You don’t want to do anything wrong.”

It’s yet to be seen if any of this stuff is actually going to turn the recent culture around down there once the season really gets firing — seriously? he’s going to take your cell phone away for two weeks? come on, guy — but more power to Shannon. The summer went by rather swimmingly with his new enforcements.

You know, rumor has it after he told the team about his new rules he proceeded to repeat,”We will not be like last year’s barbaric team. BARBARIC, BARBARIC!!!!!!!!”

{Via Just Call Me Juice.}