Tony McDaniel Video Link

[Ben E Lou]

Uh. Wow. Just wow.


http://web.knoxnews.com/lauren/video_wmv.shtml

[JeeberD]

Yeah, I read about this a few days ago. Very scary stuff...

Goodrich says McDaniel’s punishment not enough

Punched by UT player during basketball game

By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer

KNOXVILLE — His face still numb from a punch he never saw coming, Edward Goodrich wanted to trust in the system.

The Lewisburg native wanted to believe that Tennessee defensive tackle Tony McDaniel would be punished appropriately for caving in the right side of Goodrich’s face on Jan. 12 during a pickup basketball game on campus.

When Goodrich learned Thursday that McDaniel would be back on the field this fall with a two-game suspension, he felt betrayed.

“He got off easy,” said Goodrich, who goes by Deshaun. “I at least thought he would be suspended for the whole fall semester. Anybody other than a football player who did what he did to me would have been, maybe even longer. It’s hard to understand.”

Goodrich’s mother, Carolyn, said she understands unequivocally and that the message is loud and clear.

“It’s almost like they’re breeding these guys,” she said, adding that nobody from UT’s football program had called to apologize. “They can do whatever they want to do and not be seriously disciplined because they play football.

“Despite all he went through, Deshaun graduated in May. But frankly, I’m sorry he ever went to the University of Tennessee. I’ve lost respect for the school, and in my opinion, the whole thing wasn’t handled like it should have been handled.”

McDaniel, charged with felony aggravated assault, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault Thursday in Knox County Criminal Court.

Goodrich, 26, said he could see how the criminal charge was reduced, especially since McDaniel had no prior record.

But what was most disturbing to the entire Goodrich family was seeing McDaniel suspended retroactively by UT for the summer session of school.

“How do you suspend somebody retroactively?” Carolyn said. “That’s a joke.”

As part of McDaniel’s plea, he will have to make restitution to Goodrich, who’s still compiling his medical bills. McDaniel was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail, but was placed on immediate probation and isn’t expected to serve any jail time.
Goodrich, who worked his way through school and used student loans, plans to file a civil suit against the 6-foot-7, 300-pound McDaniel, who told the judge he wanted to apologize to Goodrich had he been in court Thursday.

However, Goodrich said he was never officially notified of the court date change.

It was originally scheduled for Aug. 16, but moved up to Thursday after McDaniel’s attorney, Don Bosch, and the Knox County attorney general reached a resolution in the case.

Goodrich called several times to see if he needed to be in court last week, but said he never got an answer. He said nobody ever discussed a deal with him and that he learned of McDaniel’s fate through the media.

“I didn’t want to see his career ruined or see him kicked off the team for good,” Goodrich said. “But I missed a lot of class and suffered that whole semester. I felt like he should serve the same punishment.”

The 6-4, 200-pound Goodrich isn’t sure the right side of his face will ever be the same.

The punch fractured four bones, and he had to have a metal plate permanently inserted to repair his cheekbone. Two eye socket bones and a sinus cavity were also fractured.

According to Goodrich, doctors told him he could have been killed had the punch landed a few inches higher because it was so close to his temple.

The incident was caught on a video surveillance tape at UT’s recreation center, and Goodrich has seen the tape. He said several other football players were also playing in the game and that some of them were milling around laughing following the punch and while he lay unconscious on the court.

“I didn’t know what had happened until I woke up,” Goodrich said. “I thought I’d caught an elbow. I wasn’t even guarding (McDaniel). I came over to help out when he drove, and there was a little bit of contact. The next thing I know, I’m out.”

Goodrich said McDaniel was growing increasingly agitated during the game over being fouled and proclaimed that he was going to “lay out” the next person who fouled him. Goodrich said it was primarily other football players fouling him.

“I’m not sure that I touched him the whole game,” Goodrich said. “Even on the play where he punched me, there were a bunch of guys around him.”

Goodrich said the tape showed McDaniel falling to the floor and then getting up in one motion and striking Goodrich on the right side of his face.

“(McDaniel) is lucky he wasn’t charged with something worse,” Carolyn said. “He told everyone he was going to lay out the next person who touched him. To me, that’s premeditated. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. He knew what he wanted to do. He just didn’t know who he was going to do it to.

“I’m just thankful there was a video of it. If not, I truly feel he wouldn’t have got what he did and they would have swept it completely under the rug and sent him right back out to the football field.”

[Fonzie]

Damn. That guy needs to go to jail. And I mean he needs to go to jail jail. Real jail.

[MJ4H]

What the??? Why did everyone just leave??

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

What the??? Why did everyone just leave??

The story I've heard is that they were his teammates.

[Poli]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

The story I've heard is that they were his teammates.

That's my understanding of the situation. Very disappointing.

[Schmidty]

I hope people that see this guy at games and on the street don't let him forget that he's a chump. I play pick-up ball 2-3 times a week and I'm in leagues most of the winter, and I see (and get into) skirimishes all the time, but pushing and trash-talking are one thing, punching a person who isn't even looking is another. This reminds me of the Kermit Washington punch. Disgusting.

[Rizon]

Nice of those guys to get him some medical attention. He could have been lying there dying for all they knew. Looks like a whole gym full of assholes.

[Poli]

Reaction to punch a stunner

Bystanders offered Goodrich no help

By CHRIS LOW
Staff Writer



KNOXVILLE — After watching the video tape of the punch by Tennessee football player Tony McDaniel that broke four bones in his face, Deshaun Goodrich says he is stunned by the reaction of those nearby.

"The most shocking part to me after watching it several times now is how everybody reacts afterward," said Goodrich, who had to have a metal plate surgically inserted to repair one of four broken bones in his face. "They just walk off while I'm lying there unconscious."

The video surveillance tape, released yesterday by the Knox County district attorney's office, can be viewed on The Tennessean's Web site.

The incident occurred during a Jan. 12 pickup basketball game on campus, in which Goodrich said at least four other football players were participating.

"It's one of those things where I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Goodrich, who was a UT student at the time and has since graduated. "I don't know if I was actually a target or if he was just swinging at the first person he saw."

McDaniel, originally charged with felony aggravated assault, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault. He was placed on probation and sentenced to 11 months and 29 days, which will be suspended if he avoids further trouble.

Following a May hearing, an administrative law judge at UT ruled that McDaniel should be suspended retroactively for the summer sessions of school, losing those credit hours, and remain on probation for the balance of his academic career.

McDaniel's attorney, Don Bosch, said McDaniel lost four classes at UT during the summer terms, but also took a class at a local community college second session that wasn't wiped out.

Coach Phillip Fulmer suspended McDaniel for the first two games of the season and will also require him to attend anger management counseling and adhere to a curfew.

Tennessee Athletics Director Mike Hamilton said he saw the tape yesterday for the first time and was as disturbed as anyone. But Hamilton said that McDaniel's internal punishment would not change.

"It's not a pretty scene," Hamilton said. "I was told on the front end it was ugly, but it's no different than how it was described to me originally.

"I don't think anybody in our program condones the behavior, but there has been punishment. Everybody wants to talk about the two games, but he was suspended for eight months."

Hamilton said McDaniel's otherwise clean record at UT also helped him avoid more serious consequences.

"When you're dealing with so many different individuals and personalities, it's difficult to have a cookie-cutter system of punishment," Hamilton said. "The reality is that with this incident, had it been a kid with other issues, there's no doubt you would have seen more severe punishment."

Goodrich said nobody from UT's athletic department has called to apologize. At this point, Hamilton said any apology would probably sound contrived.

The tape shows a few people walking up to Goodrich and looking at him while he lay on the court unconscious, but nobody immediately coming to his aid.

Brandon Wardlaw, a UT student from Ripley, Tenn., was waiting to play in the next game when the incident happened and said he was standing close to the spot where Goodrich was punched.

Wardlaw said the initial reaction was shock because McDaniel is "a cool guy. Nobody could believe he snapped like that. He's one of the nicest football players, which is why everybody was shocked."

Wardlaw said the football players in the game and standing around waiting to play were quick to scatter.

"I guess they were thinking they needed to get out of there so they wouldn't get in trouble," Wardlaw said. "You could see the blood running down (Goodrich's) cheek. That's when me and a few other guys started yelling for somebody to come over there, that he was hurt."

Shortly before McDaniel punched Goodrich, Wardlaw said he heard McDaniel say that he was going to lay out the next person who fouled him.

Wardlaw said he didn't actually see the punch when it happened, but turned around just in time to see Goodrich going down.

Wardlaw said he spoke with officials from UT's general counsel office and gave them his account of the incident. He said he was shown the tape then while talking with Peter Foley, UT's associate general counsel.

"I know there were a lot of people in the gym that day who don't want to say anything about it because they're afraid football players might retaliate," Wardlaw said. "I think there's that feeling."•

[Pacersfan46]

If I'm the AD, or coach.

You're off my team. Done. Have fun at another school beating up guys who aren't looking.

[rkmsuf]

what a bunch of total assholes.

repeated anal intrusion is the only answer.

[wade moore]

As a UT fan... I just don't even know what to say, because I find this to be disgusting...

[miked]

On a similar subject, did anyone ever see that ref in South America or something who got completely laid out by an American basketball player? I forgot the dude's name, but it was in the middle of a game and he totally screwed up that ref's face.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

What the??? Why did everyone just leave??

Because they are all a bunch of pussies.

[azjoe_02]

Vols' McDaniel to forgo senior season


Unbelievable...Maybe he'll be a Raider....


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, sued this week for injuring a fellow student, will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft, coach Phillip Fulmer said.

McDaniel told reporters during a media availability on Wednesday he was staying in school.

The following day, a student McDaniel hit in the face during a pickup basketball game last year filed an $800,000 lawsuit for damages in Knox County Circuit Court.

McDaniel told Fulmer on Friday he had changed his mind about staying in school. Underclassmen have until Sunday to declare for the draft.

"He didn't give a reason," Fulmer said Saturday. "I just wished him well."

Fulmer said he understood given "everything that was going on in his life."

McDaniel said on Wednesday he wanted to remain in school to repay Fulmer and defensive line coach Dan Brooks for standing up for him after he was arrested. He said without the coaches' support he's not sure he would have been allowed back into school.

McDaniel's attorney, Don Bosch, said he couldn't comment on McDaniel's decision.

McDaniel was charged with aggravated assault, a felony, after the incident last January. A video from the basketball court on campus showed McDaniel punching Edward Goodrich in the face and then walking away as Goodrich lay on the floor for several minutes.

Goodrich testified four bones in his face were broken and doctors inserted a metal plate to repair his injuries.

McDaniel pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, misdemeanor assault, and was placed under supervised probation.

The university suspended McDaniel retroactively, which wiped out his summer school credits. Fulmer suspended McDaniel for the first two games of the season.

The university was not sued.

[DeToxRox]

I'd like to see Bill Romanowski get brought back as a special assisstant coach just for some good scuffles.

[terpkristin]

Oh that is just absurd.
I really hope that Goodrich goes to jail for this. And fails miserably in life.

/tk

[Poli]

Originally Posted by azjoe_02

Vols' McDaniel to forgo senior season

This is actually a few weeks old now.

[TroyF]

Did anything ever happen to the teammates who just walked out after it happened?

Not only would McDaniel have been gone forever, every single one of those teammates would have faced severe suspensions as well.

I used to cheer for Tennessee. Those days are over until the current administration is gone.

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Oh that is just absurd.
I really hope that Goodrich goes to jail for this. And fails miserably in life.

/tk

Goodrich??? Or McDaniel?

[terpkristin]

Oops.
McDaniel.

And his "supporting cast."

What a load of punkish suck.

/tk

[Poli]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Goodrich??? Or McDaniel?

Me thinks you know the Goodrich name all too well.

Funny, the other cornerback on that National Championship team is an officer in the Marine Corps now.

[JeeberD]

Lets not bring that asshat into this discussion, AE. It's bad enough I have to hear about him on the local news often and see the scene of his crime three times a week.

[Poli]

The good news is you have three Vols on your roster now, right?

[JeeberD]

The only one listed on the roster at DallasCowboys.com is Witten...

[Poli]

Kevin Burnett. Seems like I remembered another one on the roster earlier this year.

[Poli]

Peerless. That's who I remembered from earlier.

[EagleFan]

Dam, I don't know what was worse. The a-hole that threw the punch or the rest of the idiots that just acted like they didn't see someone decked out on the floor. Even people that entered the picture didn't even seem to even do a double take when they saw him there. All of them qualify as thugs (in my book at least) who have no reason to even be in a society if they can't even comprehend the most obvious rule of livnig in one (if you see someone in obvious trouble on the ground, freaking help or get help).

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by ardent enthusiast

Peerless. That's who I remembered from earlier.

I'm pretty sure we waived Peerless before the season started. And the reason that Kevin Burnett didn't show up under Tennessee when I sorted the roster is because they have him as going to "Univ Tenn" instead of "Tennessee"...

[Poli]

Jeeber, come on. I know your team better than you? Peerless was waived during the season.

12/02/2005

Peerless Price - Cut from Cowboys

[Anthony]

i can hardly see the punch. is there a better angle?

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by ardent enthusiast

Jeeber, come on. I know your team better than you? Peerless was waived during the season.

I don't know why I said "before the season started." I meant "before the season ended."

Guess I'm not completely awake yet.

[Poli]

Hey jeeber. Wake up.