By RJ Saunders
Trouble has struck at UNC. On Monday, it was announced players on the football team sold school-issued, special edition Nike Jordan shoes in exchange for up to $2,500 in cash back in January. The university has now suspended 13 players for parts of the upcoming season.
UNC head coach Larry Fedora made it clear in a statement that he is not pleased by the actions of his team.
“I am certainly upset by our players’ actions and how their choices reflect on them, our program and the University. These young men knew the rules and are being held responsible for the poor choices they have made. Accountability is an important core principle in this program. We will learn from this and aim to do better in the future.”
This is a secondary NCAA violation that was self-reported by the Tar Heels in January.
Per NCAA rules, players aren’t allowed to sell gear, and most other regular-person methods of making money are also forbidden.
Since multiple players included in the suspension share the same position, the NCAA approved a request to stagger certain suspensions.
Out of the 13 suspensions, nine players will sit for four games. A pair of players will miss two games, and another pair will miss just one contest. The most notable player included in the suspension is quarterback Chazz Surratt.
Surratt, now a sophomore, led the Tar Heels in passing yards (1,342) and threw for eight touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. This year he was assumed to go toe-to-toe with junior Nathan Elliott for the starting job.
Defensive ends Malik Carney and Tomon Fox will be suspended for four games. Fox, a sophomore, is viewed as one of the conference’s brightest young stars on the defensive line. In addition, Carney was in contention for All-ACC honors this preseason.
The Tar Heels will begin their season on Sept. 1 on the road against California, followed by East Carolina, UCF, and Pitt.
Here’s the full list of players suspended for the incident:
Players Out For Four Games
Offensive lineman Brian Anderson
Defensive end Malik Carney
Wide receiver Beau Corrales
Defensive end Tomon Fox
Defensive end Tyrone Hopper
Offensive lineman Quiron Johnson
Linebacker Malik Robinson
Quarterback Chazz Surratt
Offensive lineman Jordan Tucker
Players Out for Two Games
Defensive back Greg Ross
Defensive back Tre Shaw
Players Out for One Game
Quarterback Jack Davidson
Offensive lineman Jonah Melton
