Florida Suspends Player For Eye Gouge
UF Linebacker Brandon Spikes To Miss Half Of Vanderbilt Game
POSTED: Tuesday, November 3, 2009
UPDATED: 9:27 am EST November 3,
2009
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida coach Urban Meyer has suspended Brandon Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt after the star linebacker attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in a 41-17 victory.
Meyer said Spikes was retaliating after getting his eye poked earlier in the game.
A video clip of the incident, which has been posted on YouTube and other sites, created a buzz across the Internet. The video shows Spikes putting his hand in Ealey's facemask, while Ealey can be seen apparently trying to reach for Spikes' hand.
Spikes is fourth on the team with 42 tackles and has three sacks.
He decided to return for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft. The team's defensive captain has missed most of two games this season with an injured groin. He played only a series against Arkansas and sat out the entire game at Mississippi State on Oct. 24.
Copyright 2009 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.