The Virginia football program's rebuilding process began by subtraction yesterday when Al Groh announced that Ahmad Brooks, Tony Franklin and Vince Redd have been dismissed from the team.
"It is a privilege, and not a right, to wear a Cavalier jersey and to represent our university community," Groh said. "There are certain things that are vital to putting your team together every year, and those things become in sharper focus and multiplied when you're in a rebuilding circumstance."
In February, Brooks was suspended from the team for the spring semester as a result of a failed drug test.
Franklin and Redd were among four players who were suspended for a violation of team policy for the Cavaliers' win over Georgia Tech Nov. 12, 2005.
Both Brooks and Franklin have had turbulent careers at Virginia. In May 2003, Brooks was charged with possession of marijuana but pleaded no contest and the charges were dismissed in Jan. 2004.
Franklin was arrested Dec. 4, 2005 and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. He did not travel with the team to Nashville, Tenn. for the Music City Bowl.
In 2004, Brooks was a first-team All-American and finalist for the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. Despite being projected as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, he opted to return for his junior season in 2005.
A slow recovery from offseason knee surgery in March 2005 kept him out of the first three games of this past season. He only participated in six games and recorded just 27 tackles.
Brooks is no longer eligible to declare for the NFL Draft to be held on April 29-30, but can still enter the NFL's Supplemental Draft.
Last season, Franklin started 10 games for the Cavaliers, racking up 39 solo tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. In 2004, he led all ACC cornerbacks in tackles with 78, a mark that is also the most ever recorded by a Virginia cornerback.
Redd appeared in 10 games in 2005 for the Cavaliers as a defensive end. He recorded 16 total tackles over the course of the season, including nine tackles in the team's victory over Minnesota on Dec. 30.
With spring practice beginning today, the Cavaliers' rebuilding process takes on an even greater degree of difficulty. Both Brooks and Franklin were starters last year and Redd was projected to play a major role on the defensive line in 2006. Groh is confident that the team will move on from the incident and remain focused on preparing for the Sept. 1 opener at Pittsburgh.
"I think it's essential that we have the discipline within our organization to do the things that we think are done the right way and not just to take talent for talent's sake," Groh said.
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