Washington CB Marcus Peters dismissed from program (Update)
Update: 11/6 1:45 p.m. ET
Washington head coach Chris Petersen confirmed Peters’ dismissal after the team’s Thursday practice.
“It’s never one thing. We’re not going to dismiss a guy because it’s one thing,” Petersen said. “That’s not what we’re in this business (to be) about. But when you feel like it just can’t work, you gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”
“It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got certain standards and operating procedures. We’re trying to do something special here. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Like I said, we wish him the best. It’s always a hard thing — worst part of the job, without question. And with all that being said, that’s really it. That’s it in a nutshell. I know everybody wants the details and other things — we don’t go there; we can’t go there. But like I said, we wish him the best, and it’s hard and painful.”
In a release, Washington said it will keep Peters on scholarship “through the completion of his education.”
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Washington’s top defensive back has reportedly been dismissed from the team.
According to a report from Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, junior Marcus Peters was booted from the team after getting in an argument with an assistant coach during Wednesday’s practice. It apparently was not the first time Peters got into it with a coach.
Per the Times:
Peters got into an argument with an assistant coach during practice Wednesday, a source said, apparently the final straw in a series of run-ins with Washington’s new coaching staff. He also got into an argument with coaches during UW’s victory at Colorado on Saturday and then missed practice on Tuesday, sources said.
Peters, a three-year starter, was suspended earlier in the season for a “sideline outburst in which he threw his helmet and gloves” against Eastern Washington. Later in the game, Peters was flagged for a personal foul for head-butting an EWU wideout. Huskies’ first-year head coach Chris Petersen called the penalty “stupid.”
The 6-foot, 190-pound Peters is now the ninth player either dismissed or suspended by Petersen since February. He led the Huskies with three interceptions and 10 passes defended. He also registered 30 total tackles, including four tackles for loss.
In 2013, Peters made 55 tackles and intercepted five passes en route to second-team all-Pac 12 honors. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Peters made 44 tackles and had three interceptions.
With Peters out of the equation, the Huskies’ defensive backfield becomes even thinner.
From the Times:
The Huskies were already thin in the secondary even before Peters’ dismissal, having lost two defensive backs to season-ending injuries. They had even asked sophomore receiver John Ross IIIto help out as a nickel cornerback this week. Two true freshmen, cornerback Sidney Jones and free safety Budda Baker, have been starting in UW’s secondary. A third true freshman, Naijiel Hale, could take over Peters’ starting role against No. 18 UCLA on Saturday. UW’s only other scholarship cornerback available, Darren Gardenhire, is also a true freshman.
The Huskies, now 6-3 after beating Colorado over the weekend, will host No. 18 UCLA on Saturday.
For more Washington news, visit TheDawgReport.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
