Cunningham
GAINESVILLE — A food fight landed University of Florida defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, a former teammate and a world-class sprinter who played receiver at LSU in jail early Wednesday morning.
Cunningham and former Florida linebacker Jon Demps were arrested at 2:49 a.m. and charged with a count each of misdemeanor battery. Police later arrested professional sprinter Xavier “Pee-Wee” Carter and charged him with resisting an officer. Cunningham is the 10th Florida player arrested or cited since the national title game on Jan. 8.
According to a Gainesville police report, the men threw cups and food at a Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches employee after the employee asked Cunningham, a 19-year-old sophomore who is tied for the team lead in sacks with 6.5, to pay for a bag of potato chips. According to a menu from the store’s Web site, a bag of chips costs $1.
After employee Alphonso Johnson asked Cunningham to pay, according to the report, Cunningham got angry.
“The defendant struck the victim with empty soda cups he threw at him,” the report said, “while the co-defendant [Demps] threw a sandwich at the victim, also striking him.”
The report did not specify exactly what kind of sandwich struck the victim.
Cunningham and Demps, 19, fled the scene, according to the report, but they were apprehended 33 minutes later on the UF campus.
As officers attempted to stop Cunningham and Demps, they noticed a third man running away and ordered him to stop. They identified that man as Carter, a 21-year-old former LSU receiver who now runs track professionally. In July 2006, Carter — a Mebourne Palm Bay High teammate of former Gators Reggie Nelson and Joe Cohen — ran the second fastest 200-meter dash (19.63 seconds) in history at a meet in Switzerland. According to a blog post on his Web site, Carter recently moved to Gainesville to train with Florida track coach Mike Holloway.
Demps, a linebacker from Pensacola, was dismissed from the Gators in February.
Cunningham did not immediately return a voicemail left on his mobile phone. Gators coach Urban Meyer said after Wednesday’s practice that he is still gathering information. He said he hadn’t yet decided on a punishment.
“Once I know the whole thing, I’ll let you know what we’re going to do. I’ll let you know how serious it was,” Meyer said. “I’m kind of getting some reports. ... Complete ignorance is what it sounds like. I guess in my world, I’ve got to deal with a lot of ignorance, you know?”
Tribune correspondent Jenna Marina contributed to this report.
Posted by Iris Fleat, Tampa on 12/10 at 03:04 PM
Just think if the sandwich was laced with razor blades and the drinks with nail polish remover.
Posted by Paul Pritchett, New Orleans, La. on 12/06 at 05:27 PM
He should have let Carter grab the chips. He would have been gone before the employee noticed!!
Posted by Susan Dambrell, Lake Placid on 12/06 at 10:11 AM
Andy - Thanks for the info, insight, and my daily Staples LOL.
Posted by TONE, on 12/05 at 09:39 PM
CHAMPS, HUH? MORE LIKE CHUMPS, LOL
Posted by Steven W. Hair, Clw on 12/05 at 06:26 PM
Salami, Salami, Baloney!
If you have any clue what I’m talking about, you are at least 50 Years old.
Posted by Bruce W Galle, Tampa on 12/05 at 05:50 PM
No one ever accused a Gator FB player of being smart off the field. They were from LSU so what could you say!
The Gator program has a history of dismissing these things. Meyer has a poor reputation on discipline off the field.
He should eb suspended for the Bowl game and then let him go back in Spring drills.
This is an absolute NO BRAINER, but let’s see what happens.
Posted by Aaron Pinhas, Birmingham, AL on 12/05 at 05:12 PM
As a person who lives more than 50 miles for the nearest Jimmy John’s, I find this atrocity unforgivable. I hope they kick him off the team.
Posted by Mark White, Tampa on 12/05 at 04:27 PM
Andy, those of us with half a sense of humor ALSO wanted to know what kind of sandwich is was…
Posted by Mary Costello, Tampa on 12/05 at 04:14 PM
who cares what type of sandwich it was?
Posted by steve jones, brandon on 12/05 at 04:04 PM
Cut him, zero tolerance for these dummies, let them go to jail and think about how to treat people. BLACK or WHITE
Posted by Urban Meyer, Gainesville, FL on 12/05 at 03:58 PM
We will conduct an investigation on this event and issue our standard punishment for an arrest ... he will not be permitted to play any games from May through July.
He is the top 1% of the 1%
Posted by S Molter, Tampa on 12/05 at 03:48 PM
What a sad society we live in when college students are arrested for throwing an empty cup and a sandwich. What a waste of tax payers money!! You would think they (the police) would have better things to do like go after killers or rapists. But hey, at least the police got 2 violent eaters off the streets.
Posted by V Nelson, Sarasota on 12/05 at 03:10 PM
Andy-
If it was hard salami, it could have left a mark.
Posted by Brittany Bentz, Dade city on 12/05 at 02:33 PM
hahhahahahhahaahhahaa
Posted by Wallace Sterling, tampa on 12/05 at 01:51 PM
Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest!!!! More negative publicity for UF and the Gator Football Team. Hope Meyer dismisses this troublemaker, talented, though he may be, from the team!!
Posted by Donald Yow, Palmetto on 12/05 at 01:35 PM
I was curious as to what sandwich he was struck with. Excelent reporting Andy.
Posted by dan suarez, tampa, fl on 12/05 at 01:27 PM
and all the starving children in china!!!
Posted by 2blk2strng, Tampa on 12/05 at 01:22 PM
Willing to bet Cunningham will suit for the Bowl game; and this incident will be swept under a rug. I guess if you ain’t Gator you’re Gator bait.
Posted by Todd, Tampa on 12/05 at 01:19 PM
Was that a joke about the type of sandwich was thrown? It was damn funny!
Posted by V Nelson, Sarasota on 12/05 at 12:43 PM
“The report did not specify exactly what kind of sandwich struck the victim.”
You have got to be kidding me! Where do they get these writers?
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