Oklahoma football signee Josh Jarboe told an Atlanta television station Thursday that he's still planning on coming to OU despite being charged with two felony gun counts late last week.
Advertisement
"I still have my scholarship, I'm still going to Oklahoma,” Jarboe told JaQuitta Williams of WSB-TV. "If I don't go to Oklahoma, I'm going somewhere.
"This isn't fixing to just stop me.”
Jarboe, 18, was charged in DeKalb County, Ga., with theft by receiving a gun and carrying a weapon within a school safety zone stemming from a March 6 arrest.
"If you know me, (you know) I'm a good person,” Jarboe said. "This is just a speed bump that has slowed me down.
"I'm going to get up out of this and go on doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”
According to the police report, Jarboe and James Davis, 17, drove into the Cedar Grove High School parking lot about 3:30 p.m.
An assistant principal claims he then saw Jarboe grab a silver and black handgun from the back of Davis' car and tuck it into the waistband of his pants.
Police said the gun, a 380 caliber pistol, was loaded and stolen.
"I ain't never been in trouble. Never been,” Jarboe said. "I was getting dropped off for my track meet. It was in his car. That's it.”
Sooner coach Bob Stoops has declined to comment on the charges until the legal process plays out.
Jarboe was ranked the No. 10 high school wide receiver in the nation before signing with the Sooners in February.
The two felony charges leveled against Jarboe could carry stiff penalties.
Under Georgia gun laws, the minimum sentence for being convicted of bringing a gun to school property is two years in prison.
In addition, federal gun laws mandate that any student found guilty of bringing a gun to school must be expelled for at least one year.
Jarboe has been suspended from Cedar Grove pending a school hearing on the incident.
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
WASHINGTON — For more than 30 years, handguns have been banned in the nation's capital. Residents here can own shotguns and rifles, but they have to be unloaded and either disassembled or fixed with a trigger lock, so what's going to happen to Mr. Jarboe for his actions????
This will be my last post on this issue, as I feel all points have been made. I think you make some very strong points Cody, and despite what you may think I'm not hoping for OU's demise. I guess the point I was trying to make was, if this issue is long and drawn out (as legal issues tend to be) is it worth taking the risk of having this kid on campus in the mean time? What if it happens again? In a cost-benefit analysis, I see keeping him away from Norman far outweighing his superstar potential. Let's be honest, OU's season won't sink if this kid isn't there. I'd be willing to guess that they are pretty deep in the WR position.
I'm confident Stoops will do the right thing when it comes time to do so. Cody is right, a knee-jerk reaction is not the right move. If there turns out to be substance to these charges, he won't be in Norman when summer practice starts.
Fact case pending, fact .380 caliber pistol, was loaded and stolen, fact eye witness saw one Josh Jarboe place said .380 under his shirt....this is all public record DeKalb County, Georgia!!!!
Cody, Tulsa, You're a wise man. I agree with you wholeheartedly. In this day, it is so easy to jump on the bandwagon and call for someone's head before all of the facts are in. I'm guessing whenever a gun is found in someone's possession on or near a campus, it strikes a nerve across this country. Admittedly, I have also fallen victim to that "call for their heads" mentality. To that extent, I apologize to anyone I may have offended referencing the Jarboe Incident.To this extent, I hope that all of the facts come to light before I, myself, make any more prejudgements. I'm hopeful of a positive outcome.. Boomer Sooner
Duke University administrators have also been down that road before... the road where you act immediately before allowing due process to run its course. Do you know what they call said administrators? Unemployed.
Mister, Bogata, do you understand what your post is suggesting? Hopefully your post will be removed before somebody from outside this state mistakenly believes your post to be an indoctrination of the beliefs of all Oklahomans.
Ricky, Norman, I'm not quite sure why I am justifying your post with a response, but here it is. I feel confident that I represent the bulk of those who will read your post when I say, "What?" First of all, news posted 5 minutes ago is commonly followed 5 minutes later with a retraction and apology by the legal department, desperately hoping to have maneuvered their way out of a lawsuit. I never said OU should roll out the "Welcome" mat. I, also, never stated that this kid is innocent. What I am trying to help you understand is that, in this instance the only way to ensure that you do not make the wrong decision is to PUBLICLY make no decision at all. Behind closed doors Stoops can voice whatever opinion he has about this kid and his impending court case, but not publicly. Public reprimand by Stoops would potentially expose him and the university he represents to future legal issues. Stoops' reputation as a no non-sense disciplinarian is well documented. As a result, I'm sure he would enjoy nothing more than to kick this kid off of his team immediately. But, being the wise man that he is, he understands the situation and the reason why his decision must publicly wait.
Young black men from the southeast US were recently charged in the senseless murders of two coeds in that region of the country recently. A young black man with a stolen gun is a scary , scary thing. Do YOU want your daughter sharing a campus with these thugs ? ? ?
Larry, Bedford, thank you for reminding me. The Duke University's handling of the members of the lacrosse team is the perfect example of the potential ramifications of not waiting for the legal process to play out. As a result, all universities now strictly adhere to the advice of their aforementioned (in a previous post) legal staff, regardless of how this may be portrayed by the media and/or public. Besides, if this kid is as guilty as some have suggested (I, too, feel he is guilty), it will not be Stoops' decision to make. Inevitably, the court's ruling will determine the fate of this kid's OU scholarship (hard to keep your scholarship when relegated to the confines of a 8' by 9' cell, only made harder by being required to wear the wrong uniform, an orange jumpsuit). From a self-serving standpoint, who could fault Stoops? To my knowledge, he has never had much recruiting success in the state of Georgia, and the potential negative publicity garnered by publicly showing a lack of support for this kid would only hinder future recruiting of the plethora of talented athletes typically found in this state. Letting the legal system play the role of the bad guy in this situation is the right move from every standpoint.
Cody from Tulsa, their was nothing good about the horse drawn wagon days. I was never in them but did receive from a family estate a farm and in 2013 that will be a Centenial Farm. Now this is 2008 which means news is posted 5 minutes ago 10 minutes ago and this young man should not receive a University of Oklahoma welcome. If those are the types this young man have to say tell say 5 years from now...meaning 2013 a sports reporter ask the question???? If you had not played at The University of Oklahoma who would you have signed with.???? And again I am going to anser the question ELSE WHERE UNIVERSITY!!!!
In response to those calling for this kid's immediate dismissal by Stoops -- Let me take you on a brief journey into the 21st century where, unlike the good 'ol days when people commuted by horse drawn wagon, there are strict procedures one must abide by due to the enormous amount of lawyers chomping at the bit waiting for you to make a mistake. If Stoops were to kick this kid to the curb and (regardless of how unlikely you or anybody else may believe this to be) the kid was later found innocent of all charges, Stoops would place him and his University in unprecedented legal hot water. Undoubtedly, Jarboe would have no problem choosing a lawyer from the inevitable line of lawyers the length of the Nile River, ending at his front door. Maybe--JUST, MAYBE--you, too, know of a few lawyers willing to represent a kid found innocent by the court's ruling, but not by a highly visible public figure who controlled the fate of the kid's college football career. Whether we think the kid is innocent or not, the court of public opinion is not a valid defense when you are being sued. Legally, Stoops is doing the right thing by not doing or saying anything, which I assure you is a result of a staff of legal experts advising him on this matter. After being enlightened as to how such reckless, cavalier behavior could jeopardize not only Stoops, but the university he represents, if you still feel Stoops should immediately revoke Jarboe's scholarship, I'm guessing you're probably that same person wishing upon a star for the demise of OU football.
The car didn't belong to Jarboe it belonged to the other kid. It may have gone down as described or wrong place wrong time. I know everyone of us when we get in a car with a friend we know for a fact what is and what is not in that car. Just because a school official said so doesn't make it so. He may well be guilty as sin, but what if he isn't, would you want your kid punished for something he did not do. Do any of you people remember DUKE UNIVERSITY and kids lives that were hurt when everyone knew these spoiled rich white kid had to be guilty!!
Ricky, Norman - Virginia Tech was and still is actively recruiting Josh Jarboe. Also, after the truth gets out about the gun being a starter pistol for his track meet, I believe all parties involved will be able to laugh about it.
To my knowledge, a .380 cal handgun is similar to a Walther PPK...I think starter pistols used for track events are either .22's or .32's with crimped shells...Like I said, I'm not an expert, but the .380 is normally used for concealment purposes...Boomer Sooner
Hey Gary, the word on the streets is Gundy is now recruiting Jarboe. It will be great if OSU can land this guy. He will be a crowd favorite after he scores. Dave Hunziker will yell "Pistols Firing" and Jarboe on cue will pull the gun from his waistband and fire away. It's gonna be great!! The only downfall will be all the 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
The fact of the issue is call a GUN...not a track starter pistol but a GUN so if you people posting ever ran track and I did know what a track starter pistol looks like!!!! The fact that it was a GUN reinforces the fact that Virginia Tech would not be any place Mr. Jarboe would be welcome at nor should The University of Oklahoma be sending out the welcome sign. ELSE WHERE UNIVERSITY!!!!!
Manny, Pampa - A .380 caliber pistol is the same thing as a starter pistol. Do a little gun research before you post. Brad, Purcell- Is it a fur coat you are missing?
Just another athlete with a ton of talent but no heart. If he does come to OU just don't let the kid anywhere near Granger. They might go off on a crime spree. Speaking of Granger, has anyone seen my coat?
OU fans are calling for Stoops to get rid of him too Gary. If it makes you feel better to pull OSU down go ahead. I think most people are concerned about safety, and having kids on the team and campus who aren't going to shoot people. Forgive me for caring about the safety of others.
Fourth of July Page
Share your July 4th photos with NewsOK and view other stories and videos.
Related to this story
Articles
Jarboe dismissed from OU football team 08/01/2008 NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops announced Friday that he has dismissed freshman wide receiver Josh Jarboe from the team.
“We...
67
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).