South Alabama Suspends Maleki Harris for First Half of Georgia State Homecoming Game
South Alabama head coach Joey Jones suspended senior linebacker Maleki Harris for the first half of the Oct. 18 homecoming game against Georgia State over his reaction to the crowd after a targeting ejection at Appalachian State.
MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama senior linebacker Maleki Harris will sit out the first half of the Jaguars’ Oct. 18 homecoming game against Georgia State, head coach Joey Jones announced, as additional discipline following Harris’ ejection for targeting at Appalachian State.
Discipline Beyond the Rule
Harris was ejected in the first half of South Alabama’s 47-21 win over Appalachian State last weekend. Under the targeting rule, he would have been eligible to play the full game against Georgia State. After reviewing film of the game, Jones chose to suspend him for the first half against the Panthers.
“Upon reviewing the film, we do not condone Maleki’s reaction to the crowd after committing a targeting foul in the Appalachian State game,” Jones told AL.com. “He understands that he made a mistake and that what he did doesn’t represent the University of South Alabama in a first-class way.”
Jones added that Harris “has been a model student-athlete for the past four years” and said the program is confident he will learn from the incident.
Sun Belt Commissioner Responds
Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson praised the decision. “I commend South Alabama head coach Joey Jones and director of athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann for taking institutional action,” Benson said. “This clearly demonstrates that the South Alabama athletics program is committed to the values of sportsmanship and fair play.”
Harris’ Season
Harris ranks second on the team with 36 tackles, including 16 solo stops. He has four tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, an interception and a quarterback hurry. He was a preseason second-team All-Sun Belt selection by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports and represented the Jaguars at Sun Belt Media Day in July.
Up Next
South Alabama (3-2, 2-1 Sun Belt) is off this weekend. The Jaguars return to Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, to face Georgia State in the homecoming game, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.
