DUI charges dropped for Trevor Etienne offseason arrest

Trevor Etienne‘s offseason troubles appear to have come to an end. Appearing in Athens-Clarke County court on Wednesday for a hearing related to his spring arrest, Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald reports that the star running back’s charges for DUI less safe and DUI under 21 were dismissed. Etienne also pled no contest to a reckless driving charge from the morning of March 24th and guilty for underage possession of alcohol, failure to maintain lane and a window tint violation.

Etienne received 12 months of probation, an $852 fine as well as a $45 per month supervision fee. He will have to complete a substance abuse evaluation, 40 hours of community service, an alcohol risk reduction program and is subject to random drug and alcohol screenings.

The judge in Etienne’s case was reportedly told “there was minimal evidence of intoxication” to go forward with the charge of a driving under the influence. Etienne admitted to drinking earlier in the night but supposedly refused field sobriety and blood alcohol tests after his arrest. Attorney Kim Stephens, who represented Etienne, told the Athens Banner-Herald the following: “We’re pleased the evidence didn’t support the DUI charge to begin with. We’re pleased the Solicitor’s Office saw that and agreed to something that wasn’t a DUI … The likelihood is that the refusal of the test would not have been admissible. In fact, Trevor agreed to take a breath test at one point during the stop but was never given an opportunity.”

The news of Etienne’s dropped charges comes just a day after Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy made headlines at Big 12 Media Days for his handling of a suspicion of DUI arrest for Cowboys’ running back Ollie Gordon. Gundy brought the preseason All-American with him to Las Vegas as a player representative at the event. He spoke on plans to play Gordon in the season-opener, saying he’s going to do what he thinks is best for Oklahoma State football. “I think it’s best for Ollie to play,” Gundy told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “If there’s any punishment, it’s making him carry the ball 50 times in the first game.”

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will speak with reporters next Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Dallas. Questions about Etienne’s status for the season-opener against ACC favorite Clemson are expected to be asked. Smart addressed the issue in the spring immediately following the arrest saying, “In addition to our university discipline process, we’ve got all of the stuff we deal with inside house. Disappointed in his decision-making, but he is a good kid.”

Etienne spent the last two seasons at Florida before transferring to Georgia in the offseason. The younger brother of former Clemson standout and Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Etienne, Trevor chose the Gators out of high school looking to do something different. LSU, Clemson and Georgia were among schools considered throughout the process.

In two seasons with the Gators, Etienne proved to be one of the SEC’s top backs. He finished second on Florida’s roster in rushing in back to back seasons, topping the 700-yard mark each year and totaling a combined 1,472 yards and 15 touchdowns. Only making matters more impressive is the fact that he did it in a two-headed workhorse backfield alongside Montrell Johnson. Etienne averaged more yards per attempt than Johnson with 6.09 as a freshman and 5.75 as a sophomore. He also managed to add a dynamic ability as a pass catcher.

Etienne put together an impressive spring at Georgia aside from his off field incident. That didn’t stop his head coach and teammates from praising him.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him. I think he’s a great kid, great person. We’ve gotten to know his family. He enjoys being coached. He’s a bright kid and we push him hard out there. He really loves the competition, but as we also know, sometimes kids don’t make the best decisions,” Kirby Smart said. “The older you get, sometimes the tougher the consequences are for your mistakes. He’s not going to let this mistake define him. He’s embarrassed, upset and knows he made a mistake. It’s a teaching moment, and we hope he gets better from it … Disappointed in his decision making, but he is a good kid.”

“Everything that we heard about Etienne before he got here has held true,” Smart added on a separate occasion. “He’s a tremendous leader, he’s a high-character kid. He immediately surges into a leadership role because he’s not a first-year player. He’s been in our league, he’s been in our conference, he has standards and expectations and he’s high character, and he’s proven that in the time he’s been here.”