CHARLOTTESVILLE
Peter Lalich did not enter Charlottesville General District Court on Thursday with the idea that his University of Virginia football career was hanging in the balance.
Otherwise, there would have been no sense in asking for his probation hearing to be moved up from Sept. 26 to Sept. 18.
“I asked for that,” said Lalich’s attorney, Tim Heaphy, who was surprised by U.Va.’s decision to dismiss Lalich from the team. “I wanted it to be resolved sooner rather than later.”
Virginia is scheduled to visit Duke for a football game Sept. 27 and Lalich had been practicing as if he might regain his spot as the Cavaliers’ starting quarterback.
“My goal was to get it past him,” Heaphy said today. “Hopefully, he would return to the field and the whole thing would be over with, with a full week’s time before the next game.”
Lalich, originally charged with underage alcohol possession, told judge Robert Downer Jr. that he had consumed alcohol during a probationary period starting July 21. Downer expressed his disapproval and then continued the case until July 21 of next year.
Hours later, Lalich learned in a meeting with athletic director Craig Littlepage that he would be dismissed from the team.
“I spoke to Littlepage in the morning in the interest of coordination,” said Heaphy. “He said that there would potentially be consequences for participation.
“I didn’t know what that meant. I don’t represent (Lalich) at U.Va.; I represent him with the court. I had no idea it would be a dismissal from the team. I learned when the rest of the world did, well, maybe a little earlier through Peter.”
As it turns out, they could have held the hearing Sept. 26.
“Exactly,” Heaphy said. “I can tell you, I was surprised. Again, my goal and Peter’s goal was to clear this up and get back to normal. That ‘normal’ includes being the starting quarterback at UVa.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as if that is possible. I think Peter did a courageous thing, which is admit his mistake, which is difficult for anybody to do, particularly in the glare of public scrutiny.”
Heaphy gave no indication that there is a legal recourse for getting Lalich back on the football team.
“All he’s doing right now is sorting out his options and I don’t think he’s very far along in that process,” Heaphy said. “Those options are to stay here as a student and return to the field or take it elsewhere. We haven’t specifically talked about what his legal rights are. He has not been kicked out of school.”
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Something else going on?
Well obviously there must be something else going on at campus. You don't just kick a starting quarterback off the team for underage drinking. 99.9% of the team would have to go then! At least he admitted it, is taking his lumps legally. The school should do a suspension from a number of games, and put him on honor parole at the school. Do it again and your gone. So if they are getting rid of him now, then perhaps there is something else going on. Doesn't seem to me that U.VA would be so strict and unforgiving that they would kick a kid off the team for one infraction.
Probtionary Period?
The reporter Forgot to include what Crime the Probationary Period was for. Just curious.
Please....
I guess this attorney expected 3 or 4 more chances for his client because he's an "athlete". This is UVa, not Florida State.
He admitted guilt
He admitted guilt and can't play ball. Sooooo. Wasn't kicked out of school, not in jail. He can't play a game and we should feel sorry for him? He broke the law, might as well learn sooner rather than later. And if others do it, and I'm sure they do, hopefully they'll be "sanctioned" also. Time to grow up and take responsibility for your actions, we all need to do that.