There’s some additional, interesting fallout from a bizarre set of circumstances this offseason.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney is one of six Florida Gator football players facing university discipline following an on-campus confrontation in late May with a Gainesville-area gambler named Devante’ “Tay Bang” Zachery and his associates that involved airsoft guns that looked like real rifles, a frying pan, a baseball bat and rocks. The two groups had a beef that dated back to February and escalated from there when one football player was allegedly knocked out by one of Zachery’s friends during a bar altercation on the Fourth of July.
A little over two weeks later, the vehicle which Toney was driving and in which UF defensive back Brian Edwards was a passenger was pulled over by Gainesville Police Department officers for seat belt violations.
According to the Gainesville Sun, the officers found a real AR-15 rifle in Toney’s backseat. The police report stated that “Toney told police he bought the rifle and had it with him ‘for protection because of the locals.’”
Whether the locals referenced included Zachery, who told police he gave rental car discounts to UF football players, creating potential NCAA issues, and his crew are unclear at the moment.
The players were briefly detained and handcuffed as the officers cleared the weapon and searched the vehicle. No criminal charges, however, were filed at the time of the traffic stop, and the Sun writes that “State Attorney Bill Cervone said Tuesday he doesn’t expect any charges to be filed based on the information GPD provided.”
Toney’s 15 catches for 152 yards were both fourth on the Gators last season. Just what university punishment Toney and his teammates have received or will receive is not known.
Head coach Dan Mullen is expected to address the media Thursday morning ahead of the Gators’ kicking off summer camp.
