UGA Defensive Back Kicked Off Of Team After Arrest

ATHENS, GA -- Freshman defensive back Chad Clay has been kicked off of the UGA football team following his second arrest since joining the Bulldogs.

"Unfortunately, Chad will no longer be a part of our football program,” head coach Kirby Smart said in a statement. "It is very disappointing, and we wish him the best in his efforts to continue his education."

Clay, 19, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with theft by taking -- a misdemeanor.

He is accused of stealing a pair of Apple headphones at UGA's Ramsey Student Center. The headphones are valued at $30.

According to jail records, Clay was booked into Athens-Clarke County Jail at 6:04 p.m. Wednesday and released at 7:17 p.m. on a $1,500 bond.

It was the second time Clay has been on the wrong end of the law in the past four months.

He was arrested, with teammate Julian Rochester, in an incident in which the pair were accused of firing BB guns on campus and doing damage to property.

That case is still pending.

Clay is from Suwanee and played his high-school ball at Peachtree Ridge. The 6-1, 180-pound freshman had enrolled at UGA in January and was hoping to earn playing time alongside more veteran teammates in the Bulldogs' coming season.