Chris Culliver’s latest off-field issue is his most serious yet. The young cornerback was arrested in San Jose, California on Friday afternoon and charged with myriad of different felonies. The laundry list of charges include hit and run and felony possession of brass knuckles…yeah those still exist.
A witness followed Culliver after the hit and run. According to this report from a local Fox affiliate in the Bay Area, the following occurred…
Authorities said Culliver got out of his car, threatened the eyewitness with brass knuckles and then got back into his vehicle and fled. In the process, he struck the eyewitness’ car.
It’s not enough that Culliver fled the scene of an accident, he actually made the decision to threaten a good samaritan in the process. If you remember correctly, the former third-round pick out of South Carolina had previously drawn flack around the football world for homophobic remarks that he made prior to San Francisco’s Super Bowl appearance following the 2012 season.
And there’s your Chris Culliver mug shot. (h/t @mercnews) pic.twitter.com/KQFIRAz0TX
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) March 29, 2014
If San Francisco wants to be above reproach, as head coach Jim Harbaugh indicated prior to the 2013 season, it needs to act and act now. While there is something to be said about due process, the magnitude of Culliver’s actions yesterday tells us a story of a troubled young man who needs some help. That help should come in the form of the 49ers showing him the door just a couple days after it was reported the two sides were in discussions about a contract extension.
There is no room in the game of football and on the 49ers roster for this type of behavior.
Before you call me out for utilizing some sort of double standard, I also called for Aldon Smith’s year-long suspension after he was arrested for a DUI early in the 2013 season. Class organizations don’t put up with this crap, no matter what it means on the football field. Sure, San Francisco is thin at cornerback and was relying on Culliver to be a starter next year. That’s not really the point here. At what cost are the 49ers willing to win?
We should have an answer to this question in the not-so-distant-future.
Photo: Kirby Lee, USA Today