Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 Source: State, The (SC) Copyright: 2003 The State Contact: http://www.thestate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/426 Author: Joseph Person EX-USC PLAYER READY TO GET ON WITH HIS LIFE After plea bargain, Boo Williams faces probation stemming from drug arrest Stuck in legal limbo for nearly three years, former South Carolina football player Boo Williams has to wait a few weeks before resuming his life. Fifth Circuit Court Judge G. Thomas Cooper said Tuesday he was inclined to sentence Williams to probation after the ex-Gamecocks tailback pleaded guilty to a lesser charge stemming from a marijuana arrest in July of 2000. Officials from the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's office said the case was delayed so long because co-defendant Kevin Johnson, who also played football for USC, has been a fugitive since September of 2001. Williams, 25, told prosecutors he would testify against his former teammate in the event that Johnson is apprehended. In exchange, deputy solicitor John Meadors agreed to drop a trafficking charge to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Williams also is charged with possession with intent to distribute within a half mile of a school or park. Cooper asked for a presentence investigation to determine what probation options would be available to Williams in Georgia, where Williams lives in his hometown of Blackshear. Cooper said he would announce Williams' probationary sentence within two to three weeks. "I just want a second chance in life, whether it being playing football or just having a regular job going to work every day," Williams said during the hearing. "I want to move on. It's been three years. I've just been standing still like a clock with a dead battery." Williams was arrested on July 22, 2000, after he and Johnson returned from Texas with more than 40 pounds of marijuana, according to assistant solicitor Eddie Donnald. Law enforcement officials stopped Johnson's car on Rosewood Drive and found 20 pounds of marijuana in it, Donnald said. Hours later, Richland County Sheriff's deputies arrested Williams after discovering another 22 pounds of marijuana at the apartment Williams and Johnson shared on Saluda River Road. Williams told officials that he made $200 serving as a runner on the Texas trip with Johnson, whom Williams characterized as the drug dealer. Williams, who had $200 with him at the time of his arrest, passed a polygraph test to that effect, Donnald said. Joe Chaplin, Williams' attorney, said Williams came from a good family that offered him financial support. "He had no need for $200 or $500," Chaplin said. "Everyone was helping him along and he was doing something to be doing it." Chaplin said he told Williams to sever ties with Johnson and that his client has had no contact with Johnson since the time of their arrests. Officials issued a warrant for Johnson two years ago after the Brooklyn, N.Y., native failed to show for a court appearance. Johnson, a seldom-used lineman who transferred to USC from a junior college, has not been heard from since. Recruited by former Gamecocks coach Brad Scott, Williams was a crowd favorite as a running back and kickoff returner from 1996-99 at USC, where fans often chanted his nickname after a big play. Williams rushed for 853 career yards, but was supplanted at tailback by then-freshman Derek Watson during a senior season that was cut short due to a knee injury. Chaplin said Williams was scheduled to visit the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent two days after his arrest. Instead, Williams called former Jets coach Bill Parcells to tell him he'd been arrested, Chaplin said. Williams completed his USC degree in African-American studies in 2001, then spent six months playing pro football in Italy in 2002, Williams said through Chaplin after Tuesday's hearing. Williams, who declined to comment directly, told Cooper he also has worked at a juvenile correctional facility in Jacksonville, Fla. Cooper said Williams' lack of a prior record helped convince him probation was appropriate. "I want to tailor it and custom-fit it to Mr. Williams' abilities," Cooper said. "He's a college graduate. Perhaps (he can) do something to affect young people's lives and make something good out of this difficult situation." Williams could have faced up to 15 years in jail or fines totaling $55,000 if he had received the maximum sentence on both charges. Chaplin said he was pleased with Cooper's decision, adding that Williams would follow the terms of his probation "to the letter," whether it is served in South Carolina or Georgia. "I think the judge took everything under consideration and made an appropriate decision," Chaplin said, "even going a step further to get a little more information to make his decision even more viable." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh