When Emmanuel Moody walked through the Florida football offices Sunday, he came upon a welcome sight waiting in the hallway.
Without any team announcement, suspended slot receiver Chris Rainey was back with the Gators.
“He just popped up at Sunday meetings,” Moody said. “The first time I saw him, he was just sitting with his arms crossed in the hallway, looking up at me and smiling, saying, ‘I’m back man.’ I gave him a hug. It’s really good to have Chris back.”
But Rainey — suspended since a Sept. 14 arrest on felony stalking charges — isn’t fully back. He practiced Sunday but still has a few hurdles to clear before he gets back on the playing field.
In a statement released Tuesday, UF coach Urban Meyer said Rainey won’t participate this weekend against Mississippi State.
“Chris Rainey is working toward being part of our football team again,” Meyer said. “I’m disappointed that he violated a core value of our program, but he continues to pay a price for his actions. Chris will have to meet a set of conditions to become a part of our team again, and although he is practicing, he will not play this weekend.
The timetable for his return will depend on his ability to follow the guidelines we have laid out for him.”
Rainey’s legal troubles arose from a late-night spat with an ex-girlfriend, which culminated in him sending her a text message that read, “Time to Die [expletive].”
The victim appeared in court the next day, saying she never felt threatened and didn’t want Rainey to be prosecuted.
On Sept. 27, Rainey accepted deferred prosecution from the state attorney, reducing the charge to a misdemeanor. It will be dropped altogether if he maintains good behavior and meets public service and financial obligations.
“I am embarrassed and sorry for my actions and I apologize to everyone that I affected by my behavior,” Rainey said in a statement. “I’m working towards being a part of the Florida football program again, and I realize that representing this university is a privilege. I have spent the last several weeks reflecting on my actions and realized that is not who I want to be.”
In two games before the incident, Rainey had six catches for 34 yards and a touchdown and added 16 rushing yards on four carries.
Upon his return, he’ll likely be a key part of Florida’s struggling offense, which Meyer has said lacks big playmakers.
Rainey has three runs of longer than 70 yards in his career, and he scored in last year’s Sugar Bowl win against Cincinnati by hurdling a defender into the end zone from beyond the 3-yard line.
“Rainey is a big play waiting to happen,” said receiver Andre Debose, one of several players filling in for Rainey. “Just having him on the field is always a threat. They always have to account for No. 3, so it’ll be great for him to come back. We need somebody.”
Rainey’s arrest was another blemish on the Gators’ far-from-spotless arrest record under Meyer, but his teammates seem willing to forgive.
“If you know Chris personally, you can kind of see the whole situation in a different light and different perspective,” Moody said. “That was his personal life, and I’ve known Chris for almost four years now. He smiles a lot, he’s a great kid and we love having him around the program. He’s not some guy who brings negative energy. He’s not that type of guy, so seeing Chris back, we love him and we’re happy he’s back on the team.”
