McElwain: Long process for suspended Gators

GAINESVILLE — Don’t expect the nine UF football players facing felony charges for credit-card fraud back with the Gators anytime soon.

Coach Jim McElwain certainly is not counting on it.

McElwain said Wednesday he has not closed the door on their return, but he realizes a lengthy legal process awaits nine players facing 62 combined felony counts.

“This is a long legal piece still to go,” McElwain said.

Resolving all the cases could drag on into November, Alachua County State Attorney Bill Cervone told the Orlando Sentinel.

Once the legal process is completed, each player then would face a student code-of-conduct hearing at UF.

“You’ve just got to let it, from a legal standpoint, play out,” McElwain said. “And then obviously from there, the university standpoint. Then we’ll deal with it at that time.”

McElwain did not commit to what the suspended players would have to do to return to the team or whether that even would be an option.

UF’s third-year coach did express shock and dismay at the scope of the potential charges facing his players. At least 15 victims from seven different states allegedly suffered more than $19,000 in illegal charges on their credit cards.

“Everybody in here, we know right from wrong,” McElwain said. “There comes a point where you’ve got to tell yourself this is right or