Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor was dismissed from the team Sunday following an arrest by Tuscaloosa police on charges of domestic violence third-degree assault and domestic violence third-degree mischief.
Taylor's dismissal was announced by Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban on Sunday, one day after his arrest.
On Monday, Saban would not apologize for giving Taylor an opportunity, but said he was "very, very sorry for the way this worked out."
Saban had taken a chance on Taylor, signing him to Alabama six months after he was kicked off Georgia's football team in July 2014 following an arrest on aggravated assault and family violence charges. Taylor was also arrested earlier last year on charges of theft by deception.
"I'm not apologizing for the opportunity that we gave him," Saban told reporters on Monday. "I wanted to try to help the guy make it work. It didn't work. We're sorry that it didn't work and we're sorry that there was an incident and we're sorry for the people that were involved in the incident. But we're not apologizing for what we did, and we're going to continue to try to create opportunities in the future."
Taylor's past issues made him a controversial player in and around the college football scene from the moment he was signed to a scholarship in January with Alabama. On National Signing Day, Saban only remarked that Taylor "was the kind of guy that deserved a second chance," but declined to go into much detail regarding the situation that saw Taylor move from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi to Alabama.
"Jonathan was afforded a chance to successfully overcome the difficulties that resulted in his departure from the University of Georgia," Alabama athletic director Bill Battle said in a statement. "Unfortunately, it appears that he was unable to do so, in spite of extensive efforts to assist him.
"Violent conduct by any representative of the University of Alabama athletics department will not be tolerated. More than ever, we take seriously the responsibility that all of us have to represent our university and our state in the best way possible -- in competition and in daily life."
In the end, Taylor failed to play a single down for the Crimson Tide, opening Saban up to criticism for giving Taylor a second chance. It's a decision he probably would want to take back, whether he admits it or not.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
