Former UGA football player reaches plea deal in battery case
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Former University of Georgia wide receiver Rodarius “RaRa” Thomas has reached a plea deal in the case that caused him to be suspended from the team last year.
Originally charged with two counts of battery and one count of second-degree cruelty to children, Thomas entered an Alford plea to two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in Athens-Clarke County court on Monday.
In an Alford plea, the accused pleads guilty to certain charges while still maintaining their innocence.
Thomas was sentenced to 24 months of probation under Georgia’s First Offender Act, which allows defendants to avoid a conviction.
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“Mr. Thomas can’t wait to get back on the field doing what he loves,” Kim Stephens, Thomas’ defense attorney, said in a statement.
Thomas was suspended from the team in July 2024 after his arrest. The police report was not released, as the incident involved a minor.
He had also previously been arrested by UGA police in January 2023 on a felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor count of family violence battery.
Those charges were dropped when he entered a pretrial diversion program.
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