GAINESVILLE — When coach Jim McElwain took over at Florida, he mentioned the importance of discipline in his first address to his new team.
A year and a half later, McElwain has had reasons to keep bringing it up, with negative headlines involving his best player, his top offensive player and one of his top recruits all emerging in the past six weeks:
• Although standout receiver Antonio Callaway was cleared in the university's sexual assault investigation this month, he admitted to being high on marijuana at the time of the December encounter.
• Freshmen receivers Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells were arrested last month after a BB gun-related incident. Both have participated in fall camp while facing felony charges of firing a weapon in a dwelling and property damage.
• All-SEC cornerback Jalen Tabor and tight end C'yontai Lewis fought during practice last week in an incident that carried over to social media. Both are expected to return from suspensions for Thursday's practice, although they will not play in the Sept. 3 season opener.
"Each situation is different," McElwain said, "and yet we have a sense of expectation — but more than that, I've got a sense of responsibility — to help each and every individual in the organization with expected behavior. …"
McElwain tried to make that expected behavior clear last season. UF suspended at least eight players and immediately dismissed former Jefferson High star Deiondre Porter after he was accused of firing a handgun in the direction of his pregnant girlfriend.
McElwain said reinforcing discipline remains an ongoing process, in his profession and any other.
"It's something every year," McElwain said. "I mean, you continually strive, and it doesn't matter whether it's your business or football business or running a pizza shop or whatever. There's a certain set of things through which you learn, and in this case we're no different."
Perhaps the biggest learning point for UF under McElwain came in his second game, last season's 31-24 win over East Carolina.
After running back Kelvin Taylor made a throat-slashing gesture in the final seven minutes of a two-score game, McElwain exploded. His tirade drew national attention. McElwain's unhappiness continued into his postgame news conference, when he called the performance "embarrassing" five times.
McElwain later said he wasn't proud of his actions, but they seemed to work. UF had two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in that game but only three the rest of the season. A program that was sixth-worst nationally in penalties per game under Will Muschamp was a more respectable 81st.
"The discipline level is really high now," receiver Brandon Powell said. "Everybody knows what it takes. That's what everybody is following now."
UF often deals with discipline matters privately. McElwain hasn't said whether Callaway will play in the season opener against UMass, and he hasn't detailed what punishments Cleveland and Wells have faced. When he announces suspensions, he typically reveals little, aside from saying that a player "made a choice."
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Explore all your optionsBut the Tabor-Lewis fight was different. McElwain announced the suspension on UF's website a day after the scuffle. He said he didn't have a goal in detailing their punishments publicly.
That hasn't stopped his players from drawing their own conclusions. Defensive lineman CeCe Jefferson said the incident was "just a little family thing," but McElwain's handling of it set clear expectations for the rest of the program.
"(It) told us that definitely Coach Mac is serious," Jefferson said. "You just have to do what's right. That's what he preaches every day. That's the message we got from him."
Whether they learn from it remains to be seen.
Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.