FAYETTEVILLE — The change Arkansas has experienced on the field since Bret Bielema’s hire has been mirrored off the field.
When he took over in December 2012, Bielema was tasked with changing the culture of a program that had the second-most arrests in the Southeastern Conference since August 2010, according to ArrestNation.com.
“Before Bielema, off-the-field issues weren’t really a factor and never played a part of discipline,” said Zach Hocker, a former Arkansas kicker that played for Bobby Petrino and John L. Smith before Bielema was hired.
“It didn’t matter what you did. You could get arrested, do whatever. If you could help the team win, you would be on the team.”
Hocker said he noticed the difference between the previous coaches and Bielema almost immediately.
Shortly after taking the job, the new head coach called the players into his office individually to introduce himself, establishing a relationship with the players.
Two months later, Bielema sent a message to the team.
Defensive end Austin Flynn was arrested and charged with a DWI on Feb. 12, 2013. The next month it was announced he was transferring. Although Bielema never said anything publicly, the players knew Flynn’s transfer wasn’t really his decision.
“He was an all-star freak athlete on the field, but (Bielema) didn’t hesitate to even keep him on the team,” Hocker said. “That was a punch to the face, knowing he wasn’t going to play around.”
That punch seemingly stuck with the Razorbacks, as they managed to stay out of trouble until defensive end Tevin Beanum was arrested and charged with a DWI about four weeks ago.
Beanum’s arrest broke a 740-day arrest-free streak for the Arkansas football team. In the two years prior to Bielema’s hire, the Razorbacks averaged one arrest every 71 days.
Arkansas’ 12 arrests during those two years were second to Missouri’s 15 in the SEC, but Flynn and Beanum remain the only players to be arrested since Bielema was hired. The Razorbacks are tied with Vanderbilt for the fewest in the SEC following Bielema’s hire.
The off-the-field transformation, along with Arkansas’ progress on the field last season, has resulted in the program being viewed positively by the players’ peers on campus.
Sophomore chemical engineering major Shelby Baughn said she is proud of the way Bielema has set standards for his players and holds them accountable.
“I feel like Bielema has reminded the players that they are people like everyone else,” Baughn said. “In so many other programs around the nation, I feel as though (college football) players think they’re entitled.”
Accountability is something that Bielema hangs his hat on outside of the law, too.
Being on time to workouts and meetings, keeping the locker room clean and going to class are a few things not defined by laws that he expects his players to do. When they fail to do them, they are suspended, regardless of their position on the depth chart.
After missing a pair of workouts, star running back Alex Collins was suspended for the first quarter of Arkansas’ 14-13 loss to Alabama last season.
This spring, a pair of talented wide receivers from Florida has received the most attention from Bielema.
Kendrick Edwards and JoJo Robinson – highly recruited players in their second year in the program – were suspended before spring practice
Edwards has since been removed from the team and been given permission to transfer, while Robinson is still with the Razorbacks. Bielema has made it clear that neither player has pending legal issues.
“Our guys are expected to do certain things in a certain way,” Bielema said. “Having accountability and trust that goes beyond anything that maybe they’ve had to do in the past produced championship-level players.”