Miami

University of Miami Hurricanes Kicker Jon Semerene Arrested for DUI, Dismissed From Team

A University of Miami football kicker has been dismissed from the team after he was arrested on DUI charges Friday.

Jon Semerene, 20, a junior at UM, was booked into jail Friday on charges of driving under the influence and DUI causing property damage, Miami-Dade jail records showed.

He was being held on $2,000 Friday and it was unknown if he's hired an attorney.

UM assistant athletic director Tom Symonds released a statement Friday saying Semerene had been dismissed from the Hurricanes.

"After consulting with Director of Athletics Blake James, I have decided to dismiss Jon Semerene from our football team for conduct detrimental to the team and to others," head coach Mark Richt said in the statement. "We expect all of our student-athletes to represent our university and The U family in a first-class and safe manner. While he is no longer part of our program, we will do all we can to help him as he moves forward in his life."

According to an arrest report, Semerene was involved in a crash with a stopped vehicle at a red light around 9 a.m. Friday in the area of Ponce De Leon Boulevard and Granada Boulevard in Coral Gables.

When an officer arrived at the scene, Semerene "appeared agitated and extremely talkative about the events of the crash," the report said. He had difficulty standing and stumbled and staggered, the report said.

The officer could smell a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and he had bloodshot, watery eyes, the report said. He was unable to perform roadside sobriety tests and fell backwards at one point, and refused to provide a breath sample, the report said.

Semerene is from Weston and attended high school at Cypress Bay.

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