Starting Gator WR Rainey arrested after ‘time to die’ text

On the field, Florida’s had their share of issues during the early portion of the 2010 regular season.

Now, head coach Urban Meyer and his Gators coaching staff have a fairly significant off-the-field distraction to deal with as well.

According to the Gainesville Sun, starting wide receiver Chris Rainey was arrested early Tuesday morning and hit with a charge of aggravated stalking. The alleged victim is a woman Rainey has been dating off and on for somewhere in the neighborhood of three years.

Gainesville police told the paper that the incident began when the woman missed a call from Rainey after falling asleep. Based on the police officer’s account of the ensuing events, that didn’t sit well with Rainey.

Officer Jesse Bostick said Rainey went to the woman’s home, and she talked to him for about 10 minutes and then told him to leave. According to Bostick, Rainey sent a text to the woman that said: “Time to die.” The woman called police after receiving the text.

Bostick said that when he arrived at the woman’s home he told the woman to call Rainey so that he could talk to him.

The woman said that when she told Rainey that police wanted to speak to him, Rainey’s response was, “Wait and see what happens when they leave.”

Rainey did not deny sending the next, but did deny the seemingly threatening statement made over the phone. He was subsequently arrested and booked into county jail.

The redshirt junior becomes the 147th* Gator arrested during Meyer’s tenure as head coach. The school has yet to comment on Rainey’s arrest.

Rainey’s six receptions this season are second on the team, although he has just 34 yards receiving, and he’s scored one of the four Gators receiving touchdowns.

(*actually, it’s only around 30. We think, as they have a tendency to run together.)