Jump to content

Players in the news (read: in trouble)


JetCane

Recommended Posts

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State's third-team quarterback Antonio Henton was arrested on a charge of soliciting a prostitute.

The 20-year-old Henton entered a not guilty plea Tuesday in Franklin County Municipal Court to the misdemeanor charge. Lara Baker, chief prosecutor in the city's attorney's office, said the soliciting charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and $1,000 fine, but generally results in a small fine.

Henton, a redshirt freshman, was arrested by Columbus police Monday night near campus.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Henton will not travel to Minnesota for Saturday's game.

"What's most disappointing to me is that our guys know deep down what is expected. And when we err — in other words, a player, a coach or whomever — that's disappointing," Tressel said at a media briefing.

Tressel said he had not yet spoken with Henton, who could not be reached for comment.

--------------------------------

Updated: September 21, 2007, 4:25 PM ET

Comment

Email

Print

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State suspended two football players Friday after they were arrested in a bar fight that resulted in felony charges against one of them.

Junior linebacker Geno Hayes and senior fullback Joe Surratt were arrested early Friday at a bar near the Florida State campus, police and school officials said. Police said Hayes had to be subdued with a Taser and Surratt struck a police officer.

Surratt, 21, was charged with a felony count of battery on an officer. Hayes, 20, faces three misdemeanor counts: assault on an officer, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly conduct, Tallahassee police spokesman David McCranie said.

Both players were released on bail Friday, officials said.

"The student-athletes have been suspended per our athletics department student-athlete code of conduct policy, until all of the facts of the incident are reviewed," Florida State Athletics Director Dave Hart said in a statement.

Officers were on duty outside Potbelly's Bar looking for underage drinkers when they noticed a man later identified as Hayes screaming profanities and waving his arms, a police report said. When officers tried to talk to him, Hayes became aggressive, police said.

Hayes was pulled away by his friends, but he resisted when officers then tried to handcuff him, leading an officer to stun him with his Taser, police said.

Police said Surratt was standing nearby and officers felt he was interfering with the arrest. An officer pushed Surratt away, and he responded by striking the officer, police said.

A spokesman for Florida State's athletics department said the school didn't know if either player had a lawyer and the players weren't made available for comment. The team wasn't practicing Friday.

-----------------------------------

Miami WRs Sam Shields and Ryan Hill have both been suspended by Randy Shannon for the Duke game for missing a study hall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20071002/NEWS/71002007

Gator player charged with burglary

By Karen Voyles

Sun staff writer

9:33 am, October 2, 2007

A senior on the University of Florida football team was arrested early Tuesday and charged with burglary according to Gainesville Police.

Senior defensive back Earl A. "Tony" Joiner, 21, was arrested at 4:59 a.m. outside the fenced impound lot of Watson's Towing at 516 SW 1st St.

Joiner, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 194 pounds, was accused of pushing a heavy electric gate open to enter the lot in an attempt to retrieve his girlfriend's car which was being held in lieu of a $76 towing bill, according to police reports.

According to Gainesville Police, witnesses said a man pushed open the gate at 4:30 a.m., got into a car, drove the car out of the lot and was trying to close the gate when he was confronted by one of two witnesses. The witness said the man drove the car back into the lot and waited for officers to arrive.

The officer who arrested Joiner, Robert Concannon, noted in the arrest report that Joiner was on a phone talking to someone when Concannon walked up to Joiner. Concannon said he heard Joiner talking into the phone and saying, "I am probably about to go to jail 'cuz I did push the gate open."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ex-backup punter sentenced to 7 years By PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer

Tue Oct 2, 9:56 PM ET

GREELEY, Colo. - Former Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad was sentenced to seven years in prison Tuesday for stabbing a rival in what prosecutors said was a brutal attempt to take over the starter's role.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Clearly, this was deliberate to hurt him, and you succeeded," Weld County District Judge Marcelo Kopcow told Cozad as he announced the sentence.

"The goal is to not ruin your life," Kopcow said. "I would like you to succeed in your life."

Prosecutors said Cozad ambushed starting punter Rafael Mendoza on the night of Sept. 11, 2006. Mendoza was left with a deep gash in his kicking leg but later returned to the team.

Cozad was convicted in August of second-degree assault but acquitted of the more serious charge of attempted first-degree murder.

The 22-year-old Cozad, of Wheatland, Wyo., faced up to 16 years in prison on the assault conviction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20071002/NEWS/71002007

Gator player charged with burglary

By Karen Voyles

Sun staff writer

9:33 am, October 2, 2007

A senior on the University of Florida football team was arrested early Tuesday and charged with burglary according to Gainesville Police.

Senior defensive back Earl A. "Tony" Joiner, 21, was arrested at 4:59 a.m. outside the fenced impound lot of Watson's Towing at 516 SW 1st St.

Joiner, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 194 pounds, was accused of pushing a heavy electric gate open to enter the lot in an attempt to retrieve his girlfriend's car which was being held in lieu of a $76 towing bill, according to police reports.

According to Gainesville Police, witnesses said a man pushed open the gate at 4:30 a.m., got into a car, drove the car out of the lot and was trying to close the gate when he was confronted by one of two witnesses. The witness said the man drove the car back into the lot and waited for officers to arrive.

The officer who arrested Joiner, Robert Concannon, noted in the arrest report that Joiner was on a phone talking to someone when Concannon walked up to Joiner. Concannon said he heard Joiner talking into the phone and saying, "I am probably about to go to jail 'cuz I did push the gate open."

Screw the Gayturds!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

-----------------------------------

Miami WRs Sam Shields and Ryan Hill have both been suspended by Randy Shannon for the Duke game for missing a study hall.

Correction. The real reason for their benching (not suspension) has come out:

Sophomore receivers Sam Shields and Ryan Hill, benched last week against Duke for not practicing hard enough, appear to have done the right things this week to regain coach Randy Shannon's confidence.

------

How bout that Randy Shannon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With an impressive win over Iowa hardly a blip on the media's radar, the venerable Penn State coach spent most of his weekly news conference Tuesday dodging questions about the latest round of infractions and alleged misconduct that has been plaguing the program for the better part of the year.

Two true freshmen - running back Joe Suhey and punter Ryan Breen - were cited by police for underage drinking last weekend, bringing the number of Nittany Lions players cited for that to four in the last two months.

Also on Tuesday, Paterno confirmed he has been alerted that "a couple of football players" may have been among the five to 10 people reportedly involved in a Saturday night brawl at the student union building on campus.

So far, the only player punished for off-the-field behavior heading into this Saturday's game against Wisconsin remains running back Austin Scott, the former starting tailback who was suspended last Friday for violating an undisclosed team rule.

article: http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18901210&BRD=2259&PAG=461&dept_id=460522&rfi=6

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Penn St. RB Austin Scott charged with rape, assault

By GENARO C. ARMAS, AP Sports Writer

October 12, 2007

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Suspended Penn State running back Austin Scott is charged with raping a woman at his campus apartment after meeting her at a bar.

Scott was arraigned Friday on charges of rape, sexual assault and two counts of aggravated indecent assault, all felonies, in connection with the Oct. 5 encounter. According to court papers, Scott told investigators the woman did not initially want to have sex.

Scott declined to comment as he left the courtroom Friday.

"The interaction he had with the woman involved was consensual, and we anticipate we will be able to prove that in court," Scott's attorney, Joseph Amendola, said. "Very optimistic. We're looking forward to the opportunity of establishing his innocence."

Authorities said the encounter occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 5. Coach Joe Paterno suspended Scott later that day, and the school announced the next day the tailback had violated an unspecified team rule.

ADVERTISEMENT

Scott remains enrolled at Penn State.

"As with the case with any sexual assault, we consider it a matter adjudicated by the court, and we can't get into details at this point," university spokeswoman Lisa Powers said.

Scott also faces three misdemeanors: two counts of indecent assault and one count of simple assault. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

Scott is still on the roster but still suspended, team spokesman Jeff Nelson said Friday.

"As coach Paterno stated earlier this week, he has not participated with the team since the end of last week and we do not have any further comment at this point," Nelson said.

A preliminary hearing for Scott was scheduled for Wednesday.

Scott, a fifth-year senior, ran for 302 yards and six touchdowns this season before his suspension last week. He arrived at Penn State in 2003 a highly touted recruit after setting state records of 3,853 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns as a senior at Parkland High School in Allentown.

He led Penn State in rushing his freshman year (436 yards), but nagging injuries and other off-field issues kept him lagging on the depth chart. He redshirted last season after being slowed by an ankle injury.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The hits keep coming.

----------------------

Three Spartans charged with robbery

MSU coach Dantonio says trio will continue to play

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Starting linebacker SirDarean Adams, starting cornerback T.J. Williams and one other Michigan State football player have been charged with unarmed robbery stemming from an April incident in the parking lot of a store, authorities said.

Adams, Williams and reserve Jeremy Ware each were arraigned Wednesday in 55th District Court in Mason on a felony robbery charge, the court said, and Williams also was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in the April 21 incident in Meridian Township near East Lansing.

The court record didn't indicate whether they entered pleas or were represented by lawyers, but a pretrial hearing was set for Oct. 30 on the robbery case.

There was no answer Thursday at a telephone listing for Ware in East Lansing. Contact information for Adams and Williams wasn't found in a search of Michigan State's online directory.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said in a statement that didn't name the players that they have maintained their innocence. He said the team was notified in April about the case and has monitored the situation.

Dantonio said the players will remain on the roster and continue to have the opportunity to play.

"In fairness to the student-athletes alleged to have been involved in the incident, the prudent decision is to allow the legal process to continue to run its full course and for the truth to be determined," Dantonio said.

Police in Meridian Township confirmed that the incident took place in their jurisdiction, but declined to release any details and referred questions to the Ingham County prosecutor's office.

Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said the three players are charged in an incident that took place in a grocery store parking lot outside a nearby party. He said he couldn't release other details.

The case first was brought to prosecutors in April, but was sent back to police for further investigation at least twice before a decision recently was made to bring charges, Dunnings said.

Unarmed robbery is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but if conVickted the three likely would face a lower sentence, Dunnings said. The assault and btter charge is punishable by up to 93 days behind bars.

The Spartans (5-3, 1-3 Big Ten) play Saturday at Iowa (3-5, 1-4).

Both Adams, 22, and Williams, 21, are listed as starters against the Hawkeyes. Williams earlier faced disciplinary action for undisclosed reasons that moved him down the depth chart after spring practice.

Adams, a senior from Bradenton, Fla., has played in all of Michigan State's games this season, while Williams, a sophomore from Tallahassee, Fla., has played in six. Both started last weekend against No. 1 Ohio State.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Backup LSU linebacker Derrick Odom was charged with a misdemeanor Wednesday, accused of smashing a car window after a brawl at a nightclub last week. Soon afterward, coach Les Miles announced he was being kicked off the team.

Odom faces one count of simple criminal damage to property, according to Baton Rouge police. He was involved in a fight at The Varsity nightclub near LSU's campus early Friday, left the club and was caught on video when he returned an hour later and smashed an SUV window, police said.

A call to Odom's lawyer, Anthony Bertucci, was not immediately returned.

Miles said Odom, of Jackson, Miss., was dismissed as was walk-on linebacker Jeremy Benton, of The Clown.

"Our involvement is not to be condoned. There are a number of people at fault here, including our guys and their judgment," Miles said.

Odom and backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who was also in the fight, were barred from practice this week. Perrilloux, meanwhile, will remain on the team but will not play Saturday, when No. 3 LSU faces No. 17 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Miles said.

He said that decision was made because Perrilloux, a sophonore, has missed the "lion's share" of practice this week.

"Beyond that time, Ryan will be back as we prepare for our remainder of the season. That is how this thing has ended, and I want to go forward from here," Miles said.

Perrilloux was not charged in the brawl.

In September, Odom was arrested for the second time in less than a month, accused of damaging an LSU student's vehicle. Miles suspended Odom for three weeks in August, after the linebacker was arrested for damaging another LSU student's vehicle and threatening the student. On Aug. 27, Odom apologized to the victims of the August incident and agreed to pay restitution.

Odom, a redshirt freshman, has not seen any action for the Tigers this year, while Benton, a junior, played in four games.

In eight games this year, Perrilloux has thrown for 414 yards and six touchdowns, while adding another 192 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Tuesday, Susan Miller Degnan and I had a chance to eat lunch with coach Randy Shannon at Dan Marino's restuarant at Sunset Place in Miami. We covered many topics including how the death of Sean Taylor may have affected recruiting, how he and the school are dealing with possible image issues, how he plans to handle who stays and leaves the program issues and much more.

I've spent three hours transcribing our 2-hour interview with him. And while in the coming days, Shannon will speak and meet with other media outlets, I figured I'd share what we gathered. To hear the audio interview, follow the link on our UM homepage to Audio.

Q: Can you talk about the incident with Sean Taylor and maybe the way it affects your recruiting?

A: What they’re dealing with has been very hard for the NFL. The incident that happened with Sean didn’t happen at the University of Miami. Sean left the University of Miami in good graces. He did everything well. It has nothing to do with Miami and I think that’s the thing people have to understand, he may have played for the University of Miami but its not Miami. I don’t know if you guys know this after and check your stats. Three out of the last four games, there’s always something that happens after the game between Florida State and Florida. Are Florida State and Florida is that bad game to go to? Is that a bad place to go to. But I’m just saying, you can’t say Virginia Tech is a bad place. Those things happen in less than 6 months. Two incidents. Does that mean Virginia Tech is not a good school to go to? No. Not at all.

Q: So you are saying this isn’t a reflection on the University of Miami, especially for parents?

A: No. Because the thing that makes parents [believe] it is because everybody says its only Miami. That’s the first thing everybody says. Oh, you live in Miami. But its not Miami.

Q: Do you have to do damage control?

A: No, because I think what we’re doing is, we’re letting parents know up front that UM is in another part of Dade County. Coral Gables is a different part of Dade County. Its not Old Cutler Road. Kendall is different than Liberty City. I think that’s the problem we’re having. Everybody wants to say its Miami. Instead of them saying what it really is.

Q: So you don’t have to call parents?

A: No. I think the thing happens when the media put its out like that, you guys create more problems when there shouldn’t be problems. But you create problems because you designate it as Miami. And Miami is huge. Let’s face it. Miami is a big county.

Q: But when [The Herald] puts out a big box like we did today [listing UM tragedies], it probaly doesn't help…

A: The problem is your putting out things about all these deaths, but what deaths have really occurred on Miami campus besides one? Think about that? How many deaths have occurred on Virginia Tech campus? How many deaths have occurred on Arizona State campus? How many deaths have occurred on Florida or Florida State’s campus? But you guys put it like it happened on campus and your not giving the university a fair chance because you put it as campus and not something that happened off and I think that’s the biggest problem.

Q: So what do you do? Do you show parents a map?

A: I do all of those things. The more I can show them and tell them its Coral Gables and I don’t hide anything. I tell them, this is where Liberty City is at. But they say, well coach we got bad parts in our area. So everybody has bad parts, but I think what is getting us and I’m not saying its wrong, the more you guys keep putting in, this right here, this right here, I’m going to say this and I shouldn’t, but Chris Campbell’s accident occurred off campus. Bryan Pata was off campus. Kevin Gibbs off campus. Only one thing ever happened on the University of Miami campus - that’s Marlin Barnes.

Q: Obviously, though, there are kids that live off campus. What do you tell parents about that?

A: We show them the neighborhoods. Everybody else in the country lives off campus and they still have the same problems. But their newspaper don’t beat them up about it. Like our newspaper beats us up about it. I know you guys are doing your job, you got to beat us up about it. But then understand we just want a fair shot. At Ohio State, do you realize you had more things happen at Ohio State more than anything. You think we’ve been bad? Go check out Ohio State, guys who have been arrested, bar fights. Look at everything at Ohio State and you’d think the University of Miami was angels. Florida, the same. There’s going to be two guys let back on that team because of a gun charges and one who unloaded it in a club. What would happen if I do that?

Q: Is it all because of the history…

A: But what history? My best friend Walter Odom got killed at the University of Florida, shot when I was at school at the University of Miami.

Q: Is it just the image, people always look at it as Thug U.

A: Exactly. But when I was in school here, besides the fatigues what else happened? Besides the fatigues what else happened at the University of Miami? Could you recall anything? Let’s do this, if you want to be honest… [Randy knocks on the wooden table]… we had no arrests this season. Nothing really bad happened. It’s been a long time correct? So, its been a long time. How many different things happened at Florida and Florida State, during the course of the year? A lot right. Well, nobody wants to say how much we’ve changed. They still want to call us Thug U. So, like, no matter how much better we get off the field and we’re going to continue to get better off the field, what are we going to be called? ThugU.

It’s always going to be that way. Some coaches have some players that do some bad things with police officers and they’re still playing. But this happens all across the country. My job is making sure these kids are held accountable for everything they do. If I wasn’t doing that, I wouldn’t be doing right by the kids and right by the parents. I’m not going to sacrifice a win because I think a kid can help us win a game. If he’s wrong, he’s wrong. And that’s my job in educating. And when other players see that’s how we win games, we’re building that foundation. But like I say, until people stop thinking we’re ThugU or whatever and start looking at us for what we have done, I don’t know how much more to improve the image. Because no matter what I think and what I do, the image is always going to be there until people start writing positive things about the school and I’m not sure its going to happen. I mean, have we had players that shoot another player? That happened at another college. Have we had players that walk around campus with an AK-47 and then are allowed back on the team? That’s happened at maybe 10 schools I know right now. But we’re the bad school. I don’t get upset about it. [The gun rule] is a good rule because it helps keep the kids out of trouble.

Q: How do you guys check on students to make sure they don't have guns?

A: We don’t. All I know is don’t get caught with one. I don’t care if its in your truck. I don’t care if it’s in your mom’s house. I don’t care if its your house or your friends house. If you have it and the police find you or arrest you with it, that’s it. You’re done. You’re done with the team. You can’t come back. And its more of a safety valve for me because a lot of players on the team have kids and if you have a kid walk around or whatever and the kid picks up the gun, you know what happens - bad things happen.

Q: So, after this newest incident with Sean Taylor, you don’t have to reassure parents, even local parents?

A: Nope. But now, somebody will write a story on it and it say that. Everybody in the country says we got bad in kids Miami right. If they’re such bad kids in Miami and Miami is not a safe place, then why are you coming down to recruit these kids to help your program out? If we have such bad kids and that’s the first thing I’ll say. But that’s the first thing they’ll do-come down here to recruit them.

********************************************

The Marlin Barnes murder was very sad:

Suspect is arrested in murders of University of Miami football player Marlin Barnes and his friend

May 20, 1996

A Miami man recently was arrested in the bludgeoning deaths of University of Miami reserve linebacker Marlin Barnes and his friend, Timwanika Lumpkins, after a phone tip was given to a county "Crime Stoppers" number.

The murders were acts of domestic violence, according to state attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle. Lumpkins had recently ended her reportedly abusive four-year relationship with Dennis.

He was also charged with criminal mischief and burglary because he allegedly entered the campus apartment. When the two victims were at a Miami nightclub prior to their death, Barnes had to call a tow truck because the tires on the car he borrowed from his roommate, Earl Little, also a member of the Hurricanes, were slashed. Little discovered their bodies.

Dennis was arrested without incident at his Miami home after the shotgun was recovered, said Carlos Alvarez of the Metro-Dade police. Initially he had been questioned soon after the beatings, but he was released when he had an alibi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...