NCAA Football FanHouse

Man Charged With Murder of UConn's Jasper Howard

Chas Rich — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:06:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Big East, Police Blotter

Connecticut police have charged a man with the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard. John William Lomax, 21, has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault.

His attorney insists Lomax was attempting to break up the fight. His bond was set at $2 million.

Police charged Hakim Muhammad, 20, with conspiracy to commit assault, and 21-year-old Jamal Todd with pulling the fire alarm, which reportedly began the fight.

None of the three men are listed as students or employees at the university, according to the school's Web site.

Howard, 20, was stabbed just after 12:30AM, Oct. 18, following a school-sanctioned dance on the Connecticut campus. He was airlifted to a Hartford hospital where he died later that morning.

Police arrested Johnny Hood on Oct. 21, but the 21-year-old was charged only with interfering with an officer and breach of the peace. Hood was not a part of Tuesday's indictments.

However, according to a Connecticut television station, Hood and Lomax are friends on Facebook.

The Huskies host Rutgers in their first home game since Howard's death Saturday at noon.

Man Charged With Murder of UConn's Jasper Howard originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iowa Student Arrested for Harassing Hawkeye Player During Game

Mark Hasty — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Police Blotter

A University of Iowa student was arrested during last Saturday's Iowa-Arkansas State game for repeatedly harassing a Hawkeye football player from her seat in the first row behind the Iowa bench.

Brittney Mears, 22, was charged with third degree harassment for repeatedly yelling a player's name. The player was not identified in the criminal complaint, but a court order issued on Wednesday forbids Mears to have any contact with starting defensive end Adrian Clayborn.

Players get things yelled at them all the time during games. Virtually all of it gets ignored, and the ones who do the yelling rarely if ever get arrested. So what happened here?

Mears had been warned twice before about harassing Clayborn. Only two weeks prior to her arrest, Mears was given a deferred judgment, ten hours of community service and a year's probation for a July 27 incident in which she sent a "lewd" message to Clayborn's phone. She had been warned in June not to contact Clayborn but would drive past Clayborn's workplace and stare at him, according to police.

Clearly this is not a case of an athlete getting his feelings hurt by something being yelled from the stands. It goes much deeper, though the exact nature of Mears' harassment is not fully known. A number of professional athletes have had to deal with similar sorts of behavior directed at them. College athletes aren't immune either, it would appear.

Iowa Student Arrested for Harassing Hawkeye Player During Game originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Push Led to Shove in New Mexico

Terrance Harris — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: New Mexico, Mountain West, Coaching, Police Blotter

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- In a game of inches, none may mean more to Mike Locksley than the ones he didn't take Sept. 20. The first-year New Mexico coach was all but out the door following a heated altercation with wide receivers coach J.B. Gerald, when, he said, he "sort of lost it."

Those inches may wind up costing him everything.

"If I had that moment back ... ," Locksley said to FanHouse in his office Tuesday night. "I was literally walking out the door because I knew I was getting heated and it kept going back and forth. I'm walking out the door and I look over and another word was said and it was set off."

In that moment, he grabbed Gerald, an assistant who had followed him halfway across the country from Illinois. An altercation ensued. When the dust cleared all that was certain was that Gerald had a split lip. And two coaching careers were beginning to unravel, the coda to an argument from earlier in the day, an argument with a decade of history.

More Coverage: Read Police Report

Locksley is in jeopardy of losing his job in his first season as head coach and Gerald, in his first season as a full-time assistant, may be out of coaching permanently.

According to multiple sources who were present Sept. 20, the disagreement began during practice, over an argument about the wide receivers' performance during the 37-13 loss to Air Force the previous day. Locksley let his young assistant have it.

Instead of taking the pointed criticism from his boss and moving on, Gerald fired back.

Gerald told Locksley that not even his mother talks to him that way. Locksley, witnesses said, fired back that his mother wasn't paying Gerald $90,000 a year.
A back-and-forth exchange ensued and both coaches clung to the last word. According to a police report filed by Gerald, Locksley became angry and approached Gerald in an aggressive manner. Gerald told Locksley that not even his mother talks to him that way. Locksley, witnesses said, fired back that his mother wasn't paying Gerald $90,000 a year.

Then after all the harsh words, it was a simple "Whatever" from Gerald that brought Locksley back into the room after he had begun to leave.

Suddenly, Locksley grabbed Gerald by the collar before the other coaches could separate them. Gerald says he was punched in the mouth; the responding officer acknowledged a split lip.

Locksley doesn't dispute grabbing Gerald. He does, however, deny a punch was thrown. Whatever, both men's careers likely changed that day. Gerald has been on paid leave since the incident. Locksley, who is off to an 0-4 start, faces possible termination from his approximately $750,000 a year job after the university's human resources department opened up an investigation Tuesday.

"I wish I had made a different decision," Locksley said. "I got caught up in the moment, but that should never have happened."

Those who know both said it was just the end result of feelings that had been festering between the two for more than a month. According to several sources close to the program, Locksley and Gerald got into a heated exchange Aug. 13 at practice during camp.

As a coach, the 39-year-old Locksley seems far more interested in making sure his point is understood on the field than he is about the delivery. He grilled Gerald in front the players, fellow coaches, media and others. Having a head coach chastise assistants on the field, while awkward and potentially embarrassing, is not uncommon.

What happened next was.

Gerald, a 27-year-old, first-year, full-time assistant, shouted at his head coach with the same type of profanity-laced language he had just absorbed. The exchange eventually died down, but picked back up as practice wound down and Gerald was walking to meet an awaiting reporter.

Locksley declined to discuss the specifics of either exchange.

"In all of my years around here, I had never seen anything like that," said an athletic department source, who wished not to be identified. "It was quite an exchange."

That type of disrespect could have gotten Gerald dismissed, but it didn't because of the history the two share that goes back more than 10 years. Locksley has known the young coach since his days as an assistant coach at Maryland when Gerald was a high school student at DuVal High School in Lanham, Md. Locksley successfully recruited Gerald's best friend, Madieu Williams, to play for the Terps; Gerald went on to play at Colgate.

Years later, Locksley and Gerald became reacquainted as Gerald looked to break into the coaching profession as a graduate assistant at Penn State. At Williams' urging, Locksley became a friend and mentor to Gerald, listening to his desires to speed up his career and offering advice.

Locksley, who by then was the offensive coordinator at Illinois, eventually had an opening for an offensive quality control coach two years ago and offered the job to Gerald, who had spent five years working in various roles on the football staff at Penn State. Gerald worked at Illinois on the staff of Ron Zook for a season before Locksley got the opportunity to be the head coach at New Mexico.

Locksley says because he respected Gerald's skills as a coach and the trust was there, he offered Gerald the position of receivers coach/recruiting coordinator, a highly unusual opportunity for a coach with no full-time experience.

"It was definitely an established relationship. J.B. and I were close," Locksley said. "As I've said, I saw a lot of me in him as a young coach. When I look back, maybe I was too hard on him in that I was being demanding trying to teach him how to do it."

Certainly the risk Locksley took on with a young unproven coach doesn't seem worth it now.

"I saw a lot of me in him as a young coach. When I look back, maybe I was too hard on him.
-- Mike Locksley"
"I thought because of our relationship that we may be able to work through it," said Locksley, who is also dealing with an EEOC complaint of sexual harassment and age discrimination filed by former 54-year-old office worker, Sylvia Lopez. "Unfortunately it's happened, it should never have happened. But I also know in this business, I've been a part of where it has happened and guys understand it's like family sometimes.

"We work long hours, the frustration of losing, the long hours. I have to admit I had a lot on my plate, especially with the other incident. Things were going on and it was kind of a buildup. I lost it. You never make decisions out of frustration. That's what it boiled down to."

The end result is both coaches' futures are in doubt. The local media has grilled Locksley, saying this latest incident is further proof he isn't ready to be a head coach of an FBS program. The radio sports call-in shows and message boards have been even harsher with most arguments boiling down to this question: Where else could a boss punch his employee and still keep his job?

"Some people think he should have been suspended a game or two, some people think the reprimand was enough and then you have a couple people that are kind of out there, he should be fired," said Leeroy Lucero, who co-hosts a postgame radio show in Albuquerque as well as writes for the theredmenace.com. "I don't believe the majority want to see him fired, but there are a couple vocal people that do."

As much trouble as Locksley's career may be in, Gerald's could be in more. A few former and current head coaches have said privately that Gerald violated trust by going to police first without trying to have the dispute handled internally.

Gerald, however, is just a dissertation short of receiving a PhD. in educational leadership from Penn State so his future could be outside of coaching.

He has hinted he may want to return to New Mexico, where the door has been left open. Gerald told FanHouse in a brief conversation Tuesday night that he was considering returning to his job, therefore he did not wish to discuss the ordeal in the media.

But in this world of high-pressure, high-stakes athletics, time is ticking on a possible return to the Lobos staff. Graduate assistant Aaron Moorehead has taken over coaching receivers in Gerald's absence.

"We'd like to have J.B. back as part of the staff," New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs told FanHouse. "We're basically at a point where he is either going to have to come back or we are going to have to put him on reassignment to another area. We are at a point where we need to know which way is he going to go."

Krebs would certainly like to see Locksley be given more time, but admits that may be out of his hands. Depending on what the human resources department finds in its investigation of the ordeal, Locksley could be either suspended or fired. The school conduct code for employees certainly seems to support termination for work place violence. A firing with cause would likely mean Locksley's salary ends on the last day of his employment with the university.

So far Gerald hasn't talked to anyone beyond filing the police report and to this point has declined to press charges against Locksley.

Krebs placed a letter of reprimand in Locksley's file on Monday, but most believe that was a mere slap on the wrist. The final decision on punishment will likely come from the president's office.

"As we stand here today is his job in jeopardy? No," Krebs said. "Based on what I know, what I've seen and what I continue to see, his job is not in jeopardy. But I think it's important to say this is a mistake that can't happen again. It's a mistake he needs to learn from and if he has the kind of leadership skills that I think he has, he will use this as a springboard and he will look back on it one day and remember the struggle of year one.

"But he's got to learn from it and move forward and there can't be no repetition."

The word pressure had been thrown around quite a bit to perhaps explain the emotion that could have led to the blowup Sept. 20. Fans and alumni have already been down on Locksley and his staff after a lackluster showing in the first four games of the regime, which includes troubling losses to Tulsa, Air Force and in-state rival New Mexico State in addition to defeat against Texas A&M in the season opener. New Mexico travels to Lubbock, Texas, this weekend to take on Texas Tech.

Locksley inherited just three returning starters on defense from last year's 4-8 squad, and openly admits his best players are sophomores and redshirt freshmen. Four games in, it's obvious the quick fix Lobo fans hoped for isn't going to happen.

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In this Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, photo, Tulsa quarterback Jacob Bower, right, is tackled by Oklahoma's Jeremy Beal, center, as Adrian Taylor, left, looks on during an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

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In thies Sept. 26, 2009 photo, Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs pushes Indiana running back Darius Willis (28) out of bounds during an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. Kovacs, a redshirt freshman, is one of a number of walk-ons who are seeing significant playing time for the Wolverines this season. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

In this Sept. 26, 2009 photo, Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs (32) is seen after a tackle during an NCAA college football game against Indiana in Ann Arbor, Mich. Kovacs, a redshirt freshman, is one of a number of walk-ons who are seeing significant playing time for the Wolverines this season. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

In this Sept. 26, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams, carries a flag on to the field prior to the start of the Miami-Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

In this Sept. 19, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tail back Ryan Williams powers forward for extra yardage during the first half of the Nebraska Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark walks the sideline during the second half of an college football game against Syracuse in State College, Pa. Penn State won 28-7. Penn State takes on Illinois on Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen (7) pitches the football as guard Chris Stewart (59) and center Eric Olsen (55) block during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame won 24-21. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Notre Dame guard Chris Stewart (59), offensive tackle Paul Duncan (72) and guard Trevor Robinson (78) react following a touchdown by Notre Dame during the fourth quarter of an NCAA football game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. Notre Dame won 24-21. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Dan Beebe, left, Big 12 Conference commissioner, listens as John Marinatto, Big East Conference commissioner, speaks at a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The NCAA college football conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, speaks, as New York Yankees' managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner left, and Yankees' president Randy Levine, right, listen during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Big East and Big 12 NCAA college football conferences and the Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962.(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

"We probably didn't prepare the community for the rebuilding job that awaited him," Krebs admits. "I think there was expectation that we had enough talent that he was going to come in and make this conversion to a new scheme on offense and defense and kind of get back to some of the better years (former coach Rocky Long) had.

"But the reality is we were a 4-8 team ... and our talent really has not fit this scheme. So we are really going through a growing process, probably more traumatic than our community realizes. I think they were a little bit prepared for what's happened."

At least one source with intimate knowledge of the New Mexico program, however, pinpoints the inexperience of Locksley's staff, especially on offense, for some of the struggles.

In addition to Gerald, centers and guards coach Mike Degory and quarterbacks coach Tee Martin, the former national championship quarterback at Tennessee, are in their first seasons as full-time assistant coaches at the FBS level. Offensive tackles and tight ends coach Cheston Blackshere spent the previous three years at Columbia University after spending 2005 working as Locksley's graduate assistant at Illinois.

The Lobos rank 118th out of 120 schools in total offense after producing just 262.0 yards of offense per game and only five offensive touchdowns in the first four games.

"There is one thing to bring in guys you trust, but at this level you have to have experienced coaches," said a coach with knowledge of the situation. "You can maybe get away with one inexperienced coach but not four at such critical positions."

Krebs defends his coach and the staff he put together.

"I believe in the guy," he said. "I think he has the makings of a great head coach, I think he is a good teacher, he's surrounded himself with good stuff, they are recruiting well. I like the accountability they are instilling in the program; I like the culture change they are instilling.

"But when you are 0-4 and you've had these marks, people are questioning his leadership and I understand that. I think we have to hold tight and look forward to better days."

The question is whether Locksley will be around to enjoy them. Krebs certainly seems to hope so.

Should Locksley fail so quickly and with so much controversy, it's unlikely he would get another head coaching shot anytime soon.

"He needs a champion. Nobody is taking his side in this," Krebs said. "The local press is beating him in this. I think the guy has a chance to be a great head coach. I think he's got a lot of skill. It needs some refinement but he's got a lot of ability. He knows this is his shot. I want to make sure he is given a fair shot, he's given a fair chance to succeed like I think he can.

"Our struggles have compounded some mistakes he's made, probably heightened the tension if you will."

All because of ... Whatever.

How Push Led to Shove in New Mexico originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Locksley Disputes Punch to Assistant's Face, HR Begins Investigation

Terrance Harris — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: New Mexico, Mountain West, Police Blotter

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The University of New Mexico athletic department has turned the incident involving head coach Mike Locksley and his assistant coach J.B. Gerald over to the university's human resources department, athletic director Paul Krebs said Tuesday.

Gerald filed a police report Sept. 20, claiming that Locksley punched him in the face and split his lip following an argument during a staff meeting. News of the altercation began seeping out slowly the following day, but it became an avalanche this week as the school opened up about the incident.

Locksley has not shied away and he has admitted his mistake to his team, Gerald, Krebs and the media. Locksley and Krebs dispute the fact Gerald was punched in the face, citing no witness accounts. Still, they realize it all looks bad on the first-time head coach, his program and the university.

Locksley, who is in his first season as head coach of the Lobos, was given a letter of reprimand for his part in the altercation. Gerald, who has been on paid leave, has shown no interest in pressing charges.

But with the heat the athletic department continues to take for its perceived slap on the wrist to Locksley, the department decided to ask the HR department to investigate the incident. Depending on what the department finds in its investigation, Locksley could face suspension or dismissal. It is likely, however, that it will be determined that the athletic department handled things appropriately.

"They just announced this afternoon that, following the university policy manual, our HR department, with our full support and cooperation, is going to look into the matter further," Krebs told FanHouse on Tuesday while watching football practice, "so we can get to the bottom of it, address it and move on."

To this point, it has been the issue that just won't go away. Krebs has been upfront about his disappointment in the decision his coach made to put his hands on another coach.

"I wish I had chance to do it all over again," Locksley told FanHouse while sitting in his office Tuesday night. "I would definitely make a different decision."

The Lobos are 0-4 heading into a non-conference game Saturday at Texas Tech.

But Locksley's issues are greater than wins and losses. Since being hired last December, he has now been involved in two off-the-field incidents that have brought undo spotlight on the athletic department. In May a 54-year-old former office worker filed a sexual harassment/age discrimination complaint with the EEOC against the 39-year-old coach.

That case is still pending and is heading into mediation. But on the heels of that comes the altercation with Gerald. Combine those incidents with the fact the Lobos haven't played well this season and it has spelled trouble early in Locksley's tenure.

But both Locksley and Krebs take issue with the lumping of the sexual harassment/age discrimination claim together with the latest incident.

"I take full responsibility as the leader of the program for the distraction that I've caused," Locksley said. "It's unfair that people like to piggyback it to an earlier incident that is working itself through the process. For us, we've put it behind us as a program and we're just moving forward and the best thing I know to do is to focus on the football because when it's ultimately said and done, the bottom line is I've got to find ways to win ballgames."

Krebs certainly agrees.

"I think it's compounded by the fact we are 0-4. If we were 3-1, I think people would look at it much differently," he said. "The bottom line is he was wrong, but has it threatened my trust in his leadership? I still think he is a very good football coach, he's surrounded himself with a very outstanding staff. They are recruiting like heck, they are coaching these guys up. I think the future is bright. We've got to weather this year and turn the page."

Making it difficult right now is the latest issue hanging over the program. Gerald hasn't said whether he will return to the program or not. But when FanHouse reached him Tuesday night, he indicated that he was considering a return for his players' sake.

Gerald, 27, is in his first full-time assistant coaching role after Locksley brought him over from Illinois. Locksley was Illinois' offensive coordinator when he hired Gerald as his graduate assistant after he had spent time as graduate assistant at Penn State.

Gerald declined to talk to FanHouse further on Tuesday night.

"There is a history there, I think a love and respect for one another," Krebs said. "So this has been a very emotional issue on both sides.

"It's unfortunate that it happened, it's happened, we're trying to deal with it and be respectful to all parties and continue to manage a football team and recognize that coach Locksley's career -- I don't want to say is at stake in this instance -- but there has already been enough turmoil in his tenure as a head coach that we've got to put all of this noise behind us and begin about rebuilding our football program."

Locksley Disputes Punch to Assistant's Face, HR Begins Investigation originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alabama Football Player Shot

Brian Grummell — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:48:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Virginia Tech, Police Blotter

College football's opening week should be about celebration but its taken a rough turn after an Alabama football player was shot Monday night. Senior defensive end Brandon Deaderick was shot in the arm in an apparent robbery outside a Tuscaloosa apartment complex.

The Tuscaloosa News says his injuries aren't life-threatening which is great news but authorities are actively searching for his attacker and appear to have made an arrest. It was anticipated Deaderick would be a starter this season on a loaded Alabama defense but obviously, his physical recovery could take him away from Saturdays for a while.

This story will certainly make headlines up to and through Saturday as Alabama is involved in one of the weekend's showcase games, playing Virginia Tech Saturday night.

Alabama Football Player Shot originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big 12 Roundup: Oklahoma Coaches Hit With Minor NCAA Violations

Terrance Harris — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:10:00 EST

Filed under: Missouri, Oklahoma, Big 12, Police Blotter

Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops was mentioned as one of the Sooners coaches guilty of committing several minor NCAA violations in connection with apparent inadvertent phone calls and text messages, according to a report obtained by the Associated Press on Friday.

Documents from Oklahoma's self-report show that Stoops and assistant football coach Jackie Shipp, along with assistant women's basketball coach Stacy Hansmeyer, made impermissible phone calls to a recruit. Head women's basketball coach Sherri Coale also mistakenly sent a text message to a perspective student-athlete.

The violations are not considered serious and should not bring harsh penalties.

Missouri Dismisses Backup QB Blaine Dalton

Missouri freshman quarterback Blaine Dalton may become a case study in why early enrollment could be a bad idea.

Dalton, 18, was kicked off the football team Friday following his second arrest in four months in Columbia, Mo. Dalton, who skipped his final semester at Blue Springs (Mo.) High School to enroll early at Missouri to go through spring ball, was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according several reports.

In late April, Dalton was arrested after Columbia police stopped his car and found prescription painkillers, Hydrocone pills and an unopened can of beer in the vehicle. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel suspended Dalton for a while after the initial incident but allowed him to return to the team and participate in two-a-days this summer.

Before being dismissed, Dalton had jumped from fourth-string and a possible redshirt year to competing with Jimmy Costello for the backup job to Blaine Gabbert.

Big 12 Roundup: Oklahoma Coaches Hit With Minor NCAA Violations originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Drug Deal Led to Justin Feagin Leaving Michigan in July

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:50:00 EST

Filed under: Michigan, Big 10, Police Blotter

There was a ton of promise surrounding him, but former Michigan quarterback Justin Feagin never realized any of it. Brought in to compete for the starting quarterback job in the spread offense run by head coach Rich Rodriguez, Feagin never really got close.

In July, he was kicked off the football team, with Rodriguez citing the ever-popular "violation of team rules." Reports he was going to transfer to Appalachian State have been rebuffed. As it turns out, the Detroit Free Press says it was more than just team rules Feagin violated. He also broke the basic laws of society.

The newspaper claims Feagin was involved in a cocaine deal that eventually led to a fire at a university dorm room. After dropping that bombshell, the article goes into detail about Feagin's relationship with drugs.

"I have admitted to people I know that I used to sell drugs in Florida," Feagin told investigators, according to police reports the Free Press obtained under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.

Feagin said he had not sold drugs in Michigan. But fellow student T.J. Burke, who had met Feagin through Michigan walk-on receiver Ricky Reyes, told police "it was common knowledge that Feagin sold marijuana" and that Feagin "hung out at our house lots of times smoking pot."

Obviously, there are problems, and they played a role in Feagin's departure from the university. In fact, the Free Press says Rodriguez kicked him off the team shortly after Feagin admitted the drug deal to police. They also appear to have played a role in Feagin's inability to get into Appalachian State.

The dual-threat quarterback was a late recruit to Michigan in 2008, after Rodriguez got the job. Feagin was a finalist for Florida's Mr. Football honors, which is saying something given Florida's reputation for developing top football players.

Instead of becoming a top quarterback in the spread at Michigan, Feagin will likely never realize his true on-field potential.

Report: Drug Deal Led to Justin Feagin Leaving Michigan in July originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Penn State Wide Receiver Kicked Off Team After DUI Citation

Mark Hasty — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:43:00 EST

Filed under: Penn State, Police Blotter

James McDonald, a backup wide receiver on the Penn State football team, has been kicked off the team for reasons which are technically undisclosed, at least by the PSU athletic department.

However, McDonald was cited for DUI on July 9th after being pulled over for an expired registration. Couple that with a suspension for "undisclosed violations" back in 2007, and it isn't hard to see why McDonald is now an ex-Lion.

Penn State's off-the-field discipline problems have been severe enough in the past to attract abundant media attention, though things have improved greatly in the past couple years. Maybe forcing the team to clean up semi-congealed pickle relish helped, but there's a philosophical question that remains unanswered.

Namely. where was this get-tough discipline a few years ago?

It's not entirely fair to criticize Joe Paterno and the Penn State staff for kicking James McDonald off the team. First off, it may not have been their decision. Second off, whoever made the decision made the right one.

Yet on the other hand, it's not entirely fair to praise them, either. McDonald rarely if ever saw the field and wasn't projected to start this fall. It's easy to get tough on a player who probably wasn't going to see any significant playing time anyway.

Where Penn State does deserves credit is for getting a handle on its off-the-field problems to the point where it's news if a deep reserve gets booted from the team. The ugly stories have more or less stopped and the play of the team has improved.

I still can't help but wonder if Derek Moye or Chaz Powell would've been kicked off the team for this, though. I want to believe they would have been, because Penn State seems like it wants to do the right thing.

It was hard to tell if that was the case a couple years ago, however.

Penn State Wide Receiver Kicked Off Team After DUI Citation originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anthony Dixon's Ride With Bubbly Gets Him In Troubly

Brian Grummell — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:12:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, Police Blotter

Mississippi State senior running back Anthony Dixon was arrested on suspicion of DUI Saturday night. Reports indicate he drove off the side of the road, and was found lacking in insurance but countered with twin champagne bottles in his backseat.

Now I'm all for traveling companions but usually more of the human variety. Its unclear if he was aiming for the Maurice Clarett special, perhaps trading out one of his champagne bottles for an open Grey Goose vodka while adding several firearms and a katana. Fortunately he didn't make that choice, giving him some hope of returning to the team.

ESPN throws in this note about the state of the Bulldog program since parting ways with good guy disciplinarian former coach Sylvester Croom:

Since Dan Mullen succeeded Sylvester Croom as coach in December, four Mississippi State players have been arrested for infractions involving alcohol or drugs.

The cat's away and so far under coach Mullen, the mice are playing. Football can't come soon enough.

Anthony Dixon's Ride With Bubbly Gets Him In Troubly originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arron Agler, Former Michigan State QB, Shot to Death, Dumped in Parking Lot

Mark Hasty — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:38:00 EST

Filed under: Kent State, Michigan State, Police Blotter

Arron Agler, a former quarterback at Michigan State and Kent State, was shot and killed last Friday. His body was dumped in the parking lot of an Akron, Ohio hospital.

Police believe Agler, 29, was shot during a robbery of a drive through beverage store in Barberton, Ohio. Agler is believed to be one of the robbers. His alleged accomplice, 54-year-old Dennis Williams, who was not injured, was arrested Sunday morning near an Akron homeless shelter.

Agler appeared in two games for Michigan State during the 1999 season. He later transferred to Kent State but never played there.

Arron Agler's former high school coaches expressed shock in the manner of his death, invariably describing him with some variant on "he's a very good kid." The blog Sparty and Friends says that Agler was involved with drugs. Police have had no statement on the matter. Agler's alleged accomplice has felony drug convictions, according to the Barberton police chief. Agler himself was awaiting trial on a charge of receiving stolen property.

Arron Agler, Former Michigan State QB, Shot to Death, Dumped in Parking Lot originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iowa Lineman Arrested for Mo-peding While Drunk

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:47:00 EST

Filed under: Iowa, Police Blotter

DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Iowa offensive lineman Kyle Calloway has been arrested and charged with operating a mo-ped while intoxicated.

Iowa City police say Calloway was arrested early Saturday after officers stopped him while he was driving into a barricaded area.

Police say the 22-year-old senior was given a breath test, which registered 0.106. The legal limit in Iowa is 0.08.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Mike Lord says Calloway cooperated and acknowledged he drank seven or eight beers.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement released by the university that he was "disappointed to learn of (Calloway's) poor judgment."

Calloway has started 25 straight games for Iowa. Ferentz said Calloway's discipline will include a "game suspension," counseling and community service.

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Iowa Lineman Arrested for Mo-peding While Drunk originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennessee's Tragic Trio: Stallworth, Little, Goodrich

Clay Travis — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee, Police Blotter

On Oct. 19, 1998, the St. Louis Rams' Leonard Little drove his Lincoln Navigator through a red light and crashed into a car driven by a 47-year-old mother. Later tests confirmed his blood alcohol level was .19, more than twice the legal limit in the state of Missouri. The next day the mother died.

On Jan. 14, 2003 Dallas Cowboys cornerback Dwayne Goodrich spent a night out with friends at a local strip club. At two in the morning, he hopped on the interstate. That night a car caught on fire on that same interstate and three good Samaritans rushed to aid the motorist caught inside. Goodrich struck all three, killing two.

On March 14, 2009 Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth struck and killed a pedestrian in Miami Beach while driving his Bentley at 7:15 in the morning. Stallworth had been out drinking the night before and blood tests later confirmed he was impaired at the time of the accident.

What do all three of these men share in common besides being NFL players who have killed others while operating vehicles? They all played collegiate football for the University of Tennessee.

The trio represent a dark stain on the University of Tennessee's football program. And it leaves some wondering whether there was a culture of alcohol tolerance that aided in the later crimes, whether the players learned in Knoxville that the law didn't apply to them.

Their teammates, all of whom requested their names not be used, dispute the notion. "Alcohol was there, but it wasn't there any more than at any other college. I think it's a coincidence that this happened, 100 percent coincidental," says one.

If so, it's a coincidence that strains the bounds of credulity .On opening day 2008, 38 Tennessee Volunteer football players were on National Football League rosters. Six years ago, Goodrich was also in the NFL. By the spring of 2009, two of those 38, along with Goodrich, had combined to kill three men and one woman while driving a car. In 1998, the year of Little's conviction, 16,673 people died in alcohol related traffic accidents. By 2003, the year of Goodrich's crime, 17,013 motorists lost their lives to alcohol related accidents.

I was so overwhelmed by the freakishness of this coincidence that I contacted a math PhD at the University of Maryland, Chris Shaw, to run a statistical analysis for me. Below I've incorporated his data. Taking as a rough base the 300 million people who live in America and selecting 17,000 as the baseline number of victims, that means every year each of us has a .005667 percent chance of becoming a victim of an impaired driver.

But since all three men were drivers, not the victims, we need to adjust down to the roughly 220 million drivers in the country. And we have to assume that all of these people have a roughly equal chance of making the same mistake as Little, Goodrich, and Stallworth. Running these numbers again for an 11 year period (the length of time these accidents occurred), we discover that around .0052 percent of us would make that mistake.

Now shrink that pool of eligible drivers to around 175 scholarship football players from Tennessee over the six years from 1995 to 2001 and run the numbers to see what the odds are that three men would make this same mistake. To say it defies the laws of probability is an understatement. There's a .016 percent statistical chance of this actually happening. Or, flipping the numbers, a 99.984 percent chance of it never happening. Putting that into further context, it would take 10,000 D1 football programs for you to expect this to occur to one program. That's nearly 9,900 more D1 programs than there currently are.

The University of Tennessee and former coach Phil Fulmer declined to comment on the incidents.

Fans and players remember much more than their eventually darkened future.

Little's first season with the Tennessee Vols was 1995. An Asheville, N.C., native who spent a year in junior college before arriving on campus, Little was immediately a force of nature, corralling 11 sacks as an undersized defensive end, and wreaking havoc in offensive backfields across the country as a sophomore. With his wide-set eyes, prominent cheekbones, and eye-catching No. 1 jersey, there was something leonine in Little's gaze. As he leaned down on his left hand, nervous muscles twitching in the moment before the snap, he looked the part of a lion who just decided the gazelle in front of him was on the dinner menu. In Oct. 1995, Little lined up across from Alabama's quarterback, Brian Burgdorf. At the time, Little was playing in just the seventh football game of his Tennessee career, while the Vols' losing streak to Alabama had already run nine long seasons. As Burgdorf took the snap from under center and sprinted right, Little came off his left defensive end position and collapsed him like a house of cards. The hit was so electric, the term de-cleater almost does it a disservice. Burgdorf went down, Alabama never got back up. In the millisecond immediately following that play, Little, whose hit vanquished almost a decade's frustration, was a Tennessee legend for life. Leonard Little was five days shy of 21.

(In the above video you can see many of Little's vicious hits, the final hit on the video is his shot on Burgdorf. It happens quickly and isn't the perfect angle, but it's crippling.)

By 1997, Little and Peyton Manning were co-captains on a Tennessee team that would win an SEC Championship. Teammates recall Little as a stern and quiet leader. He was never in trouble at Tennessee, indeed he graduated with a degree in psychology before his football career was complete.

"He wasn't a partier," says one player on those teams, "he just wasn't. He was quiet, but never caused any trouble. Zero."

A third round pick of the Rams in the 1998 NFL draft, Little was celebrating his 24th birthday on the night he stepped from the shadows of professional football obscurity and made his name synonymous with NFL misbehavior. In the wake of his accident, Little was suspended for eight games by the NFL. His punishment? 90 days in jail and 1,000 hours of community service. A few years later, Little took the field for the NFC Championship Game. One of the many photographers ringing the field to cover the game was the husband of the woman he killed.

Dwayne Goodrich, the top-ranked defensive back in his high-school class, signed with Tennessee in the spring of 1996. A 5-foot-11, 200-pound native of Oak Lawn, Ill., Goodrich and Little started alongside each other on the UT defense in 1997. Goodrich played four years, three as a starter at left cornerback. A stealthy athlete with a nose for the ball, Goodrich pounced when others blinked, picking off a quarterback's pass or grabbing a bouncing fumble and racing the other direction. In the 1998 BCS title game, Goodrich stifled Florida State All-American wide receiver Peter Warrick. In the second quarter, Goodrich stepped in front of Warrick and picked off a Marcus Outzen pass that he returned for a touchdown. In the six seconds it took him to cover the 54 yards of Fiesta Bowl turf, Goodrich's life peaked.

He would be named the Fiesta Bowl defensive MVP and after the following season he was drafted in the second round by the Dallas Cowboys. He never made a significant contribution on the field, On that January night in 2003, Goodrich spent another six seconds, the bookend to his mad dash to the end zone in the BCS title game, swerving his BMW to avoid the fiery car on the interstate. In so doing Goodrich struck all three men at such a high rate of speed that the clothes and shoes were ripped off all of them. He did not stop, and did not report to police until the next day. The victims' families allege he was intoxicated, but Goodrich claims that was not the case. He is now serving 12 years in prison. At Tennessee's 10-year reunion for the national championship team of 1998, Goodrich's mother attended on his behalf. "Dwayne wishes he could be here," she said.

"Dwayne, man, Dwayne was funny," says another former teammate. "An exciting, funny guy. You wanted to have him around you. He was never in trouble, always played hard. It's unbelievable to me what happened to him, it really is."

Stallworth, a native of Sacramento, Calif., came to Knoxville as a heralded wide receiver in the class of 1998. Wanting to play in the SEC, Stallworth contacted Florida, but was rebuffed. "Tell him we don't recruit California," said Steve Spurrier.

A teammate of Goodrich's for two years, Stallworth emerged as a dominant big-play wide receiver by his junior season. In the next-to-last regular season SEC game in 2001, Stallworth scored three times against Kentucky on touchdown catches covering 59, 23, and 38 yards. With his combination of speed and smarts, it was impossible for teams to cover him with one defensive player. Watching Stallworth sprint down the sideline, it all seemed too easy, as he left one man after another in his wake, it never appeared he was even attempting to run very fast. No one caught Stallworth from behind. Leaving college with a year of eligibility remaining, Stallworth put up a blazing 40 time and was selected No. 13 overall in 2002's first round by the New Orleans Saints.

"Donte, and I'm not just saying this to say it, is one of the nicest guys you have ever met in your life. Everyone loved him," a former teammate said this week. "Football's a violent game, but Donte wouldn't hurt a fly."

Little, Goodrich, and Stallworth were all teammates at Tennessee during a dominant run for the program. From 1995 to 2001, the Vol football team compiled a record of 73-14, winning two SEC Championships, a national title, finishing the season ranked in the top 10, five of the six years. But there was a downside to Tennessee's on-field success, the team courted trouble off the field. While many of the programs star players were exemplary on and off the gridiron, think Manning and linebacker Al Wilson, others flirted with the dark side of collegiate athletics. Arrests were not uncommon; the criminal justice system of Knoxville was familiar with the Vols. But, according to their teammates, that was not the case with Little, Goodrich, or Stallworth.

"All of them were good guys," says another teammate, "sometimes you'd look around the locker room and think, and every team had these guys not just us, 'That guy is going to be in real trouble some day.' But none of those three guys were like that. None of them. Not even remotely close. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, whether any of them ever did a thing that made me think they might end up like this. And no matter how long I think about it, nothing. They were good guys. I thought they'd reflect well on our program. They just made some bad decisions. Maybe it was the only bad decision they've made in their whole lives."

In the wake of the accidents we're left with several questions, none of which have easy answers. How long after an individual leaves a university do we still associate their actions, good or bad, with that university? Little was gone less than a year, Goodrich three years, Stallworth seven. Is it even fair to acknowledge their relationship to Tennessee in conjunction with their crimes? Or should we be more focused on the NFL, the league that made each of these young men a millionaire when they signed their first contract? Is that league the more likely culprit? Or is it even possible to assign any blame that extends beyond the men themselves? How we might wonder, in a world of such infinite variety, does the wheel of fate spin so similarly for these three men?

In the end, there's really only one certainty, lightning has struck in Knoxville.

Tennessee's Tragic Trio: Stallworth, Little, Goodrich originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Urban Meyer's Rejected Discipline Ploys

Clay Travis — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, SEC, Coaching, Police Blotter

Over the weekend, the Florida Gator brain trust decided one way to respond to the 24 football player arrests in the past four years was to send the football team on ride alongs with the local Gainesville police. The theory, apparently, is that if players can see what police do on a daily basis from the front seat of a police cruiser they'll be more likely to stay out of the back seat.

Of course, it also makes it more likely that the police will know the name of the player they happen to be arresting. So everybody wins.

The ride-along gambit is the latest salvo fired by Urban Meyer in response to recent media inquiry's into the state of his program. While I don't believe that any Florida fans really care that much about the arrests, the effort to keep Gators out of the slammer is much appreciated, at least from everyone not making a living on the criminal defense bar in Gainesville.

Prior to the recent onslaught of attention, Meyer quietly disciplined those players who were arrested, dismissing the most egregious offenders and allowing second (or third) chances for those who hadn't run that far afoul of the law. As Meyer and the Gators embark upon their quest for a third national title in four years, uneasy is the head that wears the coaching headset.

Surrounded on all sides by challengers, Meyer has revealed himself to be a prickly champion, more cantankerous in victory than defeat. As Meyer's victories have piled up he's been quick to overreact to any perceived antagonists, be they in the coaching ranks, Lane Kiffin, or in the ranks of Gators past, Shane Matthews. Now he seems fixated on what he believes is a misperception about the Gator football team, namely that they're all thugs. He's marshaled the tremendous might of Florida Gator public relations. Unfortunately, they flubbed the talking points. "The 24 arrests," one talking point states, "represent 19 different players." Whew! That's a relief.

Later Gator PR helpfully broke down the arrests by recruiting class:

"Eight in first class
Seven in second class
Two in third class
One in fourth class
None in fifth class"

Did they really need to include the fifth class? Those players signed in February. Most of them have been on campus for a week or two at most. A few of them hadn't even graduated from high school yet when this statement was released. For the love of God, give them some time!

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The Minneapolis skyline is visible in the left background Tuesday, June 16, 2009 as the Minnesota Associated Press media toured the new on-campus TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis where the Golden Gophers will play the first football game there Sept. 12 against Air Force. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is surrounded by the media, Thursday, June 11, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno talks to the media, Thursday, June 11, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is surrounded by the media, Thursday, June 11, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno pauses after he talked to media, Thursday, June 11, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno talks to media, Thursday, June 11, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 11: Australian gridiron player Adrian Thomas poses for a portrait at Dover Heights on June 11, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Thomas who originally played for the Sutherland Seahawks in Sydney, currently plays college football for the University of Hawaii and is aiming to be drafted into the NFL rookie season in 2011. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Adrian Thomas

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Florida's brilliant PR system might as well have gone ahead and included the sixth and seventh recruiting classes. They also haven't been arrested yet. Of course they won't be able to sign scholarship papers until February 2010 and February 2011, but if you combine the three classes from 2009-2011, Florida has zero arrests. See, this is all just a big misunderstanding.

And, by the way, is it really a statistical surprise that the longer you've spent on campus the more likely you are to be arrested? Because that's basically what these stats show.

Notwithstanding our tremendous misunderstanding about the Gator football team, Meyer's new get-tough approach of letting players ride around in police cars and run the siren at red lights will work wonders on team discipline. It better. Because thanks to my impeccable contacts within the Florida Gator program, I can report the list of potentially draconian discipline methods that Meyer is prepared to adopt if things don't change in a hurry.

1. Watch Tim Tebow circumcise Europeans studying abroad at Florida. The University of Florida is the second best academic institution in the SEC (which is kind of like being the second smartest kid repeating third grade, but, still, credit where credit is due.) As such, Europeans flock to the school. Where they come face to face with Tim Tebow's scalpel.

2. The Congresswoman Corrine Brown Memorial Internship. Of late, Corrine Brown has proven herself quite the scholar and orator, first with her "gradulations" to Corch Urban Meyer (or perhaps Irvin Myer and quarterback Tim Tivo) and lately with her scene-stealing role while wearing an Orlando Magic jersey alongside Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Honestly, the fact that only 64,000 people combined have watched these two videos is a crime against humanity, one every bit as bad as Brown being elected to Congress multiple times. As Brown's intern you will be responsible for reviewing every public statement she makes and correcting the grammar. Also, four-times weekly hair appointments.

3. Force the players to transfer to South Carolina and play for Steve Spurrier. Right now, Spurrier is like the Clint Eastwood character in Gran Torino. He's old, angry and embittered, and probably spends most of his time in the garage polishing his old trophies. The only difference is Eastwood's character never won the Heisman. I'm not sure what Spurrier's grand exit is going to be, but I think it's going to be every bit as explosive as the final scene of this movie. If you haven't seen Gran Torino? Well, this number will make less sense. Go back and watch Corrine Brown again. You know you want to.

4. If you have an illegitimate child, you have to raise it and pay child support. This is why Florida native Travis Henry went to Tennessee. Because he heard a rumor Spurrier was going to institute this rule.

5. Ban sleeveless T-shirts in the football offices. Meyer was thinking about hair gel, but then Tebow would have been penalized too severely. This way the pain falls equally on the team. Meyer: "You know how serious firing an AK-47 on a public street is? You have to wear sleeves. That's how serious, it is." Team groans as one.

6. Rub ointment on Bobby Bowden's liver spots: Some people believe that Florida and Florida State have a poor relationship. That's not true. Meyer is always looking out for ways to honor his elders. Like when he sent a birthday card to Bobby Bowden last year that said, "You're old, and I've already got as many national championships as you. Loser." Bless his heart, that was so thoughtful.

7. No guns on road trips. Some of those five-star hotels are rough, man. You have no idea who might step to you. Asks tailback and NRA disciple Chris Rainey, "What's next, our throwing stars?"

8. No matter how long it takes, you have to correctly spell Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and, that's not all, you have to be able to locate Iran on a blank map. To be fair, I'm still not sure I spelled his name correctly. And I've been watching CNN for three years and I still can't pronounce his name correctly either. I'm not going to lie, this is pretty strict.

9. He's set the score limit at 84 for the Tennessee game. "I know I told y'all we were going to hit 100 on Sept. 19, but you need to learn. So we can only score 84. See, life is all about hard lessons. Like, don't punch women."

10. Suspensions for the Charleston Southern game. Nothing says I care about discipline like suspending a member of the national championship team for their home-opener against a Baptist college that enrolls 3,000 students. Tough love men, tough love.

Urban Meyer's Rejected Discipline Ploys originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Admit It: You Don't Really Care About Football Players Being Arrested

Clay Travis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:02:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, SEC, Campus, Fans, Police Blotter, General CFB Insanity

Over the weekend Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins became the 24th Gator football player to be arrested in the past four years. Jenkins was tased after fighting with men he claims were attempting to steal his jewelry. That happens to all of us when we go out. You should have seen this dude step to me over my pinky ring the other night.

Much of the nation, among them the Florida fan base, collectively shrugged their shoulders. Unless, that is, you happened to be a rival of Florida's who has lost to them on the field in the past few years. Then you were outraged. That's how it goes with college football arrests; we're all a bunch of hypocrites. If our team wins we don't care if the entire team gets sent up the river together, as long as they're back by Saturday. Any amount of off-field incidents can be brushed aside, so long as you're successful enough on the field.

Urban Meyer knows this. It's why he said the Gators would only recruit "the top one percent of the top one percent" which is, I guess, a tricky way of saying ".01 percent." (Although it would be interesting to hypothesize what percentage of Gator players could correctly come up with the above number. Hell, I'm not even completely sure my math is correct.) Gator fans chomped to their heart's content when they heard the statement, Tim Tebow probably circumcised an indigent child, meanwhile the top .01 percent were out terrorizing students on University Avenue. Turns out The Swamp is not just a field, it's where Gator ethics go to die.

But don't fool yourself, your program could do the same. How? By following a handy three-part recipe: 1. Recruit God's gift to football and play him at quarterback 2. Win 3. Pillage, rob and loot to your heart's content.

As for No. 1, Tebow can't be overlooked. He's a saint. If you're a man, you wish you were Tebow. If you're a father, you wish Tebow would marry your daughter. If you're a woman, you wish Tebow would impregnate you instead of your husband. Everything that Tebow touches turns to gold. Even his teammates' mugshots. Because here's the deal, 99 percent of all national media and sports fans equate Florida football with Tebow. Period. It doesn't matter what anyone else does, Tebow is perfection on and off the field. So the program is perfect as well. Sure it's a lazy and harebrained way to judge a team, by projecting Tebow's moral code onto the rest of the team, but clearly it's happened. Tebow is a stand-in for the entire Gator team.

You have to wonder whether Tebow ever looks around the locker room, shakes his head, and thinks, "Man, an awful lot of these guys are going straight to hell."

Step two, Florida has won. And won big. One SEC athletic director told me, "Urban Meyer changed everything when he won his second national title in four years. Everything." Including, evidently, all normal standards for off-field behavior.

Three, let your players turn Gainesville into the wild west. Let them use the credit cards of dead woman (Jamar Hornsby), let them fire an AK-47 into the sky after a traffic dispute with a fellow student (Ronnie Wilson), let them steal a laptop and then throw it out the window when suspected of theft (Cam Newton, allegedly), let them choke a girlfriend (Jacques Rickerson). That's just boys being boys. Gator chomp. Yep, winning cures everything in the mind of fans.

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Denver Broncos running backs Correll Buckhalter, front, and rookie Knowshon Moreno run during drills at football camp at the Broncos' headquarters in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo., on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Denver Broncos wide receivers Jabar Gaffney, left, and Chad Jackson confer during drills at football camp at the Broncos' headquarters in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo., on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Look deep within your fan's soul, you feel the same way. The only time you're really outraged by anything off the field is when a rival program has a player who commits a felony and he doesn't get suspended for the game against your team. Otherwise you talk a big game about how you want your guys to be good citizens, but you'd much rather win a rivalry game than avoid every player being arrested for a weekend.

For example, Tennessee hasn't had a football player arrested in a year. But guess what, we lost seven games last season and our coach got fired. Most Tennessee fans would gladly send a half-dozen players to the local Knoxville precinct if it meant we were going to win a single national championship in the next decade. Much less two.

My point isn't to pile on the Gators, successful football teams always have an awful lot of arrests. Because guess what ... they can. Most college kids do whatever they can get away with. See enough of your gridiron compatriots back on the field after a booking, and you start to think you're bullet proof. Back when Colorado won the national championship in 1990, the Boulder police kept the football media guide on hand so they'd know who they were arresting. Seriously.

Almost 20 years later, nothing's changed.

Why? Because deep down none of us really care about the arrest records of our favorite teams. At least not anywhere near as much as we care about the won-loss record. Coaches like Meyer know this. It's why they pay lip service to the alums with their bogus top one percent of one percent lines. Coaches know if they say the right things publicly while shaking their heads every time a player gets arrested that fans will forgive them. And they're right.

I'm asking this question with all honesty, how many player arrests would it take for you to say, "You know, I don't think this championship is really worth it?"

I can't think of a school that has ever hit that number. Chances are you can't either. But, man, that team that beats your team all the time, boy, they sure are a bunch of thugs, right?

Admit It: You Don't Really Care About Football Players Being Arrested originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time to Get Serious on Death Threats

Clay Travis — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State, Tennessee, West Virginia, Big 10, Big East, SEC, Fans, Police Blotter, General CFB Insanity

Saturday, Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton became the latest college athlete to acknowledge receiving death threats. This adds Crompton's name to a growing list of players who have received death threats for on-field actions. You don't even have to be that famous anymore to draw fan ire. From West Virginia kicker Pat McAfee to Ohio State tight end Ryan Hamby, the past several years have seen a scary increase in threats of violence. Even though they might not have been publicized if you're a fan of a major college football team, chances are one of your players has received a death threat. And it's high time this ends. I mean, now, immediately. How? By prosecuting one of the boneheads who sends a threat to the fullest extent of the law.

By that, I mean I want one of these guys -- or girls -- to do serious jail time. If the purpose of punishment is not just to punish an act, but also to send a message to society about what we'll collectively stand for, isn't it high time we send that message? Because right now I firmly believe most of the people who make these threats don't believe they'll ever be punished for what they do. And if someone doesn't feel the threat of public exposure and punishment, then these threats are going to continue to grow. Put simply, we can't stand for it. Not as fans, not as adults, not as a remotely decent public.

We've entered a technological era where no matter how famous you are, you're easily reachable by people you don't know. Especially if you're just a kid in college. You have an e-mail address that is probably readily accessible to fellow students, you probably have a Facebook page. Heck, if you're playing LSU, your cell phone number is even likely to end up public on message boards. Somewhere along the way with all these potential avenues for communication, we've lost our balance about what is and isn't permissible. Many of us believe that athletes we see on television aren't real people. So we vent to them in a way that we would never vent to people we actually know. And whereas in the past this venting was never able to reach the actual target, now it does. Often with scary results.

What would you think one day if you opened your e-mail folder, and someone had threatened to kill you? You'd probably be shocked, then scared, but you'd also be angry as hell. You'd want that person to have to pay, and you'd probably go to the authorities and make them aware of the threat. Sadly, if you're an athlete at a major college, you aren't even surprised when these e-mails arrive. How have we gotten to this point as a society? I'll tell you, by not making an example of someone, by not showing that emailed threats have serious consequences outside the computer screen.

Right now we expect athletes to brush off these threats, tell them to shrug off the haters (news flash, those who threaten death aren't haters, they're felons) and use it as fuel to turbocharge their performance for the next game. Often, like Crompton, the athletes are reluctant to talk about the death threats because they think it will distract from playing a game. I think this is completely the wrong advice, and that we're sending the wrong message about these threats by treating them as if they aren't that serious. All that does is make the death threats keep coming. And if not for you, then for someone else. Plus, in this day and age, who knows which of these threats are serious and which aren't?

That's why a college needs to send a message and take these threats completely serious.

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, center, smiles as he greets people before the "Evening With Joe" event Wednesday, May 27, 2009, in Fogelsville, Pa. Paterno said he'd like to see either Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Syracuse join the Big Ten. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno speaks with media in Fogelsville, Pa., before the "Evening With Joe" event on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, center, drops into a three-point stance with Matthew Rauscher, left, and Frankie Rauscher, right, before the "Evening With Joe" event Wednesday, May 27, 2009, in Fogelsville, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno speaks with media in Fogelsville, Pa., before the "Evening With Joe" event on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In this undated photo released by the University of Kentucky, Jeremy Jarmon is shown. Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for his senior season by the NCAA because of a failed drug test. He said at a news conference Saturday, May 23, 2009, he had inadvertently taken a banned substance that turned up positive during a random NCAA test in February. An appeal was denied, in effect ending his college football career. (AP Photo/University of Kentucky)

In this Dec. 27, 2008, photo, Florida State's Corey Surrency signs autographs following the Champs Sports Bowl college football game in Orlando, Fla., against Wisconsin. The NCAA has denied Surrency's final appeal to play another year. The decision Tuesday, May 19, 2009, upheld an April ruling. It means the senior, who played just one year at Florida State, has used up his eligibility. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

In this Nov. 1, 2008, photo, Boston College's Mark Herzlich plays against Clemson in an NCAA college football game in Boston. Herzlich, the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, has cancer. Herzlich said Thursday, May 14, 2009, he was diagnosed earlier this week with Ewing's Sarcoma after feeling pain in his leg and will undergo more tests in his home state of Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Josh Halter is swarmed by family and friends after being named the drum major for The Ohio State University Marching Band in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (Jeff Hinckley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT)

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

If the e-mails come from an easily identifiable person, then I want them arrested immediately. If they come from an anonymous e-mail address, then I want investigators tracking down the e-mailer. When I was in college at George Washington, a kid got drunk and e-mailed a death threat to the President. I think he did it to show off to others. Hours later the secret service showed up at his dorm room door. He got kicked out of school and prosecuted. You can bet everyone got the message in a damn hurry, don't screw with the President.

That's what needs to happen with college athletes and death threats. As soon as the people who made the threats are tracked down, I want the college to contact the local and national media, and I want the cameras standing in the front yard when the front door gets kicked in and these guys get arrested. I want their name, profession, picture, and the content of their e-mail message made public. I want public opprobrium to rain down on them. I want other weaklings who sit in front of their computers and contemplate reaching out and threatening someone to think about the consequences that might rain down on them. And I want the writers to go to jail for as long as is legally possible. And so should you.

Colleges and athletic departments talk a big game about doing the best for their student-athletes. It's high time, they proved it by sending a message about what will and won't be tolerated. Go after them to the fullest extent of the law.

Time to Get Serious on Death Threats originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Goodman Arrested as Trouble Mounts for Florida State Receivers

Jim Henry — Wed, 27 May 2009 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: Florida State, Marshall, ACC, Police Blotter, Prospects

Florida State's list of available receivers continues to dwindle.

Richard Goodman, a senior receiver for the Seminoles, was arrested by Florida State University police Tuesday night and charged with aggravated battery, a felony. He was released on $1,000 bond. The charge, according to a sheriff's office spokesman, stems from an on-campus fight in November 2008 between members of the football team and members of a fraternity.

Goodman was suspended indefinitely from the team on Wednesday by FSU coach Bobby Bowden.

Trouble also has filtered into the local high school ranks, where star quarterback A.J. Graham, the state's Mr. Football Award winner who signed with Marshall University last February, was arrested on Tuesday by Tallahassee police on a robbery with firearm charge.

The Seminoles are down to one senior receiver in Louis Givens following Goodman's arrest. The charge stems from the on-campus fight Nov. 12, 2008 between football players and the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, then Goodman, 22, becomes the third FSU player to face criminal charges as part of that investigation. Fellow receivers Bert Reed and Cameron Wade faced misdemeanor battery charges from their alleged involvement in that fight.

According to FSU Police Department documents, police believe Goodman is the individual who swung a chair that struck a female in the face during the on-campus fight last November. Goodman's charge is aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm. That's a second degree felony.

The FSU Police Department had been investigating the fight for six months, trying to establish the identity of the individual who used a chair to assault a female. The case received its break on April 2 when, according to police department documents, a female witness identified Goodman as the one who swung the chair. The witness picked Goodman out of a photographic lineup that included three FSU football players and nine other students.

Up until then, according to the affidavit, a positive identification had never been made. Since Goodman is charged with a felony, he will be suspended indefinitely, according to FSU's athletic department policy.

FSU receivers have been involved in their share of headlines.

Preston Parker, the 2007 team MVP, was kicked off the team after a DUI arrest in January. Corey Surrency's career officially ended this week when the NCAA denied the player's final appeal granting him another year of eligibility. Senior Rod Owens has been suspended indefinitely after he was arrested on DUI charges in April. Taiwan Easterling ruptured an Achilles in spring drills. Reed, Wade and Goodman also were suspended during the season last year for their reported involvement in a campus fight.

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaks to reporters in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009, in front of a statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the founder of the university. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, left, and West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, right, are sworn in before giving their testimony before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

In an interview with FanHouse last week, FSU quarterback Christian Ponder said he's determined to help the Seminoles improve their bruised image.

"I am trying to shine a new light on FSU and trying to change that negative image into a positive image, as well as trying to get this team back to being a successful team," Ponder said. "A lot of that depends on getting rid of these off-the-field issues and getting people to focus more on successes on and off the field, and forgetting about the things that don't matter and get us in trouble."

Graham, meanwhile, spent his high school graduation night in a cell at the Leon County Jail, according to The Tallahassee Democrat. The standout quarterback from Godby High was arrested at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, less than two hours before the school's graduation ceremony.

Graham became the first Tallahasseean to earn Mr. Football honors for the state of Florida. He was also named the Tallahassee Democrat's Big Bend Player of the Year after leading the Cougars to the Class 3A state title game, where they fell 7-6 in overtime to Cocoa.

Graham, who selected Marshall over Clemson, Illinois and Kansas State, accounted for 4,434 total yards and 48 touchdowns last season. He threw for 3,870 yards and 38 touchdowns and ran for 564 yards and 10 scores. Graham ended his Godby career with single-season records and career records in pass completions, pass attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes.

On Wednesday, Marshall head coach Mark Snyder released Graham from his scholarship.

Richard Goodman Arrested as Trouble Mounts for Florida State Receivers originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 27 May 2009 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star-Crossed Top Recruits of 2005 More Likely to Be Arrested Than Drafted

Clay Travis — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:47:00 EST

Filed under: Maryland, Police Blotter, Recruiting, Prospects, Heisman

In 2005, Rivals.com ranked 28 men as five-star football recruits. The players were the cream of the crop, the top football players in America. They signed to play for top teams across the country, from USC to Miami, Penn State to Oklahoma.

There was just one problem: Turns out they were more likely to be arrested than drafted by the NFL.

In the 2009 draft, seven of these 28 men were drafted. Four more left early and were drafted in the 2008 draft. That means there have been 11 draft picks from the 2005 five-stars. Amazingly, that's less than the number of men who have been arrested, 14. If you ever doubted whether being obsessed with college football recruiting was fool's gold, keep this stat in mind: In 2005, five-star recruits were more than twice as likely to be arrested (14) as drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2008 or 2009 (six). There haven't been this many wasted hours on the Internet since first year lawyering.
But it's time for a confession: I'm guilty of being obsessed with college football recruiting. As soon as a recruit commits to my team, I immediately watch all the videos and debate the accuracy of Rivals' vaunted star ranking system. Rivals is always right when it comes to analyzing my teams' recruits. Come February, we all sit in front of our computers and wait for the signing day faxes to arrive. Depending on how many two-star, three-star, four-star, or the glorious five-stars our teams sign, we then assess our recruiting class and dream championship dreams.

Or curse our fan fate.

But no one really ever asks a key question, how accurate is the Rivals star system when it comes to future NFL draft success? The answer? Not that accurate. Eight of the first round picks in 2009 were two-stars, guys who, if your team offered them scholarships, you'd kick the dirt and wonder whether your team would ever compete for championships. See for yourself. If the NFL draft is an inexact science then college football recruiting is akin to treating cancer with leaches.

In all, seven five-stars from the class of 2005 were drafted out of the 255 picks in 2009. Combining that with the four taken in 2008's first round, 11 five-star players from the 2005 class have gone on to be drafted. That pales in comparison to the 135 two-stars and 65 three stars. In fact, guys who would barely merit a mention when they sign with your team (nary a four-star or five-star among them) comprised a whopping 78 percent of the NFL draft picks.

Now it's important to note that there are many more two- and three-star recruits in the country than there are four- and five-star recruits. But I'd always believed, mistakenly it turns out, that the size of the NFL D\draft made it fairly likely that just about every five-star recruit, the jewels of every recruiting class, would get drafted. The reality isn't true. Not even close.

In fact, 2005's five star-recruiting list is more valuable for defense attorneys than it is for NFL prospects. Of the 14 players who would go on to be arrested (and it could even be higher, these 14 arrests I found by a diligent search consisting of typing in arrest and the player's name in Google), none is more disturbing than the No. 4 overall recruit in 2005, Melvin Alaeze. Alaeze was a 6-foot-2, 277-pound defensive end who selected Maryland after a spirited recruiting battle. No doubt Terrapin football fans burned things in the streets. In high school, Alaeze ran the 40 in 4.54 seconds and could already bench press 225 pounds 22 times. His final five schools were Maryland, Virginia Tech, USC, Penn State and Miami. Instead of starring in college he received an eight-year prison sentence at the end of 2007.

The Baltimore Examiner reports:

"Circuit Judge John Turnbull sentenced Alaeze to 8 years behind bars after the football standout pleaded guilty to committing a first-degree assault. Alaeze admitted participating in a Dec. 24, 2006, shooting and robbery in Randallstown in which a man was shot and wounded in the head and back."

Alaeze received the most serious penalty of those arrested. So far. He joins his fellow five-stars: Ryan Perrilloux, Tray Blackmon, Jason Gwaltney, Alex Boone, Justin King, Callahan Bright, DeMarcus Granger, Fred Rouse, Rey Maulauga, Demetrice Morley, Ryan Grady, Darren McFadden, and Jerrell Powe as mugshot material. You'll note that a few of these managed the five-star daily double, arrest and first-round draft pick status. That's talent, the five-star cross-over.

In the end, our recruiting obsession is making players stars before they even arrive on campus. And maybe, just maybe, that stardom contributes to their misbehavior once they arrive on campus. When you've been told that you're God's gift to football, begged to attend schools by national championship winning coaches for months, danced with the hottest girls on campus, and had your signing-day decision nationally televised, is it any surprise that you think the regular rules don't apply to you?

You think that because ... they don't.

When you get right down to it, being a five-star Rivals prospect might be the ultimate football kiss of death. At the very least it tells us that we fans are as big of idiots as we already expected we were, the information we use to feed our recruiting obsession is as tasty as rice cakes and water, as filling as empty air.

Last fall, my wife came downstairs at 3 a.m. to find me watching high school highlight videos in the darkness of my office. She thought I was looking at porn. In a way, I was. Rivals recruiting rankings are every bit as fantastical as the finest creations in the Vivid Video stable. We think if we stare long enough at the five-stars we can predict the next two Heisman Trophy winners, the reality is we're more likely to predict the campus police blotter.

Because for the vast majority of Rivals' five-star prospects the moment the rankings are released, the players have reached the pinnacle of their football careers. It's all downhill, and we'll be there to watch the slide. Asking all the while, "How could this have ever happened?"

Star-Crossed Top Recruits of 2005 More Likely to Be Arrested Than Drafted originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 11 May 2009 23:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toledo Point Shaving Scandal Was Made Too Easy by NCAA Regulations

Mark Hasty — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Toledo, Gambling, Police Blotter

Nobody really wants to admit it, but gambling helps make sports popular. It's why practically all media outlets, including this one, make a point of providing all the point spreads they can find.

There comes a time, though, when the action on the game become bigger than the game itself. On Wednesday, six student athletes at the University of Toledo were indicted for taking part in a point shaving scheme allegedly masterminded by two Detroit-area gamblers. The 30-page indictment (PDF file) names two former Toledo football players and four former Toledo basketball players as part of the scheme but does not allege if any games were successfully "shaved."

The university maintains it knew nothing about any possible point shaving. That may be true, but the culture of college athletics made a scandal like this all but inevitable.

FanHouse's Greg Couch has already pointed out how the NCAA is of two minds about gambling, but there's more to the problem than accepting a casino sponsorship here and there. NCAA regulations which keep student athletes in a state of perpetual poverty are just as much to blame. They make it too easy for athletes to be swayed by gamblers.

I mean, those of you who went to college and lived in a dorm, answer me this: Back when you were a freshman, what would've been your price of betrayal? How much, or maybe how little, money would've convinced you to rat out the locations of all the beer (assuming it wasn't allowed in your dorm), weed, or other banned items, substances, and/or persons? (What, you didn't have somebody in your dorm who was trying to keep a girlfriend and/or boyfriend hidden from the RAs?) I'd have done it for $100.

So why are we surprised that a couple medium-time gamblers were able to recruit some athletes into their plan? Are we that worried about a repeat of the SMU mess that we have to make sure student athletes stay more impoverished than the rest of the student body? Everybody knows that the veneer of amateurism which covers Division I revenue sports is thinner than the meat on a prison sandwich, but does that mean a coach shouldn't be able to buy a bagel for one of his players? The coaches are about the only people who directly benefit from the revenue big-time athletics bring in to universities.

Yes, it would be nice if student athletes, who are not forced to accept scholarships at gunpoint, would always remain perfectly within the bounds of legal and ethical conduct. It would also be nice if coffee and doughnuts fell from the sky every morning at 10:30. It doesn't matter how airtight your rules are, nor how strict your punishments; your chances of getting compliance go way up if you make it easy to be good and hard to be bad. The athletes involved may get their just deserts, but it might not have happened if those two Detroit-area gamblers couldn't have afforded to buy their souls.

Toledo Point Shaving Scandal Was Made Too Easy by NCAA Regulations originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 08 May 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Where's Line on Second Chances?

Clay Travis — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:19:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee, SEC, Police Blotter, Recruiting

The University of Tennessee extended a scholarship offer to 6-foot-5, 255 pound Daniel Hood of Knoxville Catholic High School. Hood has solid grades, a great ACT score, hasn't gotten in trouble in high school, and is a three-star recruit. There's just one problem: At the age of 13 he was convicted of aggravated kidnapping and the rape of his first cousin with a toilet plunger after covering 70 percent of her body with duct tape. Hood later appealed the conviction, which the appeals court rejected.

On Tuesday, Hood signed scholarship papers with Tennessee, and the university immediately began the public relations campaign to justify his admission. University president Mike Hamilton, coach Lane Kiffin, and the head of public relations for the university all issued statements on the signing. So did officials at Knoxville Catholic High School and Daniel Hood. But Hood's conviction raises a couple of intriguing questions, can you do something so bad at 13 that you don't deserve a second chance? And do sports really even qualify as a second chance? Especially when playing sports for the University of Tennessee is a privilege, not a right.

(Warning: Court transcripts after the jump involve mature language.)

The facts of each case dictate how we view the defendants. All crimes are not created equal. Sometimes the details can be so heinous, they're hard to escape. Such is the case with Daniel Hood. Merely stating that he has "character issues" is a trite euphemism that disguises what actually happened on August 11, 2003. That night Hood and an older friend, 17-year-old Robert Sanrico, who is currently serving 10 years in prison, raped and kidnapped a 14-year-old girl.

From the Tennessee Court of Appeals opinion:

"The defendant (Hood) and Sanico then carried the victim to the defendant's bedroom. She was placed face down on one of the beds in the room. The victim testified that both the defendant and Sanico continued to laugh. She stated that she began to kick them, and that, in response to this kicking, "somebody grabbed [her] legs and held them together." Either the defendant or Sanico then placed a strip of duct tape across the victim's eyes. A piece of tape was next placed over her mouth. The victim testified that she could no longer see or speak. Her ankles were then taped together. The victim stated that she felt two hands holding her ankles together while the other individual applied the tape to her ankles."

Last year Daniel Hood was named Mr. Football in the state of Tennessee. He led his high school, Knoxville Catholic, to a 15-0 record and a class 3A state title. Along the way he amassed 27 scholarship offers from schools across the country. Then schools began to hear the details about the 2003 incident, his "character issue," and offers began to dry up. Soon Lincoln and his 3.8 GPA and 27 ACT had no major scholarship offers.

"The victim next testified to hearing Sanico tell the defendant to get a toilet plunger and cellophane. The defendant retrieved a plunger from the bathroom connected to his bedroom. The victim then heard the door to the defendant's bedroom open and shut. At this point, either the defendant or Sanico exited the bedroom and retrieved the cellophane from the kitchen. The duct tape that was tying her ankles together was then removed. The victim testified that she began to kick. In the struggle, she was flipped back onto her stomach, face down. She testified that the defendant and Sanico restrained her legs. Her legs were then pulled apart, and each ankle was taped to the side of the bed frame."

In sports we're often asked to give second chances to athletes for off-field transgressions. Sometimes that extends into third, fourth and fifth chances. Generally we comply because when it comes right down to it, we're all liberals in the case of talented athletes; we believe that with the right environment, the right coaching, the right support, they can succeed.

But often this distinction is artificial. We're not asking whether or not Daniel Hood should get a second chance in life. Plainly, he already has. With his GPA, his test scores, and his graduation from a top private school in Knoxville, he'd likely be admitted to dozens of colleges, free to pursue whatever course of study he chose. None of that would be an issue. Daniel Hood has already received his second chance at life.

"The cover or blanket was then taken off of the victim. Sanico inserted the handle of the plunger, which had been wrapped in the cellophane, inside the victim's vagina. Sanico asked the defendant if he wanted to do it himself. The defendant answered, "No, man, that's my cousin." After the plunger was taken out of the victim's vagina, a liquid was poured onto her body. According to the victim's testimony, the defendant and Sanico stated that the liquid was Sanico's urine. Later testimony would suggest that the liquid was actually Kool Aid."

Daniel Hood's football highlight film on Rivals.com has been watched 17,594 times.

The defendant later cut the tape from the victim's wrists. The victim immediately removed the tape from her eyes and mouth. The victim next cut the tape that was restraining her ankles to the bed. She testified that the defendant and Sanico began watching television as if nothing had occurred. The victim walked out of the defendant's bedroom with 70% of her body covered in duct tape. She encountered Collins [Tasha Collins, another cousin staying in the home that night] and asked Collins to retrieve her clothes from the defendant's bedroom. The victim then called a friend and asked the friend to pick her up. The friend arrived about five minutes later and took her to the hospital."

Now we're faced with a more difficult question, should a second chance at life extend to athletics? Can anyone who has read the actual details of this incident really feel that comfortable rooting for this kid on the football field? This isn't a case of accusation where an athlete deserves a presumption of innocence. This is the case of a kid found guilty and a court of appeals affirming that conviction.

Hood's victim doesn't oppose his playing football for Tennessee. In the nearly six years since this incident, Hood has not been in trouble. Daniel Hood will run through the T this fall only because he was such a young juvenile when he committed this crime that he didn't go to prison. Otherwise instead of wearing orange and white next fall, Hood would be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

There's something really wrong with that. And I think it ultimately says more about us, than it does about Daniel Hood.

Where's Line on Second Chances? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 06 May 2009 16:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alabama Kicker Attacked in Tuscaloosa

Brian Grummell — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:40:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Police Blotter

Weird story here, as Alabama kicker Leigh Tiffin was allegedly assaulted early Wednesday morning. He was apparently attacked from behind, motive unknown, and taken to the hospital. The attack happened near an entertainment district in Tuscaloosa.

Additional reports indicate his injuries are minor -- right hand, right leg, toes on both feet -- and that he has been released from the hospital. The Bama Beat says no arrests have been made and that police believe his involvement was "only as a victim." Kermit T. Frog once said it isn't easy being green. Tiffin proves it isn't easy being a kicker, either.

Tiffin has had an inconsistent career marked with several benchings. His name is legendary however as his father Van nailed a game-winning field goal to beat Auburn that remains a celebrated moment in Alabama football history.

(Via: RollBamaRoll twitter!)

Alabama Kicker Attacked in Tuscaloosa originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 06 May 2009 14:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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