CriminalSports: CriminalSports: NCAA Football

Mon, 18 Nov 2002 21:40:57 GMT

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 00:08:55 GMT

ARRESTED: Marty Johnson, Utah Football

SALT LAKE CITY -- Associated Press reports Utah running back Marty Johnson could face drunken-driving charges in a case in which he is accused of leaving the scene of an accident after crashing into a parked car near the school stadium. Johnson was arrested Oct. 27. Former teammate Anthony Arceneaux, kicked off the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules a week earlier, also was arrested for allegedly trying to cover for Johnson.

Mon, 04 Nov 2002 19:32:26 GMT

ARRESTED: Dawan Moss, Michigan State Football

EAST LANSING, Michigan -- Associated Press reports Michigan State officials announced Sunday quarterback Jeff Smoker has a substance abuse problem and dismissed arrested running back Dawan Moss from the team. On October 24, Williams suspended the 21-year-old Smoker for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

Moss was dismissed from the team by Williams after his arrest Saturday night on felony and misdemeanor charges. According to Lansing Police Department Sgt. Dave Dahlke, Moss was charged with fleeing and eluding, a felony, and operating under the influence and resisting arrest, a pair of misdemeanors. He was jailed, arraigned on the charges Sunday morning and posted bond.

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 21:10:55 GMT

CHARGED: Ryan McGuffy, Wyoming Football

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Associated Press reports Wyoming receiver and team captain Ryan McGuffey was suspended indefinitely after being charged with drunken driving. McGuffey, 21, rear-ended a pickup truck on an interstate highway early Sunday, said Sgt. Stephen Townsend of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. No one was injured. McGuffey posted $400 bond and was released later Sunday, officials said.

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 22:37:21 GMT

CHARGES REFILED: Tamotu Tagoa'i, Nebraska Football

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Associated Press reports prosecutors will refile assault charges against a Nebraska football player for failing to comply with a program in which he was ordered to do community service. Tamotu "Junior" Tagoa'i was accused of hitting his girlfriend in the jaw at their apartment on Oct. 23, 2001. Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said Tuesday his office decided to file third-degree assault charges.

Among the unmet requirements cited were failure to verify completion of 30 hours of community service and a mandatory domestic violence prevention course, Lacey said.

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 22:33:38 GMT

CHARGED: Peter Martocci, Hofstra Football

MINEOLA, N.Y. -- Associated Press reports a Hofstra football player posted $100,000 bond on Tuesday following his arrest on charges he raped and sodomized a female student on a campus athletic field. Peter Martocci pleaded innocent Monday, his lawyer, Bruce Eiber, said. Martocci, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive lineman, was automatically suspended from the team because he was charged with a felony, Hofstra spokesman Michael DeLuise said.

According to prosecutors, Martocci met the 18-year-old woman at a bar Saturday night, and as the two were walking together early the next morning, he attacked her when she refused to go to his dorm room, police said. He was arrested Sunday.

If convicted, the 19-year-old player could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

Thu, 24 Oct 2002 21:00:28 GMT

CONVICTED: Jonta Woodward, Louisville Football

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Associated Press reports Louisville offensive lineman Jonta Woodard was sentenced to two years in prison for receiving marijuana in the mail and possessing steroids, but will not serve time behind bars. Woodard will enter a supervised program that will remove the marijuana conviction from his record after five years, prosecutors said Tuesday. Woodard pleaded guilty to receiving 15.1 ounces of marijuana in the mail. The amount necessitated a mandatory trafficking charge.

Thu, 24 Oct 2002 20:51:45 GMT

ARRESTED: Jermaine Brooks, Arkansas Football

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Associated Press reports Arkansas tackle Jermaine Brooks was kicked off the team Wednesday, a day after city police arrested Brooks on charges he sold and possessed 10 1/2 pounds of marijuana in his off-campus apartment. Brooks was charged late Tuesday with felonies alleging drug possession, drug distribution and simultaneous possession of several rifles and handguns. Officers found $16,841 in Brooks' apartment and also arrested a woman who was there with him.

Police laid out cash, marijuana and a cache of weapons on a display table for reporters to view. Deputy prosecutor John Threet said that if convicted of simultaneous possession of drugs and a gun, Brooks could be punished by life in prison, though that would be rare in a marijuana case.

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 20:36:10 GMT

ARRESTED: Nick Turner, Mississippi State Football

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Associated Press reports Mississippi State tailback Nick Turner was charged with possession of counterfeit money, police said Tuesday. The 18-year-old freshman turned himself in and was released Monday on $5,000 bond. The charge carries a maximum prison term of 15 years, a fine or both.

Wed, 16 Oct 2002 20:07:19 GMT

ARRESTED: Fred Pagac, Jr., Ohio State Football

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Beacon Journal reports Ohio State junior middle linebacker Fred Pagac Jr. has been suspended by Coach Jim Tressel for Saturday's game at Wisconsin after being arrested early Sunday morning for persistent disorderly conduct. According to the police report, Pagac was intoxicated and trying to fight another person outside a bar at Lane and High streets. When an officer told him to stop, he disregarded the order and was arrested at 3:45 a.m. The charge, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 20:34:40 GMT

CONVICTED: Kole McKamey, New Mexico Football

ARTESIA, N.M. -- Associated Press reports New Mexico quarterback Kole McKamey was sentenced to 90 days' probation after being ticketed for underage drinking. McKamey pleaded guilty Monday and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. The judge suspended that sentence and placed the 18-year-old McKamey on probation.

Mon, 14 Oct 2002 22:12:24 GMT

TICKETED: Jammal Lord, Nebraska Football

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Associated Press reports Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord was ticketed for disturbing the peace. The 21-year-old Lord and Greichaly Cepero, also an athlete at Nebraska, appeared to be drunk and were taken to a detoxification center early Sunday. Both were later released but never arrested, police spokeswoman Katherine Finnell said. Nebraska football coach Frank Solich said the citation does not require suspending Lord from any games, but some form of discipline may be necessary.

Wed, 02 Oct 2002 20:20:19 GMT

CONVICTED: Marco Cooper, Former Ohio State Football

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Associated Press reports former Ohio State linebacker Marco Cooper pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges of drug possession and carrying a concealed weapon. Cooper was arrested hours after the Buckeyes' intrasquad scrimmage in April. Police found a handgun, ammunition and Ecstasy pills hidden in his sport utility vehicle when he was stopped for a traffic violation. The 20-year-old from Detroit was barred from campus and kicked off the team.

According to the arrest report, Cooper was driving without a license and gave officers permission to retrieve a temporary permit from his glove compartment. The handgun and a plastic bag containing 12 Ecstasy pills were hidden in the center console, police said. An officer found a marijuana pipe in the passenger side door handle, the report said.

He faces two years in prison and $5,000 in fines when sentenced in November.

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 22:03:21 GMT

CHARGED: Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt Football

NASHVILLE -- Tennessean reports Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson suspended quarterback Jay Cutler indefinitely last night after the redshirt freshman was issued four misdemeanor citations, including underage consumption of alcohol and evading arrest, by university police.

According to a Vanderbilt University Police Department report, an officer spotted Cutler and another person allegedly ripping the handset off one of the school's emergency phones at around 2 a.m. yesterday. The report said when the officer called out, Cutler and the other person ran toward a nearby parking lot, where Cutler hid behind a car. Cutler ran again when the officer approached, the report said.

Cutler then ran into another officer who had been called in for assistance. Cutler tried to free himself before both officers forced him to the ground and handcuffed him, the report said. As Cutler was taken into custody the officers said they detected an odor of alcohol and charged him with underage consumption. Cutler turned 19 in April. The legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21.

Wed, 25 Sep 2002 08:10:31 GMT

IRKED: Columbia Halftime Gibe Irks Some at Fordham

NEW YORK -- New York Times reports Fordham University students and alumni say a Columbia University band announcer apparently referred to the priest sex scandal during a football game on Sunday.

Tue, 24 Sep 2002 00:03:11 GMT

CHARGED: Derek Watson, South Carolina State

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Associated Press reports South Carolina State running back Derek Watson was arrested and charged with reckless driving early Sunday, the latest legal problem for the ex-South Carolina player. Watson was stopped hours after he scored a touchdown in South Carolina State's 50-12 win over Savannah State. He later was released on bond.

Watson has gotten into trouble several times since he gained 1,066 yards for South Carolina and helped Lou Holtz's Gamecocks get to the Outback Bowl, a year after the team went 0-11. Watson was suspended from the bowl game after wrecking a teammate's car while driving with a suspended license. He is appealing a 10-day jail sentenced handed down last month by a Greenville municipal judge after Watson failed to complete community service work for a March 20 marijuana possession conviction.

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 21:51:08 GMT

CONVICTED: Pisa Magele, Northern Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Associated Press reports former Northern Arizona defensive lineman Pisa Magele pleaded guilty to the rape of a student last December. Magele, 23, faces a minimum 40-year prison term when he's sentenced in Coconino County Superior Court. The victim told campus police that she found a piece of paper in her room after the rape with the name "Pisa" on it and later learned the name belonged to an NAU football player. She saw Magele's picture when she checked the school Web site.

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 17:59:04 GMT

ARRESTED: C.J. Barkema, Iowa Football

IOWA CITY -- Iowa City Press-Citizen reports C.J. Barkema, a redshirt freshman on the Iowa football team, was arrested for public intoxication/consumption and fourth-degree criminal mischief early Sunday. University of Iowa Police charged the 19-year-old at 12:52 a.m. Sept. 8 after finding him on the Hillcrest residence hall fire escape. Police records show Berkema also lives at Hillcrest.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 23:28:22 GMT

ARRESTED: Vernon Smith, Montana Football

MISSOULA, Mont. -- The Montana Kaimin reports Vernon Smith, a University of Montana football player, was arrested Saturday in a dormitory and cited with disorderly conduct and obstructing a peace officer, both misdemeanors.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 23:18:51 GMT

CHARGED: Thunder Collins, Nebraska Football

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Associated Press reports Nebraska running back Thunder Collins was charged again with assaulting his girlfriend. The charges were filed after Collins failed to comply with the provisions of a diversion program related to his previoous plea deal on domestic assault. Meanwhile, Collins was suspended for three games for what the University said were unrelated violations.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 22:54:28 GMT

CONVICTED: Shane Lehmann, UCLA Football

LOS ANGELES -- Associated Press reports UCLA guard Shane Lehmann pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge on Tuesday and was suspended for the season opener against Colorado State. The fight happened in May at a bar in Westwood, where the university is located.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 22:50:58 GMT

ACCUSED: Angelo Chattams, Ohio State Football

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Associated Press reports Ohio State wide receiver Angelo Chattams was excused from the team to deal with an accusation of theft in his hometown. Police said Chattams is under investigation for theft of a set of golf clubs stolen July 29 from a parked sports utility vehicle.

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 19:22:15 GMT

ARRESTED: Ricky Manning, UCLA

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Daily News reports Ricky Manning, UCLA's All-Pac-10 cornerback, was arrested Tuesday night on felony charges resulting from a fight in a popular Westwood bar last April. Manning, who turned himself in to police after a warrant was issued for his arrest, was released after posting $60,000 bail. Arraignment has been scheduled for Sept. 17 at the LAX division of Los Angeles Superior Court. Manning, from Fresno, is the third UCLA player to face felony charges in the past year.

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 01:41:14 GMT

APPEALING: Derek Watson, South Carolina State

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Associated Press reports South Carolina State running back Derek Watson was released from jail Tuesday pending an appeal of his 10-day sentence related to marijuana possession. Watson, a former 1,000-yard rusher for South Carolina, was kicked off the team by coach Lou Holtz following a series of transgressions, culminating with his January arrest for marijuana possession outside a nightclub in Greenville.

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 01:38:20 GMT

SUSPENDED: Brandon Williams, University of Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. -- Associated Press reports Georgia cornerback Brandon Williams, acquitted of rape charges last week, was reinstated to the team Tuesday but suspended for the first three games. Under school policy, Williams was automatically suspended in April after being charged with a felony.

Jury Acquits First of Three Georgia Players in Alleged Gang Rape