Two UT players suspended for "cupcake" games

Texas defensive end Henry Melton and linebacker Sergio Kindle will miss the first three games of the 2007 season after being charged in separate DWI cases over the summer.
Kindle and Melton will miss games against Arkansas State, TCU and Central Florida as punishment for being arrested over the summer. The announcement came from coach Mack Brown as the Longhorns reported to training camp Sunday.
The players will also be held out of the first couple of days of practice when they will visit with a woman whose child was crippled by a drunk driver, Brown said. He did not identify the woman. The players also must perform some form of community service on behalf of the team before they will be allowed to play.
"I think we've got to send a message, and kids have to learn," Brown said. "It is a good opportunity for our football team to step up and talk about how serious we feel about drinking and driving."
Kindle, a sophomore, was expected to compete for significant playing time this season after playing in 11 games in 2006. Melton, a former short-yardage running back, moved to defensive end full time in the spring.
"This punishes the team. They are both good players," Brown said.
Several Longhorns have faced criminal charges in recent months.
A third player, freshman linebacker Dre Jones, was suspended indefinitely last week after being charged with aggravated robbery. Former safety Robert Joseph was also charged, but he had already left the team after being arrested in a separate incident over the summer.
Brown doesn't think the arrests have ruined his reputation for running a clean program.
"I need to step up and take responsibility for anything negative and to be a strong leader," Brown said.
Senior defensive lineman Frank Okam said other players can learn from the suspensions.
"Here you have a standard you have to uphold and be accountable for," Okam said.
Also on Sunday, running backs coach Ken Rucker announced that he has prostate cancer. Rucker said the illness was diagnosed after a regular visit with his doctor and that the disease was caught early. Although he initially hoped to have surgery after the season, it is scheduled for Aug. 27. Rucker will coach until then and said he hopes to return before the end of the season.
"When you have cancer, you want to get it out," Rucker said. "With time, I'm going to be fine."
Brown said he hoped that by the start of practice Monday, his team will focus on the Sept. 1 opener against Arkansas State instead of off-field troubles.
"I've spent more time the last 10 days thinking about things other than football," Brown said. "I'd like to get back to football."

USC Safety Arrested for DUI

USC safety Josh Pinkard was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of driving under the influence, coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday.
Carroll planned to speak with Pinkard, a 21-year-old junior, either Tuesday evening or Wednesday.
"We're looking into it, and we'll find out the details,'' Carroll said. "As usual, we'll handle it internally. We take this seriously, and we want to make sure we understand all of the circumstances.''
Pinkard could not immediately be reached for comment. It was not known whether he had an attorney.
Pinkard missed nearly all last season after injuring a knee in the opener against Arkansas. He redshirted last season and had reconstructive surgery. He was expected to play a significant role in the upcoming season for the Trojans, who were No. 4 in the final AP Top 25.
Authorities said Pinkard was arrested in the early morning of May 18 after a California Highway Patrol officer noticed a car swerving on a local freeway. The CHP report identified Pinkard as a USC student, but did not mention the football team.
Pinkard was scheduled to appear in court July 24.

Nebraska's Pruify arrested again for DUI

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Wide receiver Maurice Purify was suspended indefinitely from the Nebraska football team Friday after his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving, his second run-in with law enforcement in five weeks.

A State Patrol trooper stopped Purify at 12:25 a.m. at the intersection of Cornhusker Highway and North First Street in Lincoln. Purify was observed driving 53 mph in a 40 mph zone and failing to use his turn signal, patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said. Purify was taken to the Lincoln Detoxification Center after being ticketed on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Collins said she didn't know Purify's blood-alcohol level at the time of his arrest.
"We are aware of Maurice's situation and we take it very seriously," coach Bill Callahan said. "I met with Maurice today and explained to him that he is indefinitely suspended from the team. At this point, his future status with our team is uncertain."

A call seeking comment from Purify's attorney, Jon Braaten of Lincoln, was not immediately returned.

Purify had been charged with two counts of assault, resisting arrest, trespassing and failure to comply after a May 5 incident at a downtown bar. Purify was accused of throwing a man over a table, hitting him several times and striking the man's girlfriend.

Purify had been authorized to enter a pretrial diversion program in that case. City prosecutor John McQuinn couldn't be reached to comment on how Purify's arrest Friday would affect his participation in diversion.

Purify, from Eureka, Calif., was Nebraska's second-leading receiver last season, catching 34 passes for 630 yards and seven touchdowns. He will be a senior in the fall.

Gamecocks Garcia Suspended After Arrest

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina quarterback recruit Stephen Garcia was suspended indefinitely Wednesday from participating in team activities less than a week after he was arrested and charged with drunkenness.
The decision by coach Steve Spurrier means Garcia will not be allowed participate in team weightlifting and running sessions until further notice, athletic department spokesman Steve Fink said.
Spurrier would not talk about the arrest or the suspension, Fink said Wednesday.
Garcia, 19, was arrested early Saturday morning in a restaurant and nightclub district near the university and charged with drunkenness and failure to stop for a police officer.
An officer responding to an altercation said Garcia ran away from him and tried to hide in an alley, then turned toward the officer "in a threatening manner," according to an incident report.
Police say Garcia had been at a private party at a club when the incident occurred. Garcia was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond Saturday evening. A hearing on the charges scheduled for Wednesday was postponed until March 7.
The highly touted recruit out of Jefferson High in Tampa, Fla., enrolled at South Carolina last month.
Last year, South Carolina's starting quarterback Blake Mitchell also was charged in an incident in the same area near the campus. He was accused of punching a bouncer -- an assault charge that was later dropped -- and spent a few hours in jail.