UNC football player charged with assault

Linebacker Garrett White will be disciplined internally by North Carolina coach Butch Davis after White's arrest on a misdemeanor simple assault charge early Sunday morning.
White, 20, was arrested after an incident in a downtown Chapel Hill parking lot, said Chapel Hill police spokeswoman Jane Cousins.
Paul Britt of Chapel Hill alleged that White struck him in the face after a verbal altercation, then left the scene in a vehicle with two other people.
Police later located the vehicle, and Britt identified White as the person who struck him, according to Cousins. White was released on a written promise to appear in court April 10, Cousins said.

Ohio University and Frank Solich

I spoke too soon... while UNLV has a lot to be proud of... a little digging by a Local Ohio newspaper reveals a lot more of Dirt on the Ohio University Football program. The following are exerps from an article in "The Athens News".

Off-field troubles involving Ohio University football players during the past 13 months roughly parallel those of the 1998 and 1999 teams, court records show, but the checkered disciplinary record of head coach Frank Solich's players stretches back further than that.
Solich emphasized Wednesday that he's doing what he can to compel and promote good behavior among team members, and that good citizens compose the vast majority of his team.

An Athens NEWS review of past rosters and court records found that the OU team's legal difficulties spiked in 1998 and 1999 before falling and then increasing markedly under Solich.

The coach's former employer, the University of Nebraska football program, the review also found, provides a lesson in what OU surely hopes to avoid in terms of player conduct, despite many individual successes.

In the interview on Wednesday, Solich flatly declined to discuss disciplinary issues at Nebraska, saying he's now totally focused on building a strong program in Athens.

Solich's own drunken-driving conviction in November 2005 only served to trigger greater scrutiny of off-field incidents in Athens and foreshadowed the cluster of OU football players who have been arrested in the months since.

Solich has steadfastly denied culpability in his own case, saying he was drugged, but his attempt to withdraw his plea failed last August.

Already this year, local authorities have briefly jailed football players Kris Luchsinger, Ernie Hodge and Horace Hubbard -- all Solich recruits -- on charges that followed alleged violence uptown.

In Athens County Municipal Court, six team members last year were convicted of assault or disorderly conduct by fighting, and Luchsinger and Hodge have become the latest in a string of Bobcat footballers to get chased by local police.

At least 14 team members have been arrested since late January 2006 on original charges of assault, vandalism, DUI or for fleeing. That's 12.2 percent of the team, and does not include citations without arrests.

FBI and U.S. Census data show a 4.8 percent nationwide arrest rate in 2005, although the FBI does not break down the arrests by age, and arrests would almost certainly be higher in the college-age population.

UNLV Shoots to the Top of the Thug Factor

When the next Thug Factor is issues, UNLV will be the new champion. Five UNLV football players were arrested in a Theft Ring dating back to 2006. Congrats UNLV!

Arrest Warrants For UNLV Athletes in Theft Ring
Arrest warrants have been issued for eight people accused in a theft ring involving UNLV athletes.
In November 2006, the Channel 8 I-Team learned that five football players, two members of the women's track team and a cheerleader were being investigated for stealing merchandise from the Abercrombie and Fitch in the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace.
Police say Channing Trotter worked at the store and allowed several students to leave the store with hundreds of dollars of merchandise for the price of one item.
Metro police say the thefts totalled about $3,400.

Thug Factor Update

T1 - Colorado State 9
T1 - Tennessee 9
T1 - Texas Tech 9
4 - Washington 7
T5 - Louisville 6
T5 - Maryland 6
T5 - Michigan State 6
T5 - Texas 6
T9 - MTSU 4
T9 - USC 4
T9 - South Carolina 4
T12 - Iowa 3
T12 - Kansas 3
T12 - Northern Colorado 3
T12 - San Jose State 3
T12 - Uconn 3
T17 - Auburn 1
T17 - Kansas State 1
T17 - Marshall 1

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.

Washington RB Charged with Stealing a Cab

Prosecutors have charged suspended Washington running back Michael Houston with stealing a cab last October.
Houston was charged this week with second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission -- a Class C felony -- and driving while intoxicated, a gross misdemeanor. Houston is scheduled to be arraigned in King County Superior Court on Monday; it was not immediately known if he had obtained a lawyer.
Houston was suspended indefinitely following his October arrest. According to police reports, Houston, two other men and a woman were picked up by an Orange Cab at a strip club early one morning. After stopping at a fast-food restaurant, the woman spit on the cab window. When the driver stepped out to call 911, Houston jumped into the front seat and drove off, the police report alleged.
Seattle police found the cab a short time later and saw a man getting out of the vehicle. Houston was arrested and booked into jail.
Houston came to Washington in August after playing as a freshman at Texas. He played in two games for the Longhorns then transferred following the season.
Houston, listed at 5-foot-11, 238 pounds, was not eligible to play last season for Washington as he was required to sit out a year after transferring. He would be eligible for the 2007 season.
Earlier this month, coach Tyrone Willingham said Houston is being included in team activities, but his status for the 2007 season would be determined after criminal proceedings play out.

Thug Factor Update

Colorado State - 9
Tennessee - 9
Texas Tech - 9
Louisville - 6
Maryland - 6
Michigan State - 6
Texas - 6
MTSU - 4
USC - 4
Iowa - 3
Kansas - 3
No Colorado - 3
San Jose State - 3
South Carolina - 3
Uconn - 3
Washington - 3
Auburn - 1
Kansas State - 1
Marshall - 1

Huskies suspend football player

Washington running back Michael Houston, a touted transfer from Texas, has been suspended from the team for his apparent involvement in an alleged car theft early Sunday.

In a statement issued by the university, coach Tyrone Willingham and athletic director Todd Turner said the suspension is indefinite and Houston's status will be "re-evaluated based on the complete findings of an investigation into a recent incident in which he was involved."

According to the King County jail registry, Houston was arrested Sunday morning and booked at 4:54 a.m. He was released Monday night.

A police report said Houston was with three people when a cab picked them up at Déjà Vu, a strip club on Bothell Way.

The cab driver drove them to a fast-food restaurant, where someone in the car allegedly spit on a cab window. The cab driver stepped out of his car to call 911, and then Houston allegedly drove off in the cab.

Seattle Police later found the cab on Lake City Way with Houston exiting from the driver-side door, the police report said. Houston was arrested without incident.

Houston transferred from Texas this fall and is sitting out the season due to transfer rules. He was practicing with the team.

Houston played in two games for the Longhorns in Texas' 2005 national championship season, but left school in December. He had difficulty getting his release. He said he had to pay off parking tickets and some loans he "probably shouldn't have taken out."

Houston then took classes at Community College of Aurora in Denver, his hometown.

Willingham recruited Houston when Willingham was coach at Notre Dame and Houston contacted the Huskies coach when he got his release from Texas.

Houston reported to Huskies camp on Aug. 22 and has been working with the scout teams.

Louisville Football Players Suspended For WVU

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Louisville wide receivers Chris Vaughn and Scott Long were suspended Thursday for at least one game after being arrested for shooting a woman with a paint ball gun.

Coach Bobby Petrino suspended the players for the Nov. 2 game against No. 4 West Virginia while the matter is investigated.

Vaughn and Long were charged with second-degree assault for shooting the woman early Sunday when she came out of the Haunted Hotel, a seasonal haunted house attraction near the university's campus. Long also was charged with not carrying a driver's license.

Vaughn, a sophomore transfer from Notre Dame, has four receptions for 54 yards this season. Long has no receptions in six games.

Hawkeye Football Player Arrested

A University Of Iowa football player faces problems off the field today. Starting linebacker, Ed Miles, was arrested early yesterday for an assault at an Iowa City bar.

Police say it happened shortly before 4:00 yesterday morning at Brothers Bar And Grill in Iowa City.

On Saturday, Miles led the Hawkeyes with 11 tackles in a 24-to-14 victory against Northern Illinois University.

UConn Football Player Arrested After Fight

STORRS -- UConn football player Donald Thomas has been suspended for two games after being arrested Sunday by campus police and charged with assault in the third degree and breach of peace after a fight in Wings Over Storrs, a local restaurant.

According to the report, police observed a fight taking place inside the restaurant. Thomas, a senior from West Haven, was immediately apprehended and identified by witnesses and the victim as the person responsible for causing the disturbance inside the restaurant and striking one of the employees.

Coach Randy Edsall announced in a statement that Thomas will miss the games with Rutgers on Sunday and Pitt on Nov. 11 and that there would be no further comment.

The assault charge is a Class A misdemeanor and the breach of peace charge is a Class B misdemeanor. Thomas, 21, is the ninth of the 83 scholarship players on the roster at the start of the season known to have had a brush with the law in the past 18 months. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 31.

A senior backup left guard, Thomas is a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship prior to the start of this season and had appeared in all seven games.

Current defensive starters Dan Davis, Danny Lansanah, Tyvon Branch and Donta Moore were all involved in an incident in May 2005 when a car window was shot out in Willimantic with a pellet gun.

Marvin Taylor, also involved in the pellet gun incident, was dismissed from the team Sept. 21 after he was charged Sept. 15 by campus police with sixth-degree larceny and illegal use of a credit card. He pleaded guilty to the charges Sept. 26 in Superior Court in Rockville and was sentenced to one year of probation and 50 hours of community service.

Former players Todd Dorcelus, Carl Teague and Ricky McCollum, who were dismissed from the team with two other players on Oct. 9, each had prior arrests.

3 Texas Tech football players arrested on burglary charges

Texas Tech freshmen football players Julius Howard, Dimitri Lott and Rashad Hunt face burglary charges after being arrested at about 3 a.m. on Friday for allegedly breaking into a house, Sgt. Mark Wims of the Lubbock Police Department said Tuesday.

According to the police report, two of the three charged were spotted walking out of a house where a party was being held. It was then noticed that a laptop and iPod were missing from the residence. The three were spotted in a car and they drove off. Police made a traffic stop of the car at 2:52 a.m., found the items in the car and arrested the three players.

Texas Tech has not yet dismissed or suspended any of the players.

"We wait until a guy’s guilty," Texas Tech coach Mike Leach told the Associated Press. "But if we’re certain somebody’s guilty, we may act sooner."

Howard, a linebacker from Irving Nimitz, and Lott, an offensive lineman, are both true freshman that have not played this season. Hunt, a defensive lineman, is a redshirt freshman that is academically ineligible, but had been allowed to practice with the team.

Vols face punishments for arrests

KNOXVILLE —Tennessee football teammates David Holbert and Antonio Wardlow fought with each other prior to their arrests outside a Knoxville nightspot early Sunday morning.

Arian Foster, also arrested, had tried to break up a fight before a subsequent scuffle led to his arrest at Good Fellas, where more than 70 people were involved in the altercation, according to arrest reports obtained by The Daily Times in Maryville from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Additional football and at least three basketball players were present, according to witnesses who spoke with The Daily Times.

The arrests occurred hours after the Vols lost 28-24 at home to LSU, a setback that allowed Florida to clinch the SEC East title and likely quashed Tennessee’s hopes for an at-large bid to the Bowl Championship Series.

“It’s silly and stupid. When male ego and alcohol mix, it’s not a good thing,” said Head Coach Phillip Fulmer, who has seen seven players arrested since May. “We had a great team meeting on Sunday night, really fantastic because of the leadership of the team. Everybody concerned did a great job dealing with it. Everybody made their apologies and we went on.”

According to Wardlow’s arrest report, he “squared off with another male (Holbert) and began to throw punches.”

Holbert’s report was virtually identical, with police indicating they witnessed Holbert “attempting to engage in a fight, shoving, yelling and throwing punches.”

Fulmer announced his disciplinary actions for the three prior to his team’s Monday afternoon practice. The No. 13 Vols (7-2, 5-2) began game-week preparations for Saturday’s contest at 11th-ranked Arkansas (8-1, 5-0), which kicks off at 7 p.m. EST and will be televised by ESPN2.

Wardlow, a redshirt freshman defensive back who was cited for disorderly conduct, public intoxication, and underage consumption, was suspended for the Arkansas and Vanderbilt games. Holbert, a junior fullback, will miss the Arkansas game after charges of disorderly conduct and underage consumption. Foster, a sophomore who has started four games this season at tailback, will not play in the first half of Saturday’s contest after his arrest for disorderly conduct and underage consumption.

Fulmer said Good Fellas would now be considered off-limits to his players.

“Several guys did a fantastic job of leaving and other guys helping other guys to make sure they weren't involved,” Fulmer said. “They didn’t leave when they were supposed to. They should have.”

Senior defensive lineman Turk McBride said the Vols would not allow the incident to become a lingering distraction this week during preparations for Arkansas.

“Coach Fulmer has constantly reminded us to put our best foot forward in representing ourselves, our team and our families,” McBride said in a statement. “Our focus is on our education, our social growth as men and our team. Coach will deal with this and we will move on to prepare for Arkansas.”

Added senior left tackle Arron Sears, “The immature behavior of a couple of guys is certainly not representative of our team’s focus and energy to do the right things on and off the field.”

Earlier in the day before the punishments had been announced, junior linebacker Ryan Karl told reporters, “I’m really not supposed to talk about it, but it’s disappointing.”

Foster, Holbert and Wardlow were each released on $500 bond. They will be arraigned Nov. 14.

KU Basketball player cited for battery

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas forward C.J. Giles was dismissed from the team Tuesday after a student reported Giles had dragged her from his apartment by her feet and hit her.

University police ticketed Giles for misdemeanor battery, and he was given a notice to appear in municipal court on the battery charge. Giles was not taken into custody.

In dismissing Giles from the team, coach Bill Self noted Giles' "pattern of irresponsible behavior and disrespect for team rules."

Giles had been reinstated to the team last week but was told he would not be allowed to play in any games this semester. Self announced Oct. 17 that the 6-foot-11 junior would be barred from practice until he resolved "personal issues," which included but were not limited to poor academic performance.

At the time, Giles had an appearance pending in Douglas County District Court on allegations of owing $4,097 in child support to the mother of his 1-year-old son. A judge later postponed the hearing to Jan. 8, 2007.

The latest incident occurred Monday at Giles' apartment. According to the police report, the student told police Giles instructed her to leave after he got a phone call from his girlfriend, who was headed to his apartment.

The report said when the woman questioned Giles about having a girlfriend, Giles became angry and dragged her into the hallway where he then "struck her in the left side of her head by her ear" with his closed fist.

Giles admitted to police that he dragged the woman across the floor, the report says, but denied hitting her in the head. The report listed the woman's injuries as minor.

In a prepared statement, the university described the woman as a former girlfriend who refused to leave Giles' apartment.

"We are not now making a judgment about guilt or innocence regarding this incident," Self said in the statement. "But this is yet another example of C.J. putting himself in a situation in which negative things can happen.

"C.J. was well aware of the consequences of another lapse in judgment," Self said. "We normally would let the judicial process play its course before dismissing someone, but C.J. has exhibited a pattern of irresponsible behavior and has left us no choice."

Giles started 13 of 33 games last year, averaging 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds.

MSU football player arrested, booted from team

STARKVILLE — Freshman Keith Mills was dismissed from the Mississippi State football team today after he was arrested Monday, the school announced in a press release.

According to the news release, Mills, a wide receiver from Alexandria, La., was charged with burglary and uttering forgery. The news release said the alleged theft involved another athlete who lives in the same residence hall as Mills.

“I have permanently dismissed Keith Mills from the football team," coach Sylvester Croom said in a statement released by the school "Although I understand that young people make mistakes, Keith's actions were completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our program.”

Mills, who did not play in any of State’s first nine games this season, is at least the eighth MSU football player arrested since last spring and the second in a month. Former defensive back Adron Chambers, who was arrested on Oct. 4, was scheduled to appear in Oktibbeha County Justice Court today to answer to misdemeanor charges of simple assault and indecent exposure. Chambers was suspended from the team and has withdrawn from school.

MSU President Robert H. Foglesong said the university expects all MSU students to conduct themselves appropriately.

“We live in a small community, and we won’t tolerate infringing on the rights of another, Foglesong said in the news release. “We don’t want to just talk that talk, but we want our students to know we will walk the walk as well. We take this seriously.”

Rashaad Norwood of KSU arrested for Arguing

Rashaad Jermaine Norwood, junior in sociology and tight end for the K-State football team, was arrested Sunday by the K-State Police on charges of obstructing the legal process and disorderly conduct, Lt. Michael Quintanar of the Riley County Police Department said.

The K-State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics had no comment but said coach Ron Prince will speak on the matter at his press conference today.

Norwood was arrested shortly after midnight Sunday in the K-State Student Union parking lot.

"He did not fight the officers," Capt. Richard Herrman of the campus police said.Norwood was part of two small groups in the south Union parking lot who were bantering back and forth, Herrman said. When officers arrived, he refused to cooperate, and the campus police had to physically put him in the police car, Herrman said.

Norwood's passive resistance led to the obstruction charge, Herrman said.The charges of disorderly conduct stemmed from Norwood's refusal to stop shouting obscenities at another person after officers arrived.

Norwood's first court appearance will be 8 a.m. Oct. 3.

The junior tight end is the Wildcats' leading receiver this season with 13 receptions for 143 yards. In his two previous years at K-State, Norwood had a total of 14 receptions.

UNC backup Punter stabs starter in the leg

The backup punter at Northern Colorado has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing his teammate -- the starting punter -- in the kicking leg.
The motive may have been competition for the first-string job, police said Wednesday.
Mitch Cozad was accused of attacking punter Rafael Mendoza in a parking lot Monday night, Evans police Lt. Gary Kessler said.
Mendoza was treated and released from the North Colorado Medical Center Monday night. Coach Scott Downing said Mendoza will not punt in Saturday's game at Texas State University.
"I guess the only identified motive at this point in time is the competition for that position," Kessler said Wednesday.
The stabbing took place in Evans, a small town adjacent to Greeley and about 50 miles north of Denver.
The Greeley Tribune first reported the story in Wednesday's editions.
Cozad was suspended from school and from the team, university officials said in a news release. They did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press but scheduled a news conference later Wednesday.
Kessler said Cozad, a sophomore, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of second-degree assault. He remained in jail as of Wednesday morning, and it was not immediately known whether he had an attorney.
Kessler said Mendoza was attacked from behind and stabbed in his right thigh after parking his car outside his Evans apartment Monday night.
The assailant fled in a black Dodge Charger, Kessler said. About 10 minutes after the attack, a liquor store clerk told police that two men in a car matching that description stopped outside the store, stripped tape off the license plate and drove away.
The clerk gave police the license number and the car was traced to Cozad, Kessler said.
Mendoza, a junior, has averaged 37.6 yards per punt on nine punts in the two games this season.
Downing told the Greeley Tribune he had not spoken to Rafael's doctor and did not know how long he would be out.

South Carolina QB Arrested

South Carolina starting quarterback Blake Mitchell was arrested for assault Wednesday after apparently punching another man in the eye and has been suspended from the team, according to police and a Gamecocks spokesman.
Richland County jail officials said Mitchell, 21, was being booked into the facility for simple assault, a misdemeanor.
Mitchell was suspended indefinitely from the team by coach Steve Spurrier, according to athletic department spokesman Steve Fink.
A Columbia police report said Mitchell was involved in an incident early Wednesday at a bar near the university.
The complainant, listed as Kylan Ertzberger, told police Mitchell approached him about 1:45 a.m. and "initiated a verbal confrontation."
As Ertzberger turned away, Mitchell "punched him in his left eye," according to the report.
The report said Ertzberger told Mitchell "he did not like that the subject tried to enter (the bar) with underage girls." That's when the confrontation took place.
Police arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later, the report said.
Ertzberger is not a member of the football team, and Fink did not think Ertzberger was part of any athletic team.
A message left for Ertzberger was not immediately returned.
Mitchell, a junior, came to South Carolina before the 2003 season and had started 11 games last season and both contests this year.
On Spurrier's weekly radio show before the Gamecocks' opener at Mississippi State on Aug. 31, the coach said Mitchell has a chance to surprise a lot of people and become the all-Southeastern Conference quarterback this fall.
Mitchell and the offense, though, have struggled. He has completed 28 of 44 passes for 247 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
The Gamecocks take on Wofford this Saturday.

Thug Factor

A running total of charges filed against college athletes. Each offense is weighted and calculated to determine the schools "Thug Factor".

I have just started to compile these stats, so everyone started with a clean slate... there was no attempt to include any of the criminals from the past... who has the time to keep up with all of that?

Colorado State - 9
Texas - 6
Maryland - 6
USC - 4
MTSU - 4
San Jose State - 3
Auburn - 1
Marshall - 1

Maryland Football player charged with Assault and Sex Offense

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - A Maryland football player faces misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident last October at a College Park bar.
Charging documents say starting strong safety Marcus Wimbush is charged with two counts of second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense. Wimbush was charged in March for the alleged offenses October 31st at the Cornerstone Grill and Loft.
His lawyer, Keith Hiller, says the charges are not related to a fight at the bar that night that involved a group of Maryland players. That fight resulted in a one-game suspension for four players and sanctions against others for violating team rules.
Court documents say Wimbush allegedly grabbed a woman's buttocks. When she told him to stop, he allegedly grabbed the neck of a woman who intervened.
His trial is set for January 26th