One Cincinnati player arrested, three others cited after weekend incident
Several Cincinnati football players have been disciplined by head coach Tommy Tuberville stemming from an incident at an off-campus party where gunshots were fired over the weekend.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, “one player was arrested, a second was cited and two others were found with outstanding warrants.”
“Over the weekend, four members of the University of Cincinnati football program were involved in an unfortunate incident that resulted in one arrest and three citations,” Tuberville said in a statement. “We have higher expectations of everyone within our football program and there will be consequences for those actions.”
True freshman cornerback Alex Thomas, 18, was arrested and charged with obstruction when he fled upon the officers’ arrival. The police report said Thomas was apprehended “a block away after a foot chase.” Tuberville announced that Thomas, a two-star recruit from Hollywood, Fla., will miss “at least four games and possibly more” and won’t “be eligible to participate in a game” until his legal issues are resolved. He has a court date scheduled for Oct. 14.
In addition to Thomas, starting running back Hosey Williams, 23, starting defensive back Leviticus Payne, 20, and backup linebacker Ey’Shawn McClain, 21, were also involved in the incident.
Williams was cited for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and Payne and McClain each had “outstanding warrants for minor drug crimes.” Tuberville said that McClain, Payne, and Williams “have been disciplined” and are still on the Bearcats’ active roster.
Per the Enquirer, Williams’ citation indicates that he “refused to tell police where he attends school.” He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 25.
McClain and Payne failed to appear in court or pay $130 fines after being cited Feb. 8 with misdemeanor marijuana possession. Both have new court dates set for Sept. 26.
“This kind of behavior is not acceptable and not indicative of the UC football program,” Tuberville said. “Moving forward, we will continue to educate our players on making good decisions and being great representatives of the University.”
Williams, a senior, led Cincy with 655 rushing yards last year. His 2014 campaign got off to a good start when he ran for 103 yards in the Bearcats’ win over 58-34 last Friday.
Payne, a junior, has appeared in 27 games in his career. He has notched 32 total tackles and one interception. McClain and Thomas haven’t seen any action in their careers.
The 1-0 Bearcats will play Miami (Ohio) at home Saturday night.
For more Cincinnati news, visit BearcatReport.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
