TCU dismisses Turpin after 2nd charge
FORT WORTH, TEXAS >> TCU receiver and returner KaVontae Turpin was dismissed from the team Tuesday after a second charge surfaced against him following his weekend arrest on an assault charge for an alleged altercation with his girlfriend.
Coach Gary Patterson initially suspended Turpin after the senior was arrested by Fort Worth police following an incident Saturday night. But Turpin was kicked off the team after Patterson later learned of a battery charge pending against him in New Mexico from last March.
“Our players are like our kids, just like my own sons, but the bottom line is if they cross the line, then there’s always a penalty to be paid,” Patterson said. “It’s not something that can be tolerated.”
A criminal complaint from New Mexico revealed that Turpin was charged March 15 while there during spring break to visit a girlfriend. Court records show he entered pleas of not guilty to charges of battery of a household member and criminal damage to property of a household member valued under $1,000.
When Turpin failed to appear for a pretrial hearing in July, a bench warrant was issued by a Las Cruces magistrate judge.
Patterson said Tuesday that he knew about a property damage allegation in the spring, but that records obtained by the team from New Mexico then didn’t list the battery charge that was also part of the case. The coach said he also didn’t know until Monday about the outof-state bench warrant.
Asked if Turpin faced any team discipline then, the coach responded: “Not knowing exactly about what happened, no.”
The arrest Saturday night came hours after Turpin had a 99-yard kickoff return for his school-record sixth career special teams touchdown and a 41-yard TD catch in TCU’s 52-27 home loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. He was second in the Big 12 in all-purpose yards with 132.7 yards per game.
Ohio State loses receiver Austin Mack to foot injury
COLUMBUS, OHIO >> Ohio State receiver Austin Mack is out indefinitely following foot surgery.
Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer confirmed that Mack would be sidelined after injuring his foot Saturday in a loss to Purdue.
Meyer called it “a big loss” and said Mack could be back in time for a bowl game.
The junior is the team’s fourth leading receiver with 26 catches for 331 yards and a touchdown.