Well, I know two hotties that goes to the W, which doesn't say much for the others.
Back to the topic at hand:
Fishbowl reality punishing enough
# Croom using players' arrests to teach about living in public eye
By Ian R. Rapoport
irapopor@clarionledger.com
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom did not discipline his three players who were arrested in two separate July 8 incidents at a Columbus nightclub.
He believes they were defending themselves against a man who swung first. Columbus resident Elency Erby, 20, confirmed he threw the first punch.
There were no early-morning runs for the players. There will be no suspensions.
But that doesn't mean Croom won't use it as a learning tool to help prevent similar situations in the future.
"Am I talking to them about walking away from those situations? Yeah," Croom said Tuesday. "That's something we're constantly trying to make them aware of. That, even if you're in the right, it's going to come out wrong for you."
On July 8 at 12:30 a.m., projected defensive end starter Titus Brown and reserve De'Mon Glanton were arrested by Columbus police and charged with disorderly conduct. One hour later, the other defensive end starter Michael Heard was arrested and charged with simple assault for his role in another fight.
Each incident occurred at Big Kahuna's Beach Club in Columbus. Glanton, a redshirt freshman, and Heard, a junior, pleaded guilty and paid $350 fines. Brown, a sophomore, is scheduled to appear in court today.
Players were not made available for comment. Big Kahuna's owner Bill Norris declined comment.
Croom said whether other students have participated in or will participate in bar fights is irrelevant. Being a football player and living in the public eye separates his players from other students.
He said he tries to educate his players to stay out of certain situations. On one hand, he wants them to experience college.
"But at the same time, they have to be aware — like it or not — they are in a fishbowl," Croom said. "The expectation level of their conduct is higher than the average student."
Last week, an Ole Miss football player said he didn't realize just how small that bowl is until he was charged with domestic assault in March. After the charges were dropped last week, senior McKinley Boykin said he learned from the ordeal.
"It made me realize how much football players are in the public eye," Boykin said. "It just shows you how something little can blow up so big."
In the MSU case, Erby said he broke up a verbal confrontation between a friend of his and people he later learned were MSU football players.
According to Erby, he "knuckled up" because he figured the football players might try to punch him first. He thought the group appeared threatening.
Croom said he understands why there might be some anxiety.
"Our players sometimes don't realize this, because they are around each other so much," Croom said. "But they're all big, and they're all strong. An average guy — though he might not want to admit it — might be intimidated by their presence, especially if there is more than one of them."
A fracas ensued. Erby said he took on several players, slipped and fell on the floor and took punches and kicks to the head. When a bouncer pulled him off the floor, Erby said he slammed a player who was still on his back. Then his brother Lester hit some "big dude with dreads" with a wooden buoy he grabbed off the wall.
Columbus police officer Troy Lee Burgin wrote in his incident report he tried to break up the fight and everybody dispersed, except for Brown and Glanton, who kept fighting.
Burgin zapped Brown with a stun gun to subdue him. Brown and Glanton were arrested then. Heard was arrested later, though details of his altercation are less clear. A police report was not available.
Croom said the first question he asked is if alcohol was involved.
The legal drinking age in Mississippi is 21. Heard is 21. Brown and Glanton are 19. Big Kahuna's, like many nightclubs in Mississippi, admits patrons under age 21 but is not allowed to legally sell them alcohol. It is not known if the players were drinking.
"I wish it wouldn't happen, but I'm not naive enough to think some of them aren't going to drink," Croom said. "But there was no mention of (alcohol) and there was no charge of drunkenness."
Croom said the bar owner, Norris, told him his players did not start the fight.
"He also said he doesn't want any more football players coming in here, because they are magnets for trouble," Croom said. "And our players have to understand that they are targets."
This isn't the first time Norris has spoken to an MSU coach regarding players at one of his nightclubs.
Norris also owns Remington's Hunt Club, a bar in Starkville frequented by MSU students. In October of 2003, former MSU player Nick Turner was arrested and charged with a felony after passing counterfeit $100 bills at the Hunt Club. After Turner's arrest, Norris said in an interview that he had expressed concerns to then-coach Jackie Sherrill about the behavior of players at his club. Sherrill then made the nightclub "off limits" to his players.
Elency Erby promised another fight if the MSU players return to his town.
"They better never come back to Columbus again," Erby said. "Or we're going to set it off."
Croom said he concluded his players were not at fault and that's why he told a Jackson alumni group last week his players hadn't made news with off-the-field incidents.
"If our guys were at fault, believe me, it would've been taken care of," Croom said. "Something would've happened."
