8 members of football team suspended Monday for being present during Rather Hall incident
By From staff reports (Last updated: 12/02/09 12:31am)Eight members of the MSU football team were suspended by head coach Mark Dantonio on Monday following the ongoing results of an investigation by MSU police into a Nov. 22 altercation at Rather Hall.
Leggett
Smith
Williams
Cunningham
Jenrette
Trawick
Rucker
Winston
Johnson
Dell
It is unclear how long their suspension will last.
Police have identified 10 suspects from the incident and are looking into leads relating to five additional people, a release from the university stated. Police identified the suspects by talking with witnesses and reviewing video tape from Rather Hall. The State News filed a Freedom of Information Request on Monday seeking the video footage.
According to the release: “Pending completion of the police investigation, eight members of the MSU football team identified Monday as being present at the Rather Hall incident were immediately suspended from all daily team-related activities by Coach Mark Dantonio. B.J. Cunningham, Mark Dell, Ashton Leggett, Chris L. Rucker, Fred Smith, Brynden Trawick, Ishmyl Johnson and Jamiihr Williams have been suspended for violation of team rules.”
MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said she was unsure what charges could be filed against the suspects. The case could be forwarded to the the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office early next week, the release stated.
Three of the players — Cunningham, Dell and Rucker — are starters on the football team.
Cunningham and Dell were two of MSU’s top three receivers this season. Cunningham ranked second on the team in receptions (48), touchdowns (four) and receiving yards (641), while Dell, a three-year starter, had 26 catches for 449 yards and one touchdown.
Rucker, a two-year starter at cornerback, led the team with seven breakups and ranked fourth with 58 tackles
Sophomore running back Glenn Winston and junior safety Roderick Jenrette were dismissed from the team last week for their involvement in the incident.
Members of Iota Phi Theta were finishing an event in the lounge of Rather Hall when witnesses said assailants, including members of the football team, started an altercation. The fraternity also stated members of the team also were involved in a fight at The Small Planet, 16800 Chandler Road, on Nov. 21. Police were not involved in that incident, but the venue was shut down immediately following the incident.
MSU police have been mum about the incident and will not release details of the police report, saying the investigation is open. Although the department has regular meetings with The State News and regularly discusses details of open cases, the Rather Hall incident is being treated differently.
For more on this story, keep checking statenews.com and see Wednesday’s State News.
Originally Published: 12/01/09 5:08pm
w00t
12/01/09 5:12pmGood job, morons.
Ferndale Alum
12/01/09 5:24pmSo we have Blair White as our only WR for the Bowl Game. Nice job dumb a**es. Nice to see our football players becoming productive members of society.
young alum season ticket holder
12/01/09 5:26pmI am so disgusted with the lack of maturity presented here. I highly doubt I will be upgrading my young alum season tickets next year to the “scholarship” section, so that I can fund activity like this.
What a shame you are and what a shame you have put on MSU.
Take their jerseys Dantonio, I’d rather get beat up in a bowl game without them than to see them enter a field of play again.
jeff collaire
12/01/09 5:40pmwe stink so bad, I know this team is going to make us sick this bowl season. somebody is going to whip us good.
Chris
12/01/09 5:47pmUnbelievable. Do these PUNKS not understand that they are part of something bigger? Something that represents the school? They are pieces of a PROGRAM, and they have completely shamed all of us. I hope Dantonio is ready to lose a few boots up there because these thugs need it. And starters, no less. Unbelievable.
Steve K
12/01/09 5:50pmThese guys are unbelievable! They ALL should be suspended until next spring practices. After Winston spent the summer in jail, didn’t these other players learn anything? GROW UP you guys!
The Count
12/01/09 5:51pmTen! Ten busted fighting players! Ah Ah Ah!
Dan
12/01/09 5:56pmImagine what could have happened if they’d have went 12-0? This is a shame for any team.
slurp
12/01/09 5:57pmThat frat is horrible. Nice going you losers.
MaximumBob
12/01/09 6:00pmNow they’re got all that time to study.
Bwahahahahahhaaaa!!!!!
Disappointing
12/01/09 6:01pmWhat a disaster for the program and Dantonio. SOS.
Par for the course
12/01/09 6:21pmThis is what happens when you hire a position coach to be a leader. Sure he may mean well, but he’s just not a LEADER. One step forward, TEN STEPS BACK. GOD I LOVE MSU FOOTBALL AND ALL THE CLOWNS WHO RUN THIS SCHOOL
Justin
12/01/09 6:42pmSame old Spartans
Alex
12/01/09 6:43pmKick them all off the team and this will never happen again
?go green?
12/01/09 6:44pmThis is disgraceful. Field a team with some classy individuals. We’ll probably lose, but at least the shame they bring to us will only be on the field.
f iota
12/01/09 6:48pmNo,
what is a shame is that a fraternity thinks they are cool enough to team up on a football player.
If these guys are backing Glenn, then the Iotas deserved it.
F IOTA
speak with some intelligence
12/01/09 6:50pmYou may want to research Iota Phi Theta. They are predominantly a black fraternity. I don’t think they wear pink shirts and some of the comments above really are outside the lines of intelligent responses. Lets hope the facts play out and not get covered up. Good Job MSU police in not talking, makes a normal student feel proud.
Iota = Thugs
12/01/09 6:55pmIota Phi Theta is a fraternity of thugs.
There is no way this gang, I mean frat, is a ‘victim’. At best they are both guilty of being idiots.
Iota thugs cost this university a lot…
Iota Phi Theta are losers
12/01/09 6:55pmHey, did the football players steal your girls? You guys are pathetic. Thanks for nothing you losers. Next time I see you with your pledges in the cafeteria, I will be sure to spit in your food and report you for hazing.
Steve
12/01/09 7:02pmThese players made a horrendous choice, and when the facts all come out, it will most likely make them look even more idiotic.
It will also be interesting to see what actions this Fraternity had as well. It takes two to tango.
More Disappointed Than After Iowa
12/01/09 7:13pmMichigan State is always trying to get rid of the party school, Cedar Fest image.
Thank you for reinforcing that for all of us who actually care about graduating from MSU.
I’ll defend my Spartans til the end. But this is impossible to defend. Classless, immature—you just broke everything that Dantonio and his program have done for MSU these past three years.
John
12/01/09 7:20pmCan someone explain what the beef was over between Iota Phi Theta and the football players?
I am surprised at the negative comments towards Iota Phi Theta. Please fill me in.
Spartan Alum
12/01/09 7:21pm“More Disappointed Than After Iowa” hit it spot on. MSU has done quite a bit to shake that image, but every time something stupid like this happens, all of that “stuff” rises once again to the surface.
ZT
12/01/09 7:23pmCunningham has over 600 passing yards? Wow
But yea, this is a disappointing end to a disappointing season
MSU & UM Alum
12/01/09 7:26pmHey this is all Dantonio’s fault. Winston thought he would get just get winked at by the head coach again. Take the state of michigan off your helmets – you are an embarassment to the rest of us.