[PAmedic]

U of D:

Keeler stunned by UD players' arrests

By KEVIN TRESOLINI
The News Journal

03/08/2006
NEWARK -- A well-designed, often-practiced football play might fail for unforeseen reasons. K.C. Keeler can accept that. It's part of the game.

Seeing three of his players arrested for a violent crime was particularly difficult to stomach, the University of Delaware coach said, considering the preparation that had gone into shaping positive behavior.

"It's disturbing, because we spend so much time talking about character issues," Keeler said Tuesday in his Carpenter Center office. "We spend so much time recruiting [on] character issues.

"I spoke to the [UD] president [David Roselle] and I told him, 'I'm responsible' in terms of 'These are my kids,' and I have 90 of them. I spend a lot of time with them. They don't sleep under my roof and, unfortunately, I might not always get the truth in every situation, and it's disappointing."

Keeler said he was stunned Sunday to learn of the arrest early that morning of linebacker Demetrice Alexander, running back Danny Jones and defensive back Jeffrey Robinson after an armed robbery at Park Place Apartments in Newark. Another student not on the football team, Tyrone Heggins, also was arrested. Each has been charged with multiple crimes.

The victim, Justin Hackett, spent a brief time with the football team last fall. He was not on the roster and left the team because of the coaching staff's concern with his academic progress, Keeler said. He was permitted to join the team during its recent winter track workouts, but sprained his ankle the first day.

"What's so disheartening about this situation is, this is just from left field," Keeler said. "We all got a punch in the gut in this thing. You always have the idea that you're hoping for the best. But the reality out there is, there's a lot of evidence that looks very damaging. So there's concern that, 'Wow, if this did happen, how could we have missed it?' "

Jones was Delaware's third-leading rusher last year as a freshman, backing up starting tailback Omar Cuff. Alexander played in all 11 games as a red-shirt freshman and was expected to step into the starting lineup at middle linebacker this fall. Robinson was a sophomore reserve and special teams player.

At St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, Jones was a "phenomenal young man," said football coach Gil Brooks. He, too, was shocked to hear the news.

"You couldn't have surprised me more," Brooks said. "They [Delaware coaches] were really pleased with Danny academically.

"It was out of the blue, and it's totally out of character from everything I know of Danny Jones. He lives close to me [in Stratford, N.J.]. I've known him since he was a kid.

"I'm certain you can go back to midget [football] coaches and there wouldn't be one person to tell you that wasn't out of character with Danny Jones, which is one of the reasons until someone proves it to me that this situation [is true]. I just don't believe Danny is guilty of anything. Maybe just bad judgment."

Cecil Flowe, Alexander's coach at Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga., would not comment on the situation, saying, "It happened away from us and it's out of my control."

Keeler said, when he and his assistant coaches recruit high school players, they don't talk only to coaches and guidance counselors but to others who have less of a "vested interest" in the athlete, such as teachers.

All recruits also are subject to the scrutiny of the UD players they spend time with on campus visits.

"Our players have the right to say we should turn a kid down [not offer a scholarship]," Keeler said.

The Blue Hens begin spring practice Saturday. Keeler told the team in a meeting Monday that recent events could divide or unite the team, though he expects the Hens' leadership corps will make sure it does the latter.

"The Oakland Raiders have that saying, 'Just win, baby,' " Keeler said. "We always talk with the kids about, here, we will lose first and do it the right way. When we talk to coaches about recruiting, we always talk about character. When you look at the New England Patriots, they won world championships because they had great players, but they had even better character.

"We won the national championship [NCAA Division I-AA] in 2003 with great players, but we had even better character with those players. It's something we're very conscious of."

[PAmedic]

JMU: (unk source)

http://coastalfans.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1647

James Madison University Football Players in Trouble
JMU Players Face Assault and Battery Charges
Harrisonburg
Chay Lee


Three members of James Madison University's football team found themselves in court today. Harrisonburg high school graduate and JMU linebacker Akeem Jordan, offensive lineman Corey Davis and return specialist L.C. Baker were served assault and battery warrants on February 20.

Jordan was a star on the 2001 Harrisonburg High School State Championship Team. Baker was selected to the all Atlantic 10 team as a punt returner.

The warrants were in response to a citizen petitioning the magistrate. JMU says it is still gathering information and will have a comment as soon as that process is complete.