3 Troy Players Suspended After Arrest

[MeanGreen61]

Off the MUTS board. Another cops, robbers, football player(s) story.

Three Trojans suspended from team, school after arrests

Saturday, August 12, 2006

MIKE PERRIN

News staff writer

Three Troy University football players were suspended from the team and the school after they were arrested just after midnight Friday in connection with a burglary.

Juniors Chris Bradwell, 22, and Nikko Doyle, 20, and sophomore Maurice Coleman, 21, were being held in Pike County Jail in Troy on Friday night with their bail set at $7,500 each.

According to a Troy Police Department release, the three were arrested in connection with the second-degree burglary a short distance from an apartment at Troy Place Apartments on Gibbs Street.

Bradwell and Doyle are junior college transfers from Northeast Mississippi Community College, where new Troy linebackers coach Benjy Parker served as defensive coordinator the past two seasons.

Bradwell is a defensive end from Jacksonville, Fla., although Troy's media guide says he played high school football in Alpharetta, Ga. He played in four games as a true freshman at Florida State University in 2004. In February 2005, he was dismissed from the team after he was arrested for possession of marijuana.

In 2005, Bradwell was a junior college All-American and the Mississippi Junior College defensive player of the year.

Doyle is a linebacker from Batesville, Miss., and Coleman is a sophomore defensive lineman from Eufaula who played in five games last season after redshirting as a freshman.

Coleman played four seasons for current Troy wide receivers coach Shayne Wasden at Eufaula High.

All three players were challenging for starting positions for Troy in preseason camp.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--Oh no.... another Maurice C..... (Maurice Coleman this time)

side note... don't recruit anyone named Maurice C.

[GreenBat]

I'm not questioning the suspension, but the infractions only took place less than 24 hours ago. This is the weekend. I don't know how many Universitys are open for business at 2 a.m. Saturday Morning.

If any of this is true, then they should be suspended. I'm just wondering how the reporter got an official comment from the president, who is the only one who could throw them out of school at a moments notice, at that time of night.

I also don't see any comment from the coach, who would be the one to throw them off the team.

[FirefightnRick]

Bradwell is a pre season "Newcomer of the Year" selection for Troy.

Per CFN.com

5) Five Sun Belt breakout players

2. Troy DE Chris Bradwell, Jr.

Is he the team's new defensive star? The former starter at Florida State is 6-5 and 280 pounds with tremendous pass rushing skills. He spent last year at NE Mississippi CC where he made 70 tackles and 10 TFL.

Rick

[MeanGreen61]

More From The Birmingham News

Trojans stress team after three arrested

Sunday, August 13, 2006

MIKE PERRIN

News staff writer

TROY - Troy University players and coaches said they were looking forward as they headed into their first preseason scrimmage Saturday, working to build stronger bonds on the team after being shocked by the arrest of three now-suspended teammates on Friday.

Maurice Coleman is free on $7,500 bond while Chris Bradwell and Nikko Doyle remained in Pike County Jail on Saturday afternoon following their arrest in connection with a second-degree burglary just after midnight Friday. All three were suspended from the Trojans' team, where they were battling for starting positions on defense.

Coleman is a redshirt sophomore defensive lineman from Eufaula. Both Bradwell, a defensive lineman, and Doyle, a linebacker, are transfers from Northeast Mississippi Community College. Bradwell is a Jacksonville, Fla., native who played high school football in Alpharetta, Ga., and Doyle is from Batesville, Miss.

"We're going to try to get closer and try to bond together," said Leodis McKelvin, an all-Sun Belt Conference kick returner. "Our chemistry won't change. We're still going to be a team. Our main objective is we're going to play hard as a team."

Troy head coach Larry Blakeney said an emotional team meeting was held Friday before the news of the suspensions was made public.

"I just told them that all teams are going to face crises," he said Saturday at Troy's media day preceding the scrimmage at Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium. "This is our first one. We're going to face some more and it could be anything.

"We have to close ranks. I told them, `Some of you young guys have to step up, some of you injured guys have to get well. Some of you older guys may have to shoulder a little heavier load.'

"It may be the offense that complements this situation on defense, or the special teams. Everybody's involved. It's a `we, us, our' deal. It's not those guys or these guys.

"We had a very emotional meeting. (Junior wide receiver) Gary Banks offered a prayer in support of them, their lives and their futures. We broke out of there and put it behind us."

Blakeney said he had not spoken to the three players, who are also suspended from school pending an investigation, but some of his assistants had been in contact with them or their families.

Steve Dennis, in his second year as athletics director at Troy, said while he could not comment on the incident or its consequences, the athletic department takes its educational role seriously.

"We care about our kids and we'll see where it goes," Dennis said. "We care about each individual who comes here ... they are all young, searching, growing, trying to find the right things to do in life.

"We are always, always going to try to keep our young men and women in the best possible situation they can. If something happens, we're going to try to take care of it in the best, most professional manner we can.

"The things these young people go through today, they need a lot of mentors.

"They need a lot of good influences and a lot of great examples. From our chancellor and from the professors and all the people at the university all the way to every coach and administrative person we have, I'm real proud of them."