Remember Lorenzo Jones?

ADLER · November 12, 2006

Former TCU athletes Virgil Allen Taylor, Shannon Behling and Lorenzo Jones were charged last week with sexual assault.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Taylor is accused of luring an 18-year-old student to his dorm room Oct. 13 under the guise of repaying money she had loaned him to buy a hamburger. There, the woman told police, she was given a sports drink that caused her to pass out.

The woman told police that she awoke briefly to find Taylor having sex with her.

Taylor, a 19-year-old former TCU basketball player, told police that the girl was unconscious during sex and implicated Behling as well, the affidavit states. He also told police that he saw Jones, 20, a former football player, having sexual intercourse with the woman.

Taylor and Behling are free after posting $25,000 bail each and have returned to South Carolina. Jones remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Wednesday morning

NT03 · November 12, 2006

Former TCU athletes Virgil Allen Taylor, Shannon Behling and Lorenzo Jones were charged last week with sexual assault.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Taylor is accused of luring an 18-year-old student to his dorm room Oct. 13 under the guise of repaying money she had loaned him to buy a hamburger. There, the woman told police, she was given a sports drink that caused her to pass out.
The woman told police that she awoke briefly to find Taylor having sex with her.
Taylor, a 19-year-old former TCU basketball player, told police that the girl was unconscious during sex and implicated Behling as well, the affidavit states. He also told police that he saw Jones, 20, a former football player, having sexual intercourse with the woman.
Taylor and Behling are free after posting $25,000 bail each and have returned to South Carolina. Jones remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Wednesday morning
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If I remeber right we lost him on signing day or just the day before. I believe he was in DFW's top 50 area recruits as well. Oh well , I wouldn't want him now even if he wanted to transfer here...send him to Miami or Florida St. , Im sure they would take him.

ADLER · February 19, 2008

Assault charge dropped against former TCU athlete

Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH -- The Tarrant County district attorney's office has dropped a sexual-assault charge against former TCU football player Lorenzo Jones, KXAS/Channel 5 reported Friday.

No further details were available Friday night.

Jones was one of three Texas Christian University athletes accused of raping an unconscious 18-year-old woman in October 2006.

Virgil Allen Taylor, a former TCU basketball player, was indicted in January on a charge of aggravated sexual assault by threat, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison. Shannon Monroe Behling, also a former TCU basketball player, was indicted in October on a charge of aggravated sexual assault by threat and remains free on bail pending trial.

The case involves a woman who reported that Taylor lured her to his dorm room, where she was given a drink that caused her to pass out. She told police that she awoke briefly to find Taylor having sex with her. Taylor later talked implicated Behling and Jones, police have said.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News

debdennis@dallasnews.com

FORT WORTH – A former Texas Christian University football player who spent 11 months in jail before a sexual assault charge against him was dismissed says he is not bitter and wants to get on with his life.

Lorenzo Labell Jones, 21, was released Monday after prosecutors said in court documents that they did not have enough evidence to pursue charges against him.

Lorenzo Labell Jones An 18-year-old student told investigators that Mr. Jones and two former TCU basketball players raped her in a dorm room in October 2006 while she was unconscious. The woman said she passed out after she was given a sports drink laced with an unknown substance.

Mr. Jones was never indicted.

"I wanted to clear my name," Mr. Jones said. "I spent a year in jail, incarcerated for something I did not do."

Prosecutors are not commenting on Mr. Jones' release because charges against Virgil Allen Taylor, 21, and Shannon Monroe Behling, 20, are pending. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Behling were indicted last year. No trial dates have been set.

The woman who says she was assaulted could not be reached for comment. The Dallas Morning News does not typically name the victims of sexual assault.

Mr. Jones, who now lives in Dallas, said he felt abandoned, but some of his friends and his family stood by him.

"At first, when it happened, people just pointed their fingers at me," Mr. Jones said. "I'm a good guy. I'm blessed to be out. Blessed to get another chance."

He hopes to resume his football and college career.

"I want to be a high school football coach," said Mr. Jones, who was standout at McKinney High School.

Mr. Jones, a backup defensive tackle, was one of the Horned Frogs' top recruits in 2005. He was ranked No. 11 in SportsDay's Area Top 100 recruits and was the District 9-4A defensive player of the year in 2004.

Mr. Jones' attorney, Marcus Norman, said there was an assumption of Mr. Jones' guilt because of the seriousness of the charges.

Despite the allegation, Mr. Jones is still a good prospect.

"He was a highly recruited defensive lineman," Mr. Norman said. "He chose TCU and unfortunately he got caught up in this incident and was removed from the university.

"He's thankful that the DA's investigation turned out the way it did," Mr. Norman said. "They based the case on evidence and not on what someone said."

WFAA-TV contributed to this report.

MeanGreenZen · February 19, 2008

This is old news. This is like someone posting on the TCU board that Cougar McBride beat up a student in front of the UNT library.

DallasGreen · February 19, 2008

He's been cleared, and we desperately need defensive linemen. Would the time he spent in jail count as sitting out a year so that he could play immediately and not be subject to the transfer rule?

ADLER · February 19, 2008

Defensive tackle

McKinney (TX)

Ht: 6-foot-4

Wt: 294 lbs

Forty: 4.97 secs

Bench max: 310 pounds

Squat max: 480 pounds

Vertical: 30 inches

Class: 2005 (High School)

Rivals.com Rating: 5.7 (About)

Position Ranking: 25

Rivals.com Defensive tackles 2005 (25)

Postseason Texas Top 100 2005 (29)

DMN Area Top 100 for 2005 (11)

The Latest: Lorenzo Jones makes it a true done deal — 2/2/2005

At one time Lorenzo Jones was considered a lock to be going to the University of Nebraska, but then the Rivals.com three-star rated defensive tackle from McKinney, Texas decided to take more official visits.

Danish42 · February 20, 2008

Maybe somebody can give him a call. Can an alumni call him? If he can help the team let give him a chance.

OldTimer · February 20, 2008

Maybe somebody can give him a call. Can an alumni call him? If he can help the team let give him a chance.

Please don't contact him....as a prospective recruit that would be a violation of NCAA recruiting rules and could cost NT penalties, loss of ships, fines etc including, as a NT supporter....being banned by NT.

We don't need the problems such a player represents....we've had enough problems last year with players Dodge inherited to willingly bring in another problem.

Will to Win · February 20, 2008

I am all about forgiving young people who make mistakes, everybody makes mistakes! The point to focus on is what degree of mistake did you make? Petty theft of some small store item or alleged rape participant? The fact that he wasn't charged due to lack of evidence is telling enough. In my book Jones is already a character (integrity) concern. I would not want him on our team.

eulessismore · February 20, 2008

He's been cleared, and we desperately need defensive linemen. Would the time he spent in jail count as sitting out a year so that he could play immediately and not be subject to the transfer rule?

I honestly doubt that we're that desperate. I think that much of the existing talent on both offensive and defensive line can do the job at this level. Of course, it will take extensive work to create effective units by the start of the season, but I suspect we have more than enough talent and coaching ability to achieve that; more than many on this forum are willing to admit. Has anyone posted a list of who we actually have on the roster who has d-line experience or is projected to play defensive line?

ADLER · February 20, 2008

I posted the information, not because I want him on our team or don't want him on our team, only because a highly sought player that North Texas had once sought was potentially available again. Was he a participant in a crime, I don't know, the victim didn't indicate he was involved, there wasn't any DNA evidence revealed that would indicate that he was involved, the only witness involved seems to be a rapist that drugged a girl and then tried to implicate other athletes.

He's obviously guilty of having some seedy friends but I think he's already paid very dearly for that poor judgement.

Should North Texas offer the kid? That should be between Todd Dodge and Gary Patterson. I'm sure that Patterson knows more details about the situation than the press is able to release. I doubt that returning to TCU is an option. If Patterson says Jones is a good kid that got railroaded by unscrupulous friends and deserves a chance to get his life back, or if Jones is trouble waiting to happen again and should be avoided, those would be the recommendations that I would put faith in.

Like the other readers of this message board, I don't know details of what happened that night. I will trust Coach Dodge's and Coach Patterson's judgement and be happy with whatever they decide.

Cr1028 · February 20, 2008

Jerry Jones would sign him mid-season. :unsure:

eulessismore · February 20, 2008

I posted the information, not because I want him on our team or don't want him on our team, only because a highly sought player that North Texas had once sought was potentially available again. Was he a participant in a crime, I don't know, the victim didn't indicate he was involved, there wasn't any DNA evidence revealed that would indicate that he was involved, the only witness involved seems to be a rapist that drugged a girl and then tried to implicate other athletes.
He's obviously guilty of having some seedy friends but I think he's already paid very dearly for that poor judgement.
Should North Texas offer the kid? That should be between Todd Dodge and Gary Patterson. I'm sure that Patterson knows more details about the situation than the press is able to release. I doubt that returning to TCU is an option. If Patterson says Jones is a good kid that got railroaded by unscrupulous friends and deserves a chance to get his life back, or if Jones is trouble waiting to happen again and should be avoided, those would be the recommendations that I would put faith in.
Like the other readers of this message board, I don't know details of what happened that night. I will trust Coach Dodge's and Coach Patterson's judgement and be happy with whatever they decide.

First of all, I'm no angel myself. Also, I believe there is merit in giving someone a second chance. However, I don't think the idea of UNT alumni leading the way is a good idea. Adler, it sounds like you're saying there is discussion between Dodge and Patterson concerning the young man. From what I know of these two coaches, I'd be happy with whatever decision is reached. I just don't think there's any great need to consider ourselves as desperate, and making this kind of decision from that perspective. Even if he was offered by UNT, I doubt if he would be ready to play soon enough to justify making a decision based on immediate need. I do think Dodge capable of judging character as well academic and athletic performance; let him make the call.

FirefightnRick · February 20, 2008

Wow!!!!You mean to tell me it took the DA 11 months to figure out if he was in the room or not? Because if your doing the raping, that's one thing. If your there and watching the raping or knew something was going on that wasn't right and could have done something to stop it and didn't, thats another. Neither of which is innocent. If he truly spent 11 months in jail as a complete innocent victim then TCU needs to make it up to him and give him a fresh start over.

Rick

eulessismore · February 20, 2008

Wow!!!!You mean to tell me it took the DA 11 months to figure out if he was in the room or not? Because if your doing the raping, that's one thing. If your there and watching the raping or knew something was going on that wasn't right and could have done something to stop it and didn't, thats another. Neither of which is innocent. If he truly spent 11 months in jail as a complete innocent victim then TCU needs to make it up to him and give him a fresh start over.
Rick

All good points. I do think that being a student athlete is similar to being an employee; cause for dismissal can be less than that required in a criminal proceeding, and the same would go for extending an offer to someone in this circumstance. I think that the kind of charges involved here should bring the highest level of scrutiny. I think the possibility of the charges being false are not out of the realm of possibility, but the overall circumstances which led to the charges being brought in the first place would have to be considered, rather than just the strength of the criminal case. Unfair as it may seem, student-athletes live under a media spotlight. I don't think it's unfair to expect a higher standard of conduct from them. I am definitely opposed to assuming that we are desperate for defensive linemen and should therefore make an offer to this young man simply based on dismissal of the charges originally filed against him. As to the overall best decision, unless proven otherwise, I still have faith in Dodge to make the call.

Superfrog · February 20, 2008

You probably won't see LoJo in a Frog uniform again. He was actually kicked off the team a week prior to the rape allegation for other reasons. The other reasons are not specified, but some think he was skipping practice and failing to show up for workouts.

ADLER · February 20, 2008

You probably won't see LoJo in a Frog uniform again. He was actually kicked off the team a week prior to the rape allegation for other reasons. The other reasons are not specified, but some think he was skipping practice and failing to show up for workouts.

Thanks Superfrog.

I don't think Dodge will be hearing any ringing endorsements of LoJo from Patterson.

Sad, the kid had every opportunity to succeed both athletically and academically and has wasted it. I hope he's truly innocent and is able to get his life in order but it also sounds like he may have initiated his own downward spiral.