Mike Stoops accuses Charles Walker of quitting on Sooner teammates

By John TaylorNov 16, 2016, 9:13 AM EST

A prominent member of the Oklahoma coaching staff has leveled just about as harsh an accusation as you can make against a football player.

Tuesday, OU officials confirmed speculation that Charles Walker had played his last down for the Sooners as the defensive lineman had decided to turn his focus to preparing for the 2017 NFL draft. The defensive lineman had been projected as a possible first-round selection entering the 2016 season.

Shortly after the confirmation of Walker’s departure, an obviously-perturbed OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops blasted Walker for his decision as well as his lack of commitment to the team.

“Quitting on your teammates is hard to take, as a coach,” Stoops, the brother of head coach Bob Stoops, said. “That’s everything we stand for — our commitment to one another and, for whatever reason, that wasn’t there for him. He thought this was a better avenue so you would have to ask him for those (answers). …

“[Y]ou can’t have guys coming and going and have a group of players committed to what they’re doing day in and day out, putting all the time and energy into it. It’s not fair to the players that are on our team if they’re not committed to the team.”

Walker suffered a concussion in the TCU game Oct. 1 and hadn’t played since. That concussion was at least the second one the lineman has suffered in less than 10 months.

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

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Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.