Nebraska’s Scott Frost to sit out 5 days during season for violation

Associated PressMay 2, 2022, 3:29 PM EDT

Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Scott Frost will be barred from coaching for five consecutive days this season as part of Nebraska’s negotiated settlement with the NCAA for allowing an unauthorized staff member to do hands-on special teams coaching two years ago.

The NCAA contacted Nebraska after a media report on the January 2021 resignation of special teams analyst Jonathan Rutledge and possible violations he committed in his role. Rutledge is now special teams coach at Division III Catholic University.

The NCAA said that Frost failed to demonstrate he monitored Rutledge’s activities. Videos of practices showed Rutledge worked directly with players during special teams drills. Rutledge also was found to have assisted with or made tactical decisions during games in 2020.

During his five-day suspension, Frost will not be allowed to be present in the facility where practices are held or communicate with football staff or players. Frost also will be barred from studying video with players or coaches or participate in team meetings or recruiting. He also must attend an NCAA regional rules seminar at his own expense.

The NCAA described the time frame for Frost to serve his penalty as the “championship segment of the 2022 football season,” which includes the regular season through bowl games. Nebraska could choose to have Frost serve his penalty during weeks with open dates in late September or late October.

Non-coaching staff members also will be removed from practice and competition for five consecutive days this season. Nebraska was fined $10,000 and will have one-year added to probation, through April 27, 2023.

Nebraska went on two years’ probation in 2020 after its women’s gymnastics team was found to have exceeded the number of allowable coaches when the former head coach arranged for a volunteer assistant coach to receive impermissible compensation from 2014-18.

Athletic director Trev Alberts said he appreciated the collaboration between Nebraska and the NCAA in bringing a resolution to the matter.

“It is important for the Nebraska Athletic Department and football program to put this matter behind us and turn our full attention to the upcoming season,” Albert said in a statement. “We are pleased with the outcome and believe the negotiated resolution is fair and equitable. At Nebraska we are committed to running an athletic department that is fully compliant with all NCAA rules.”

Vick, Fitzgerald and Suggs among stars on College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 1st time

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 9:04 PM EDT

RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Vick, Larry Fitzgerald and Terrell Suggs are among the college football stars who will be considered for induction to the Hall of Fame for the first time this year.

The National Football Foundation released Monday a list of 78 players and nine coaches from major college football who are on the Hall of Fame ballot. There also are 101 players and 32 coaches from lower divisions of college football up for consideration.

Vick, who led Virginia Tech to the BCS championship game against Florida State as a redshirt freshman in 1999, is among the most notable players appearing on the ballot in his first year of eligibility.

Vick finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1999. He played one season of college football before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001. Vick’s professional career was interrupted when he served 21 months in prison for his involvement in dog fighting.

Fitzgerald was the Heisman runner-up in 2003 to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White. He scored 34 touchdowns in just two seasons at Pitt.

Suggs led the nation in sacks with 24 in 2002 for Arizona State.

The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be chosen by the National Football Foundation’s Honors Court and announced in January. Induction into the Atlanta-based hall is the following December.

Alabama freshman DB Mitchell says he wasn’t sure he’d get to play again after arrest

Associated PressJun 5, 2023, 8:59 PM EDT

Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama defensive back Tony Mitchell said he feared his football career was over after his arrest on a drug charge.

The Crimson Tide freshman said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he knew “something much bigger could have happened.”

A judge in Holmes County, Florida, sentenced Mitchell to three years of probation with a fine and community service on May 24 after Mitchell pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to play football again, but I continued to work out and stay close with the Lord and those who love me unconditionally,” Mitchell said. “During those times, it helped me to keep my mind off it. But when I was by myself looking at social media, what everybody had to say about it, it just felt like it happened again.

“I didn’t sleep at night.”

He was suspended from the Alabama team following the arrest, but Mitchell’s father, Tony Sr., posted on Facebook last week that the defensive back had been reinstated. An Alabama spokesman declined to comment on Mitchell’s status.

Tony Mitchell Sr. shared his son’s video on Facebook, saying it was filmed during a talk to youth.

“I was doing things I knew I shouldn’t to try to fit in,” the younger Mitchell said, “but not everybody’s your friend.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a four-star prospect and the 15th-rated safety in the 247Composite rankings.

He had been charged in March with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell after a traffic stop when authorities said he drove over 141 mph (227 kph) while trying to evade deputies in the Florida Panhandle. A deputy had spotted Mitchell’s black Dodge Challenger traveling 78 mph (125 kph) in a 55 mph (88 kph) zone on a rural highway north of Bonifay.

He also received 100 hours of community service and paid a fine of $1,560.

Mitchell and a passenger were both charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The other man also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.