Auburn QB TJ Finley charged with attempting to elude police

Associated PressAug 4, 2022, 9:53 PM EDT

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AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn quarterback T.J. Finley was arrested Thursday after turning himself in on a misdemeanor warrant for attempting to elude a police officer.

Auburn assistant police chief Clarence Stewart said in a statement that Finley also received traffic citations and was booked at the Lee County Jail on $3,000 bond. The 20-year-old quarterback was later released.

Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said Finley will practice with the team when preseason camp opens Friday.

“We’re aware of what’s going on,” Harsin said.

Police twice attempted to stop a male who was operating a motorcycle without a helmet in the same area on July 26, 2022, Stewart said. The man, who police identified as Finley, fled police “and committed several other traffic offenses in the process,” Stewart said.

“Officers terminated the pursuit on both occasions as a matter of safety,” he said.

Finley started the Tigers’ final three games after a season-ending injury to Bo Nix. Auburn ended on a five-game losing streak.

The LSU transfer is competing in a crowded competition for the starting job after Nix transferred to Oregon. Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada and Oregon transfer Robby Ashford are also competing in preseason camp. Freshman Holden Geriner enrolled early and went through spring ball.

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.

Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey suspended after arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 12:05 PM EDT

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri linebacker Chad Bailey was suspended from the team after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the team said.

The 23-year-old, who was a team captain last season, was booked at about 2:45 a.m. and released after posting $500 bond, according to online records from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are aware of the situation involving Chad Bailey,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a statement to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s been suspended according to Department of Athletics policy. We have high expectations for all of our student-athletes, on and off the field, and we will follow all departmental and campus policies.”

Bailey was Mizzou’s third-leading tackler with 57 stops last season. He started all 11 games he played, missing two with an injury. He’ll be a sixth-year senior this fall after opting to return for his final year of eligibility, the Post-Dispatch reported.

The Missouri student-athlete handbook says any athlete who is arrested must serve a minimum one-week suspension.

Bailey was pulled over at about 1 a.m. not far from the Columbia campus for an expired license plate and lane violation, a police statement said. Bailey told the officer he had consumed alcohol and then performed poorly on a field sobriety test, the Post-Dispatch reported.