2008 Woodie Awards
Another Hawkeye charged
Kurtis Hiatt and Charlie Kautz - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
Hawkeye reserve running back Dana Brown has been kicked off the team, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday.
The dismissal comes after Iowa City police charged Brown on Tuesday with domestic assault for allegedly punching and slamming his live-in girlfriend onto the floor.
In a statement, Ferentz cited a "violation of team policies" as the reason for Brown's dismissal. Brown is the seventh UI football player to face charges in the last four months.
According to authorities, Brown's girlfriend reported she and Brown, a 20-year-old sophomore, were in a "verbal altercation that turned physical" at their residence, 2427 Bartelt Road Apt. 2D.
The woman, a 19-year-old UI student, alleged that Brown picked her up, slammed her onto the floor, punched her in the stomach, and shut her leg in a door.
Brown also took his girlfriend's phone and threw it outside into the street, breaking it, Iowa City police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said.
Officers reported the victim suffered minor abrasions to her leg and hand. She did not receive medical attention, Kelsay said, adding Brown said the argument was two-sided.
"It's certainly not acceptable behavior regardless of if it was one-sided or two-sided," Kelsay said. "He's a considerably bigger individual than his victim was." Brown is 5-10, 205 pounds.
Kelsay said it's difficult to gauge whether the domestic assault is more severe than other cases. This type of offense can range from verbal to physical, he said.
Police received the assault report at 8:05 p.m. Tuesday from the victim, who fled her residence and went to a friend's apartment, also in the 2400 block of Bartelt Road, Kelsay said. Reports show two officers responded.
Brown was taken to Johnson County Jail and released Wednesday morning. He did not need to post bail, jail officials said.
Kelsay said officers reported that Brown was "polite and forthcoming with them and admitted his involvement in the physical altercation."
Brown is a sophomore and native of Clairton, Pa. He played sparingly on specialty teams this season and gained 16 yards on four rushing attempts last year.
Domestic assault is a serious misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,500.
Brown's record in Iowa includes two fifth-degree thefts in May and July and a speeding ticket in February, according to court records.
In the May incident, Brown drove over a curb in a parking lot to avoid paying a parking fee. In the July case, Brown allegedly stole two shirts from Dillard's at the Coral Ridge Mall. Both offenses are simple misdemeanors.
In each incident, Brown was found guilty and ordered to pay fines of $307. He was also ordered to 40 hours of community service for the July incident.
In the last four months alone, Brown and six of his teammates have had run-ins with the law.
Police charged backup quarterback Arvel Nelson with driving with a suspended license July 2. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Nelson after he failed to appear in court Aug. 16, according to records.
In another incident, officers charged cornerback Bradley Fletcher with OWI on July 15. The junior was suspended for the first game of the season.
On Aug. 19, authorities arrested receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman on suspicion of unauthorized use of a credit card. Both players have pleaded not guilty; Ferentz has suspended them indefinitely from team activities.
Less than a month later, police arrested long-snapper Clint Huntrods on charges of public urination, interference with official acts, and public intoxication. Ferentz dismissed the senior from the team four days after the Sept. 6 incident.
On Sept. 16, police charged safety Lance Tillison with OWI, just hours after the Hawkeyes' 15-13 loss to Iowa State. Ferentz suspended the redshirt freshman for two games, and the incident prompted the coach to impose a 10 p.m. downtown curfew for the entire team.
E-mail DI reporters at:
daily-iowan@uiowa.edu
Hawkeye football players charged since July:
• Dana Brown, running back - charged Tuesday with domestic assault
• Lance Tillison, safety - charged Sept. 16 with OWI
• Clint Huntrods, long-snapper - charged Sept. 6 with public urination, interference with official acts, and public intoxication
• Dominique Douglas, receiver - charged Aug. 19 for unauthorized use of a credit card
• Anthony Bowman, receiver - charged Aug. 19 for unauthorized use of a credit card
• Bradley Fletcher, cornerback - charged July 15 with OWI
• Arvel Nelson, quarterback - charged July 2 with driving with a suspended license, arrest warrant issued after he failed to appear in court
Source: Police and online court records
The dismissal comes after Iowa City police charged Brown on Tuesday with domestic assault for allegedly punching and slamming his live-in girlfriend onto the floor.
In a statement, Ferentz cited a "violation of team policies" as the reason for Brown's dismissal. Brown is the seventh UI football player to face charges in the last four months.
According to authorities, Brown's girlfriend reported she and Brown, a 20-year-old sophomore, were in a "verbal altercation that turned physical" at their residence, 2427 Bartelt Road Apt. 2D.
The woman, a 19-year-old UI student, alleged that Brown picked her up, slammed her onto the floor, punched her in the stomach, and shut her leg in a door.
Brown also took his girlfriend's phone and threw it outside into the street, breaking it, Iowa City police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said.
Officers reported the victim suffered minor abrasions to her leg and hand. She did not receive medical attention, Kelsay said, adding Brown said the argument was two-sided.
"It's certainly not acceptable behavior regardless of if it was one-sided or two-sided," Kelsay said. "He's a considerably bigger individual than his victim was." Brown is 5-10, 205 pounds.
Kelsay said it's difficult to gauge whether the domestic assault is more severe than other cases. This type of offense can range from verbal to physical, he said.
Police received the assault report at 8:05 p.m. Tuesday from the victim, who fled her residence and went to a friend's apartment, also in the 2400 block of Bartelt Road, Kelsay said. Reports show two officers responded.
Brown was taken to Johnson County Jail and released Wednesday morning. He did not need to post bail, jail officials said.
Kelsay said officers reported that Brown was "polite and forthcoming with them and admitted his involvement in the physical altercation."
Brown is a sophomore and native of Clairton, Pa. He played sparingly on specialty teams this season and gained 16 yards on four rushing attempts last year.
Domestic assault is a serious misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,500.
Brown's record in Iowa includes two fifth-degree thefts in May and July and a speeding ticket in February, according to court records.
In the May incident, Brown drove over a curb in a parking lot to avoid paying a parking fee. In the July case, Brown allegedly stole two shirts from Dillard's at the Coral Ridge Mall. Both offenses are simple misdemeanors.
In each incident, Brown was found guilty and ordered to pay fines of $307. He was also ordered to 40 hours of community service for the July incident.
In the last four months alone, Brown and six of his teammates have had run-ins with the law.
Police charged backup quarterback Arvel Nelson with driving with a suspended license July 2. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Nelson after he failed to appear in court Aug. 16, according to records.
In another incident, officers charged cornerback Bradley Fletcher with OWI on July 15. The junior was suspended for the first game of the season.
On Aug. 19, authorities arrested receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman on suspicion of unauthorized use of a credit card. Both players have pleaded not guilty; Ferentz has suspended them indefinitely from team activities.
Less than a month later, police arrested long-snapper Clint Huntrods on charges of public urination, interference with official acts, and public intoxication. Ferentz dismissed the senior from the team four days after the Sept. 6 incident.
On Sept. 16, police charged safety Lance Tillison with OWI, just hours after the Hawkeyes' 15-13 loss to Iowa State. Ferentz suspended the redshirt freshman for two games, and the incident prompted the coach to impose a 10 p.m. downtown curfew for the entire team.
E-mail DI reporters at:
daily-iowan@uiowa.edu
Hawkeye football players charged since July:
• Dana Brown, running back - charged Tuesday with domestic assault
• Lance Tillison, safety - charged Sept. 16 with OWI
• Clint Huntrods, long-snapper - charged Sept. 6 with public urination, interference with official acts, and public intoxication
• Dominique Douglas, receiver - charged Aug. 19 for unauthorized use of a credit card
• Anthony Bowman, receiver - charged Aug. 19 for unauthorized use of a credit card
• Bradley Fletcher, cornerback - charged July 15 with OWI
• Arvel Nelson, quarterback - charged July 2 with driving with a suspended license, arrest warrant issued after he failed to appear in court
Source: Police and online court records
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 9
john shumaker
posted 10/18/07 @ 3:40 AM CST
it's obvious these players just have it in for Coach Ferentz, everyone knows what a fair minded, swell fella and all round good person Ol Kirk is,
why this is just patently unfair to Ol Kirk, his Family and his Coaches, these players just get full ride $100,000 scholarships to Iowa just so along the way when anyone least notices it they rise up and try and ruin Our Good Fair coach, Good Ol Kirk, and his reputation and fine standing anyway they can, it's not easy going 1-8 in your last Big Ten games but somehow Good Ol Kirk has somehow managed to accomplish that impossible task, it's because he's got great management skills and really knows how to communicate with and handle his players,
Gosh it's great to see Good Ol Kirk at the top of his A game and comin out and really deliverin the goods, The Iowa City PD just wish he and his players would just stay on campus and leave them the hell alone for the good of the community,
but ya can't keep Good Ol Kirk and his players down on the fa
Bill
posted 10/18/07 @ 9:07 AM CST
They need to look at a person's character when recruiting. I don't care if they are the best athlete in the world, I don't want to see someone at Iowa that steals and beats up their girlfriend. (Continued…)
boilerdan
posted 10/18/07 @ 10:08 AM CST
The continued poor behavior by Iowa student athletes over the past year has cast a shadow over the entire University. It is both shocking and patently unfair that a few bad apples - in this case athletes - have tarnished the reputation of an otherwise stellar program. (Continued…)
Karen
posted 10/18/07 @ 11:18 AM CST
I don't know, I kind of like the Chicago behavior in Iowa City. It certainly adds diversity to an otherwise bland Iowa landscape.
Jon C
posted 10/18/07 @ 12:14 PM CST
Okay. Putting the 2005, 2006, and what we have of the 2007 season so far together, the team's overall records are 17-15 and their Big 10 record is 8-12. (Continued…)
Teresa
posted 10/18/07 @ 12:15 PM CST
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and what a way to make an awareness statement. Actually, I'm proud of Coach for dismissing him even before he's been found guilty. (Continued…)
Mike Norton
posted 10/18/07 @ 2:15 PM CST
As an Iowa graduate, I'm astonished that seven football players could have been charged with crimes since July.
Perhaps more careful background checking is needed when recruiting. (Continued…)
David Henry
posted 10/20/07 @ 3:09 AM CST
It's very clear that the athletic learning center, the $3.5 million dollar building built as a tutoring center for student athletes was not needed. First, the athletes are students of a University, so educational assistance should be available to them just like any other student. (Continued…)
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