2006

ECCC trio booted from football team Robbie Robertson The Newton Record was kicked off the team and all three have left the school.

~ All I can s~y is they broke team rules and were dismissed from the team.

After an investigation by the Decatur Police Department, the female which made the choking allegation recanted her story, saying she wasn't actually choked. It's not the first run-in with the law for Coleman. Before the season last year, he was charged with aggravated assault in an off-campus altercation. Decatur Police Chief Joedy Pennington said the case was presented to a Newton County Grand Jury which returned a no-bill in the case - effectively saying there wasn't enough evi- t– dence to present an indictment and go forth with ~ atrial. . ~ Underwood said because nothing ever came r·

DECATUH-Three East Central Community Collt'gt' football players have been dismissed from tlw lt'am after an on-campus altercation on SPpl. 11. 'I hl' players - lke Knighten, Desmond Gt aham and Courtney Coleman - were allegedly involved in a pair of on-campus fights in whkh a student had his jaw broken. "All I can say is they broke team rules and we.w dismissed from the team," ECCC football cuarh and athletics director Terry Underwood said ''It was an unfortunate incident and that k111cluf bd1avwt won't be tolerated." Alii lin~< players are sophomores. Knighten is ,, wtclt· n·n~tver from Lake Wells, Fla.; Graham is ;1 runntng bark from Noxapater; and Coleman a lim:b;u:ker frum Louisville

ECCC football coach and AD Terry Underwood

According to police reports, the players went to EC's Todd Hall to confront Rashawn Smith after they had been told by a female that Smith had choked her. After allegedly getting in a fight with Smith, the trio went outside where another fight ensued with Dar ress Blanks. In the fight, Blanks had his jaw broken and was taken to the hospital for treatment. All three players were arrested and charged with simple assault. Underwood said the trio

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the misdemeanor assault charges. Pennington said Blanks hasn't pressed charges in the case- but that if he did press charges, one or more of the individuals could face felony aggravated assault charges and possible prison time.

that incident was being solved and nothing ever came of it. We talked and gave him a second chance but he understood that he was on strict probation and if anything happened he would be off the team." The three players face an Oct. 18 court date in Decatur Municipal court on

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of that case, he allowed Coleman back on the team. "It happened before the season last year," Under– wood said. "He had played for us for one year and hadn't been a problem. Then he sat out last year while ...

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