Joe Bergeron has dominated the Division II Lone Star Conference for Texas A&M-Commerce this season, rushing 148 times for 859 yards and 12 touchdowns for the 8-3 Lions. Of course, the only reason Bergeron is a Lion in the first place is because of his July 25 dismissal from the Texas roster by new head coach Charlie Strong.
And now we may have a glimpse as to why Strong cut his talented running back loose.
According to documents obtained by FoxSportsSouthwest.com, Bergeron allegedly punched, slapped and shoved a female student in the post-midnight hours of Oct. 9.
Police were called and a report was filed, but Bergeron was not charged with a crime.
“What we uncovered and found to be accurate was that he was involved in an incident off-campus,” A&M-Commerce athletics director Ryan Ivey told FSSW. “We don’t believe that it was as severe as the incident report is.”
According to the incident report, the victim and Bergeron’s group of friends began arguing at a bar in Commerce, and then argued again outside the Kappa Alpha fraternity house. After a heated exchange, the victim allegedly knocked a cup from Bergeron’s hands, and he responded by punching her in the face.
She then followed him into the house, where he shoved her against a wall. The victim approached Bergeron again, and he then slapped her on the left side of her face, the same spot where he had allegedly punched her moments before.
Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Colby Carthel suspended Bergeron for a violation of team rules for the Lions’ Oct. 11 game with Angelo State, but he returned a week later to rush 11 times for 34 yards in a 48-21 win over West Texas A&M.
“We talked to a number of people, those that were there, those that were outside of it,” Ivey said. “We interviewed a number of people and just felt like what we did, the punishment fit his involvement.”
