It appears BYU won’t have to even think about what life might be like without its top running back for all or part of the 2014 season.
Earlier this week, it was reported that running back Jamaal Williams had been arrested in mid-February on a charge of underage consumption of alcohol. Because of BYU’s strict honor code, it was thought that Williams could miss some playing time via suspension.
Addressing the incident for the first time publicly Tuesday, head coach Bronco Mendenhall, in no uncertain terms, indicated that the junior will not be suspended as a result of the arrest. Also, in no uncertain terms, the coach made it crystal clear that he has no intention of further discussing the incident.
“Don’t know when, don’t know how,” Mendenhall said when asked about first hearing of the situation. “But it has been addressed so long ago now between he and I that I don’t intend to address it again. He is in great standing with our program. Was, and is now, and will be going forward.”
Regardless of how and why Mendenhall and the university kept Williams in “great standing,” it’s certainly tremendous news for the Cougars.
In 2012, he led Cougar running backs with 1,233 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns. As a true freshman in 2012, he led the team with 775 yards and 12 touchdowns despite playing very sparingly the first four games of the year.
Williams has pleaded not guilty to the charge, and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for May 7
