An off-field incident earlier this offseason will prove costly for a pair of Akron football players. Literally.
In a brief statement Tuesday, head coach Terry Bowden announced that safety Johnny Robinson (pictured) and cornerback Donte Williams have had their scholarships stripped from them and will be forced to pay their own way through school. However, the players are still a part of the team and returned to practice this week.
Robinson will not start the opener against Howard, Bowden added.
A third player involved in the incident, running back Bryan Green, remains on scholarship and is listed on the team’s official roster.
In early June, all three were arrested by Summit County (Oh.) sheriff’s deputies and charged with aggravated rioting, which is a felony. Additionally, Robinson was charged with aggravated menacing while Williams was charged with obstructing and resisting arrest as well as being accused of fleeing the scene.
The felonies were ultimately reduced.
The incident occurred outside of an Akron McDonald’s two months prior to the arrests. The three players were part of a group of a dozen individuals arrested and charged in connection to the McBrouhaha.
The players had been suspended indefinitely by Bowden.
Over the past three seasons, Robinson has started 25 of the 34 games in which he’s played; 19 of those starts came the past two seasons. His two interceptions were tied for third on the team in 2013, and his 61 tackles were fourth on the team the year before.
Williams started three of the six games in which he played in 2013 as a junior.
