Four freshmen on the Alabama Crimson Tide football team were arrested Monday and charged with second-degree robbery or fraudulent use of a credit card.
Wide receiver Eddie Williams, who was a former five-star recruit at the safety position in high school, was charged with both second-degree robbery and fraudulent use of a credit card.
According to the police report, revealed on ESPN.com and two Alabama newspapers, Williams admitted to police that he assaulted another man, knocking him out on campus early Monday morning. Williams then stole the victim’s credit card and made several purchases at a vending machine, according to police.
Linebacker Tyler Hayes also admitted that he robbed the student and kicked him in the ribs while he lay on the ground. Then the four waited for an hour and then two of them robbed another student, with Hayes and defensive end D.J. Pettway waiting in a nearby vehicle.
Both students attacked in the robberies sustained mild concussions, cuts on the face and heavy swelling, but are expected to make a full recovery.
Pettway and Hayes were also charged with second-degree robbery along with Williams on Monday. Linebacker Brent Calloway was charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, according to online records with the Tuscaloosa County sheriff’s office.
Williams had been arrested and released on Sunday for carrying a gun without license.
All four players were released from Tuscaloosa County jail on Monday night. Williams posted a bond of $65,000, while Pettway and Hayes posted a bond of $60,000. Calloway’s bond was $5,000.
Hayes had 14 tackles for the Crimson Tide this season. He had two tackles in the Tides’ BCS national championship game win against Notre Dame, playing mostly on special teams.
Calloway played in 12 games this season as a redshirt freshman at the linebacker position before being moved to halfback position, where he carried the ball 10 times.
All four players were suspended by Alabama on Tuesday afternoon.
“The young men charged are indefinitely suspended as we continue to gather information and talk to the appropriate people,” coach Nick Saban said in a statement released by the Alabama athletic department. “The university and football program have strict guidelines regarding issues of this magnitude. This behavior is unacceptable for any student-athlete at the University of Alabama and not representative of our football program.
“We are very disappointed in the actions that have resulted in the charges against these student-athletes,” the statement said. “In this type of situation, the athletics department works in conjunction with the university. We will have more to say at the appropriate time.”
