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Vanderbilt University has eliminated a wide receiver Kayleb Barnett from the football team after he was arrested over the weekend for allegedly assaulting someone outside a bar in Nashville.
Barnett, 20, was charged with one count each of aggravated assault by strangulation, identity theft and false identification. The false identification charge is a misdemeanor while the other two charges are classified as felonies.
“We are aware of the situation,” Vanderbilt football said in a statement on Monday, October 12. “Kayleb Barnett violated team and university standards and is no longer with the program.
Barnett is no longer on the Commodores football roster.
The alleged incident took place outside the Barstool Sports bar near the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge on Saturday, Oct. 10 following the Commodores’ 52-17 loss to the University of Mississippi earlier in the day. A police officer claims he saw Barnett attack an individual, putting him in a chokehold.
The officer reportedly “saw the victim fall to the ground, motionless, apparently unconscious, with a large amount of blood around his person coming from the victim,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WSMV.
A witness told police that Barnett threw the first punch, which caused the scare, but Barnett told police otherwise. He reportedly had two IDs on him at the time, including one belonging to someone aged 21 or older.
He was arrested without incident and the victim regained consciousness a short time later.
College football player MicahJo Barnett has died at the age of 20 after suffering a medical emergency during his school’s season opener. William Jewell College announced on Saturday, August 29, that the running back suffered a medical issue on the sideline in the first quarter of the team’s Division II game against Fort Lewis College at Greene Stadium. […]
Barnett posted a $5,000 bond and will appear in court on November 13.
The sophomore had played in all six games at Vanderbilt so far this season, catching seven passes for 36 yards.
Commodores head coach Clark Lea He addressed Barnett’s suspension at a press conference on Tuesday, October 13.
“We couldn’t be more clear about our boundaries,” said Lea, 44. “Anytime you remove someone from the program, that’s not an insensitive decision. That’s not a decision taken lightly. We have clear standards and we fight for those standards every day.”
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He continued, “My worst days in this situation aren’t days where we’re short on field. My worst days are days when we have to make decisions that eliminate membership in our program. And yet, without limits, there’s erosion. And with erosion, there’s flooding. And so it’s imperative that we continue to fight for those every day.”
“Discipline isn’t just something you bring to the game on Saturday. It’s something you live by. We say better people make a better team. That’s what the foundation of this program is all about,” concluded Lea.
Now riding a three-game losing streak, Vanderbilt takes the field again on Saturday, October 17, at home against the University of Arkansas.
