Arkansas announced on Thursday that tight end Jeremy Sprinkle was suspended for the team’s Belk Bowl game against Virginia Tech for conduct detrimental to the team. One report says the tight end was caught shoplifting.
According to SEC Country, Sprinkle was caught trying to shoplift at the SouthPark Mall in Charlotte on Wednesday. Both teams were there for a pre-bowl game event where every player from both teams had 90 minutes to spend a $450 gift card at the Belk department store. Sprinkle apparently tried to take items worth more than the gift card.
Arkansas did not announce the news until a few hours before kickoff Thursday. Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema commented on the suspension in a statement. He said the suspension has been known for “several days,” which would run counter to the shoplifting report.
“Jeremy’s suspension has been known by our staff and players for several days so we’ve had a chance to prepare our game plan accordingly. Throughout his career and this season as a graduate student-athlete, Jeremy has displayed numerous times the qualities we want to represent our program. We have standards within our family that must be upheld on a daily basis and unfortunately he failed to do that in the last week. Jeremy’s suspension isn’t drug, alcohol or violence related but one that will cause him to miss his final game as a Razorback.”
If Sprinkle’s suspension had been known for several days, it makes you wonder why Bielema would have been talking about Sprinkle looking good for the game as recently as Tuesday.
Sprinkle has been bothered by an ankle injury this season but still has 380 yards receiving and four touchdown catches.
