Four University of Kentucky football players will be sitting out Saturday’s game against South Carolina after being involved in an incident involving an airsoft pellet gun late Sunday night.
Running back Stanley “Boom” Williams, wide receiver Dorian Baker, quarterback Drew Barker and defensive end Tymere Dubose have all been suspended for one game and will also receive “additional internal discipline” for violating team rules, UK announced in a news release, via The Courier-Journal.
“Proper conduct is emphasized as a core value of our program,” coach Mark Stoops said in the statement. “If we have a situation in which someone who does not act according to our standards, we hold him accountable.”
According to the Journal, campus police received numerous reports about shots possibly being fired outside of a residence hall located near the football practice facility. The campus was placed on lockdown for about two hours while UK Police and Lexington Police searched for a suspect. Police recovered three BB guns, which aren’t allowed on campus.
Surveillance video showed the group of football players, one of whom was wearing a T-shirt made specifically for the Kentucky special teams group by their coach, dumping the airsoft pistol shortly after the incident.
The players still could face criminal charges, as the UK chief of police will meet with the Fayette County Attorneyâs office to “determine what next steps need to be taken.”
While Barker and Dubose are both expected to redshirt this season, Williams and Baker have played and made an impact for the Wildcats this season. Williams has produced 174 yards and two touchdowns on 21 touches this season, while also returning four kickoffs for 105 yards. Baker, meanwhile, is the team’s third-leading receiver with 11 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Photo via Mark Zerof/USA TODAY Sports Images
