Even as the onset of preseason camp is a mere hours away, the summer of discontent wears on for the Missouri Tigers.
The Columbia Daily Tribune's Dave Matter reported Tuesday that MU assistant head coach Bruce Walker was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, bringing the total of troubling off-the-field incidences to three over the past few months for a program normally known for its squeaky-clean ways.
According to the paper, officials from the Columbia Police Department said officers responded at approximately 11:15 p.m. Monday to a call claiming a group of people were "potentially drinking in the parking lot" of the Mizzou Athletic Training Complex.
When they arrived, police found Walker, 50, behind the wheel of his truck with it running. Officers then issued a field sobriety test, at which time Walker was placed under arrest.
Walker had just returned to Columbia from a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks with fellow coaches and their wives. The group was reportedly unloading coolers from a rented bus when police arrived.
According to The Tribune, a source reported that a taxi had been called to take Walker home, but police spokesperson Capt. Brian Weimer said he was unaware of that report.
School officials are aware of the incident, but details will not be discussed publicly, per the MU program's policy on personal matters of personnel members, team spokesman Chad Moller told the paper.
Walker, who currently serves as Missouri's co-offensive line coach, was scheduled to be represented in court Tuesday by lawyer Bogdan Susan, who told the paper he would appeal the revocation of Walker's driver's license.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Walker had not been charged by the city prosecutor, Matter reported.
Walker is expected to be present Thursday morning when Missouri opens its preseason practices.
Pair of MU players ticketed
Defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton and safety Jarrell Harrison were cited for first-degree trespassing early Tuesday morning, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune . According to a spokesperson for the Columbia Police Department, the players, along with a trio of female MU students, entered the swimming pool area of a local apartment complex well after it had been closed for the night.
The group was ticketed and released. All five are expected to appear in court, though the date was not disclosed.
The incident is Harrison's second run-in with the law in the past two months. A senior who transferred to MU from junior college in California prior to last season, Harrison was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at a Columbia mall in June.
Former MU wideout Alexander leaves St. Louis without offer
Danario Alexander, who led all of college football in receiving yards last season, arrived at Rams Park on Monday, but he left St. Louis without an offer from the team, despite passing a physical that included an MRI and X-ray on his surgically repaired left knee.
Alexander, who is hoping to catch on somewhere as an undrafted free agent, met with officials from the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. Still, he is hopeful an offer from St. Louis is forthcoming, telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch , "The Rams seem like they're pretty interested, so will see what happens."
Missouri a proud member of the...Big East?
The ebb and flow of college football's recent realignment saga was maddening, but that paled in comparison to the monotony of the message disseminated by MU officials, who reiterated time and time again that Missouri was a "proud member of the Big 12" — even when it appeared the conference was headed for imminent demise.
But, what if Texas and its four hand puppets had, indeed, bolted for the Pac-10? Well, it appears that the Big East was more prepared to snatch up the Big 12's scraps than we may have originally thought.
"For the 24 hours where it looked like they [Texas and the others] were leaving, then this idea had legs," a league source said Tuesday at Big East football media day, referring to his conference extending invitations to Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State. "There were discussions about exploring this if it turned out that those schools were left behind."
Mizzou/Iowa State game makes ESPN's "House of Pain" list
Like any other fan, I find ESPN incredulously annoying at times. At others, though, they actually churn out some pretty good stuff.
For example, the network is in the middle of compiling a list of the top 50 most painful outcomes in college football history. Residing at No. 38 is the 2004 match up between the Tigers and Cyclones, in which MU cost ISU a shot at the Big 12 title game with a 17-4 overtime win in Ames.
I suppose the defeat was one of the more deflating in Iowa State history. But, in any event, roles were reversed the next time Missouri visited Jack Trice Stadium. In 2006, a phantom holding call against MU guard Monte Wyrick nullified a touchdown run by Chase Daniel with seconds remaining. Daniel was sacked on the ensuing play, and the Tigers were denied an excellent chance to record their first double-digit-win season since 1960.
Days later, Walt Anderson, head of Big 12 officials, apologized to MU head coach Gary Pinkel, saying his crew had "made a mistake."
